East Sussex railway makes investment towards steam locomotive restoration

On Sunday, 2nd June, the group that is restoring former Great Western Railway 2-8-0 tank engine No. 4253, the 4253 Locomotive Company, received the welcome announcement that the Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust wished to make further investment in the company.

The announcement was made during the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s 50th Anniversary Gala, with 4253 expected to play a major role in running and operating the line when it extends from Robertsbridge to connect with the Kent & East Sussex Railway at Tenterden.

After the announcement, Charlie Masterson, Chairman of the 4253 Locomotive Company, thanked Richard Broyd CBE, a Rother Valley Railway Trustee, for the Trust’s further substantial financial input to the restoration of 4253 and presented him with a certificate in recognition.

The additional investment by the Rother Valley Railway shows it is confident that the 4253 Locomotive Company can complete the restoration of 4253 in time for the reopening of the line.

Once the line has reopened, 4253 is expected to play a major part in the operation of services between Robertsbridge and Tenterden.

A major contribution to the increased restoration costs has been a substantial increase in the cost of rebuilding 4253’s boiler, which have rocketed in the last two or three years.

The investment by the Rother Valley Railway will go a long way to ensuring the completion and installation of the boiler. It will also ease a large financial ‘black hole’ that continues to develop around it.

History

4253 was designed by George Jackson Churchward for the Great Western Railway in March 1917 to haul long and heavy coal trains through the Welsh valleys.

The terrain and weight of the trains required a locomotive with good steaming capabilities and formidable tractive effort. Throughout its working life 4253 was allocated to Newport (Pill) shed in the city’s docks.

It spent all its life hauling heavy coal trains from the pits in the Eastern and Western Valleys to the docks and the steelworks.

When diesels took over its duties in 1963, it was withdrawn and consigned, like many of its class, to the infamous Barry Scrap Yard for cutting up.

Thankfully, because of the Beeching modernisation plan, there was plenty of redundant rolling stock and track to be recycled, and 4253 never succumbed to the cutter’s torch.

In 1987 it was rescued by The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, but due to a lack of resources, it remained unrestored until June 2011 when it was transferred to its present home at the Kent and East Sussex Railway.

Although the all-important finance from shareholders will still be needed as we go forward to a steaming date and beyond, this additional confidence in us by the RVR will help to underpin the future of 4253 in the long term and I would like to thank them for their continued support.

Charlie Masterson, Chairman of the 4253 Locomotive Company