NCB1 Woolley (War Department) 0-6-0ST No. 8 (75133) 'King Feisal of Iraq'
Bream, Gloucestershire, UK 		Location: Flour Mill works
Status: Restoration
Abbreviation Expansion English
1 NCB National Coal Board National Coal Board
Posted: Sep 28, 2007 @ 18:09:07 by Steve Frost
As an update, the loco was in army service, and took the 11 year old King Feisal on a tour of a military base in the 1950's. Subsequent career was with the Coal Board. It has now been moved indoors, which at least will prevent further deterioration, but does allow a closer inspection. That reveals that the plating on the bunker is rusted right through nearly all the way round at the bottom, the injector is missing, at least on the left hand side, and its suffered a rough shunt at some time as the rear buffer beam is bent at the left hand end, as is the support bracket attached to the chassis. Someone left a file just behind the smokebox some time ago. Its as rusty as the rest of the loco and covered with cobwebs, too. Is it rusted to the loco?
Posted: Dec 19, 2006 @ 10:12:05 by Steve Frost
These tough 0-6-0STs almost became Britain's standard industrial loco in the post war era and were built by a number of builders during and after the Second World War.

The origins of them go back to the Bowes Railway in Co. Durham in the 1930's. The Bowes was an indusrial line which linked collieries in the west of the county to coal staiths at Jarrow, on the River Tyne. This meant that the line ran across the grain of the country and so there were both rope hauled and self acting inclines as well as locomotive worked sections. To the west of Marley Hill (On today's preserved Tanfield Railway)was Hobson Bank which was originally rope worked, but converted to locomotive working about 1900. It featured fierce gradients of 1 in 35 (2.8%) and 1 in 20.6 (4.8%). To work this, they ordered a powerful side tank loco from Hunslet Engine Co. - works No 1506 of 1930. On photos it shows similarities with the Austerity saddle tank locos that came from it, particularly below the running plate. However, it appears to have had a Belpaire firebox unlike the saddle tank descendants.

The 1940's version was widespread in its use both in the UK and in Europe post 1945. Mines, factories, and on the main line, too. They worked the Cromford and High Peak branch in Derbyshire with gradients of up to 1 in 13 (7.7%)and were used as dock and works shunters as well. The Army retained some and several of these have been preserved, too.

I'm not sure of the history of this one, but as it once carried the name 'King Feisal of Iraq', it will have had a career with the Army. Will they dare restore the name?? Whatever, it is right that the National Collection should have an example.