NCB1 Whittle Colliery 0-6-0T No. 31
Cranmore, Somerset, UK 		Location: East Somerset Railway
Status: Stored
Abbreviation Expansion English
1 NCB National Coal Board National Coal Board
Posted: Mar 16, 2023 @ 11:03:11 by Russell Newman
The unique ex NCB Whittle Colliery Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn built 0-6-0T (Works No. 7609) No. 31 "Meteor" is in storage at the East Somerset Railway as they has not been much work carried out on the locomotive and it is still up for sale.
Posted: May 2, 2020 @ 07:05:24 by Russell Newman
The unique ex NCB Whittle Colliery Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn built 0-6-0T No. 31 "Meteor" has been put up for sale by its owner to see the locomotive go to a good home.
Posted: Sep 7, 2010 @ 09:09:45 by 32110
The overhaul of this locomotive will start in the very near future. Many of the major parts, boiler, new inner firebox, frames and wheels, are now at Cranmore but there are still substantial components to be delivered from AVR such as tanks, motion, fittings, cab etc.
Posted: Jun 14, 2004 @ 03:06:00 by Steve Frost
No 31 is back in service, but not as 'Meteor' or 'Thomas'. This time its in LNER black livery. Like many unauthentic liveries it looks smart, but it could never have been, as the LNER had ceased to exist by the time the engine was built. So what - its in use again and that's what counts!
Posted: Apr 10, 2003 @ 15:04:24 by Steve Frost
No31 was supplied to the National Coal Board for use at the Ashington Colliery complex in Northumberland. It never left Northumberland whilst in NCB ownership, and ended up at Whittle Colliery in a run down condition. Whittle had hardly any maintenance facilities and the engine was not liked by the crews there. One reason was that, for a British industrial, it is unusual in being a side tank loco, and, with inside cylinders, access for oiling up was not easy. There is just the narrow slot below the front of the side tanks to squeeze through. Whittle didn't have a pit, which didn't help either.

On retirement No31 was preserved on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and restored to working order in a rather, er, striking livery of orange with bright green wheels. This was supposed to be based on a 2-6-0 of Ferrocarril de Guayaquil a Quito, in Ecuador. Inevitably, it became known as 'the Clockwork Orange'! In the photo, Meteor digs into the climb from Grosmont towards Goathland near Esk Valley.