Duke of Sutherland 0-4-4T No. 397 'Dunrobin'
Bridgnorth, Shropshire, UK 		Location: Severn Valley Railway
Status: Overhaul
Posted: Jul 26, 2023 @ 10:07:58 by Russell Newman
Much work has progressed on the former Duke of Sutherland’s private Highland Railway 0-4-4T No. 397 "Dunrobin" at Bridgnorth shed at the Severn Valley Railway the past few months. As the locomotive has been placed back on its wheels along the with the newly built driving wheels added which have all been painted and the new cylinder block has new been fitted into place on the mainframes of the locomotive. The original bunker/cab components are sadly in a poor state and are beyond repair so a new bunker/cab is to be built to replace the original. Progress on the boiler has reached the stage where it can readily be completed and tested. The inner firebox has now been fitted and manufacture of stays is underway. It is hoped that "Dunrobin" will be in steam by 2024 or 2025?
Posted: Apr 27, 2023 @ 13:04:18 by Steve Frost, European Editor
The locomotive was not part of the Highland Railway stock and was a private purchase by the fourth Duke of Sutherland who had inherited running rights on the Highland Railway which were originally granted to the third Duke as a concession to enable the extension of the line from Golspie to Helmsdale. An unusual, but not unique situation.
Posted: Dec 14, 2022 @ 13:12:02 by Russell Newman
Following a period of storage (when work stopped as a result of the pandemic) the former Duke of Sutherland’s private Highland Railway 0-4-4T No. 397 "Dunrobin" has been brought back into the Severn Valley Railway’s workshops at Bridgnorth Shed to continue its heavy overhaul and rebuild since its repatriation from Canada in 2011. Work that has been carried out so far on "Dunrobin" has seen a brand new cylinder block made and fitted to the locomotive along with brand new driving wheels as the orginals were beyond repair. The current work so far is completion of the machining work for the axleboxes and then setting the locomotive back onto its wheels again while new side tanks are made and work on the boiler continues in the boiler shop at Bridgnorth.
Posted: Jun 18, 2011 @ 11:06:09 by Steve Frost
Back in the UK, it has gone to the Severn Valley for assessment and preparation before its move north to Beamish
Posted: Jan 5, 2011 @ 13:01:22 by Steve Frost
The loco has been for sale and has been bought by Beamish Museum in North East England. It is expected to return to the UK later in 2011, having had the knuckle couplers and other North American equipment removed. For a small loco used privately in the far north of Scotland, Beamish isonot the obvious home for it, but then, neither is British Columbia .
Posted: Dec 15, 2006 @ 22:12:32 by Kyle
The general rolling stock used at fort steele are BRITISH coachs
Posted: Feb 28, 2005 @ 13:02:04 by Steve Frost
I'm not surprised it won't pull much. 'Dunrobin' was privately owned by the Duke of Sutherland and was used by him to haul his private coach over the Highland Railway. It wasn't built with hauling heavy North American passenger cars in mind!
Posted: Feb 23, 2005 @ 18:02:19 by Kyle

Hi,

This locomotive is currently operational but Fort Steele will not operate it due to it being hard to start and it not being able to pull enough cars.

Posted: Sep 30, 2002 @ 15:09:41 by Doug Bailey
Roman, the author the the Preserved Steam in British Columbia reports: Not operational due to mechanical problems. The engine was operating this summer (2002) but due to bad firing methods, it developed a crack in the boiler. It may be operational for next summer.
Posted: Sep 30, 2002 @ 15:09:25 by Doug Bailey
The locomotive is also known as "Dunrobin". We're going to modify the database and the page drivers so that we can display these names after the locomotive's number.