Midland Railway 2-4-0 locomotive No.158A, which is the oldest surviving Midland Railway locomotive, is to go on static public display at Barrow Hill roundhouse.
The National Railway Museum has signed a three-year loan agreement with the Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society to enable the historic locomotive to be displayed at the roundhouse. On Thursday, 4th August, the locomotive travelled to Barrow Hill from Locomotion in Shildon, where it had been receiving conservation work and asbestos remediation.
At Barrow Hill the locomotive will join three other national collection locomotives already on display there: Midland Railway Class 4P compound locomotive No.1000, Great Eastern Railway Class F48 locomotive No.1217, which later became LNER Class J17 No. 65567, and Great Central Railway Large Director Class D11 No.506 Butler Henderson, which later became LNER 62660.
Midland Railway locomotive 2-4-0, No.158A has strong historic ties to the region, being designed by William Kirtley and built at Derby in 1866 as part of a batch of 29 locomotives built for express passenger workings to Kings Cross, then the London Terminus of the Midland Railway until St Pancras Station was built.
It became 158A in 1896, then renumbered to No. 2 in 1907 until 1934 when it was renumbered by the LMS to 20002. It finally ended its days as a station pilot at Nottingham in 1947, after 81 years of service. During its last days it had been been relegated to suburban stopping trains.
The locomotive will go on display as part of Barrow Hill's 150+2 Celebration Gala from Friday, 26th to Sunday, 28th August.
Mervyn Allcock, Barrow Hill General Manager, said:
“I'm proud to see 158A arrive and it fits very well in the roundhouse where it will go on public display alongside no.1000 in time for the celebration gala. It's the first time these engines have been brought together here for a very long time so I'm looking forward to seeing the public reaction at our event.”
