British Railways 2-6-2T No. 84030 (78059)
Sheffield Park, Sussex, UK 		Location: Bluebell Railway
Status: Restoration
Posted: Sep 13, 2023 @ 14:09:46 by Russell Newman
This is the inside history of New-build BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T No. 84030 being re-constructed from 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78059 and a little history of the Class. The BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T was part of the 999 BR Standard locomotives built for British Railway under Robin Riddles. The BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T along with their BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 Tender cousins where in fact based on an old LMS design by H.G. Ivatt. 30 BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T locomotives were built at Crewe and Darlington Works in 1953, numbered from No. 84000 to No. 84029, and 65 of their BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 Tender cousins which 65 were built where all built at Darlington, and they were used on most regions of British Railways expect the Southern. However the BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T mainly worked in the Northwest region of the UK and on the Southern region as well and some did work in North Eastern Region in the early 1960s. Sadly all 30 of the original BR Standard 2MT Tanks were scrapped in the mid to late 1960s, but four of the BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 Tender cousins did survive, which one No. 78059 was bought from Dai Woodham Scrapyard at Barry in South Wales and moved to the Bluebell Railway, but it did not have a tender as it had been sold to a South Wales Steel Works. So, a project was launched to re-construct No. 78059 from a 2MT 2-6-0 into a brand new 30th BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T No. 84030 for use at the Bluebell Railway as well as use out on the heritage railway circuit around the UK, feeling in a missing gap in BR Standard Steam locomotives today. Re-construction is still ongoing but progressing well which funded donations are welcome to help which details can be found on the Bluebell Railway’s website along with news on the project.
Posted: Aug 3, 2023 @ 11:08:19 by Russell Newman
A milestone was reached in the construction of recreated new-build BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T No. 84030 (re-constructed from 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78059) has seen the newly built side tanks fitted into place on the locomotive for the first time. Work is also underway on the construction of the new cab and coal bunker.
Posted: Feb 18, 2023 @ 15:02:01 by Russell Newman
The newly constructed side tanks for new-build BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T No. 84030 being re-constructed from 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78059 have been built and are ready for fitment to the locomotive. The next stage of re-construction of the locomotive will be a newly built cab and the boiler of No. 78059 will soon be brought back to Sheffield Park shed for it to have TLC and work carried out on it to steam again for the brand new locomotive.
Posted: Oct 24, 2022 @ 06:10:18 by Russell Newman
The reconstruction of BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78059 into a brand new BR Standard 2MT 2-6-2T No. 84030 is progressing at the Bluebell Railway, as with the newly extended frame section in place work has progessed on the construction of the new coal bunker for the locomotive and the side tanks are now being constructed.
Posted: Oct 8, 2017 @ 04:10:14 by Russell Newman
That is the wrong photo there as thats not 78059 being rebuilt in to 84030 there as that is No. 80151 the 4MT Tank loco being overhauled there.
Posted: Aug 2, 2008 @ 13:08:21 by Steve Frost
This is a project to create the tank engine version of the class 2 from a surviving tender loco, by extending the frames and adding the trailing truck as well as building the necessary tanks and bunker.

An album photo shows the loco as a 2-6-0 whilst in the scrapyard at Barry Docks in 1969 before removal for this project.