New home for Bluebell Railway's USA Dock Tank steam locomotive

New home for Bluebell Railway’s USA Dock Tank steam locomotive

The Bluebell Railway Preservation Society has confirmed that they have agreed a price for the sale of its USA Dock Tank, No. 30064.

Visitors to the Bluebell Railway will no doubt have fond memories of the locomotive, especially if you visited during the 1970s.

Paul Churchman, Chairman of the BRPS, said that a disposal list of vehicles has been made up and the first of those vehicles have left the railway in search of a future in preservation.

Paul explained that 30064 requires around £40,000 spent on it to remove the asbestos in the locomotive and also said that even with this problem sorted, there is no plan in the next 20 years to have the locomotive restored back to working condition.

Mr Churchman said in his letter to members that they hoped to welcome the locomotive back to the Bluebell Railway in the next 5 to 6 years to operate trains, something that wouldn’t happen if the Bluebell Railway continued as owners.

The sale of the Dock Tank locomotive, which was designed by the United States Army Transportation Corps, has already been agreed – but the funds from the sale would go straight back into purely locomotive restoration.

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It is intended that 30064 will move to Sheffield Park in the next week or so and will leave the Bluebell Railway soon after. The undisclosed buyer has not been revealed but no doubt its new home will be confirmed soon.