A visit to Amberley Museum led to a friend of the owner of Peckett 2012 of 1941 locomotive “Teddy” discovering the loco's original Works Plate at the museum.
The plate had originally arrived with Amberley Museum from the Brockham Museum collection in 2008. It is not known how the plate came into the hands of Brockham Museum, which was a narrow gauge-focused organisation and is a mystery as to why a standard gauge plate would feature in its collection.
“Teddy” was originally built for the Ministry of Supply and saw its first working service at Creekmore Ordnance Factory in Poole. The locomotive saw several owners prior to its purchase by the late Reverend Teddy Boston in 1972. Reverend Boston created the Cadeby Light Railway, which he laid around the grounds of Cadeby Rectory in 1982. The locomotive was once again purchased by its current owner in 2011 and proudly wears the name “Teddy” in honour of the late Reverend.
Upon discovering that the missing Works Plate was at their museum, the Amberley Museum Trust's Trustees got to work carrying out the relevant research in order to approve the transfer of the works plate to “Teddy's” current owner, Gary Boyd Hope, in order to be reinstated as they should be on the little loco's cab side.
Gary recently visited Amberley Museum, where he was presented with the Works Plate by Katrina Burton, Museum Director.
The usual thing is plates are stolen by someone, sold to someone else for money, then maybe sold to a museum as it was in this case.