To awaken, only let rest & not sleep!
With the 9F now out of action for around two decades, a new approach is needed to get this giant running. Andy Taylor, a volunteer from the locomotive department, is at the forefront of a new idea:Â sustainable funding.
- Sustainable funding is when you can predict the income coming in and not rely on one-off donations, i.e. you can forward plan.
- Regular donations of £15 a month (£18.75 with gift aid) to restore 92240.
- Once 92240 has been restored, the fund will continue to support the next overhaul (meaning the locomotive will be out of traffic for a shorter amount of time).
- The end goal would be to have the restoration of many locomotives funded this way and therefore increase the locomotive pool.
This would enable the Bluebell Railway to once more have not only one of the largest collections of steam locomotives in Britain, but to have the largest WORKING collection!
Who is ‘The Giant’?
Steam locomotive 9F No.92240 is one of the largest and most powerful steam locomotives built in Britain. It was among the last completed at Crewe Works in 1958. It was withdrawn in September 1965 and sold to Barry Scrapyard in Wales. After 13 years at Barry, it was bought by a group of members (headed by the late George Nickson, Pete Reid and Peter Cox) from the Bluebell Railway’s locomotive department.
Jon Bowers’ photo shows it steaming up Freshfield Bank in fine style on Boxing Day 2001.
The restoration of 92240 at the Bluebell Railway took a further 13 years, re-entering traffic in 1990 as the first restored Barry 9F to steam. It ran for only a few years before several boiler stays were found to need replacement. At this point, the boiler was re-certified for a further ten years.
It was withdrawn from service in 2002, due to the poor condition of the tubes. After many years awaiting overhaul on public view in the locomotive shed at Sheffield Park, in September 2009 it moved to be on static display alongside Platform 1 at Horsted Keynes Station. In November 2022 it was moved back to Sheffield Park.
Latest news
Work continues in preparation for the locomotive’s overhaul at Sheffield Park. In early March 92240 was moved undercover for the first time in many years. This enabled the locomotive to dry out. This photo shows 92240’s tender being prepped for repainting, in the loco running shed as of 21 March 2023.
In addition, work has been taking place inside the tender water tank, to prepare this (and the coal space) for coating of appropriate protective paints.
There are more updates on recent work in the Newsletter.
Past news
Other ways to help
- We would welcome anyone who could man a stall at Horsted Keynes, advertising and signing people up to regular donations
- Join and participate on our Facebook Group and our Facebook Page
- If you think you can help in any other way drop Andy Taylor a line for further information
The new donation leaflet is proving to be very popular indeed, with a second print run of 1000 has been obtained. We seem to be attracting approximately 60 new donors per year through this route, with the leaflet targeting a new group of people who are not aware of the fundraising. You can download the leaflet (PDF) here.
