Tilbury Tank steam locomotive takes up residence at Bury Transport Museum

The 89-year-old 2500 Tilbury Tank has arrived at Bury Transport Museum, on loan from the National Railway Museum.

The iconic engine joins several other artefacts from railway history, such as a battery-electric locomotive built in 1944, which arrived at the museum last month.

It is hoped that these new additions will make the Bury Transport Museum an attractive hub for railway historical preservation in the North West of England, drawing in crowds in the local area who are eager to learn about the country's transport heritage.

The museum regularly hosts historical events that exhibit a variety of famous engines, including arguably the most famous tank engine of all, Thomas.

The Tilbury Tank was originally constructed in 1934, and was designed to serve the London Tilbury and Southend line as part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway.

Thirty-seven engines were constructed, but Bury Transport Museum's latest resident was the first to be completed, marking an important moment in railway history. It is also the last surviving example of this particular model of tank engine.

These tank engines feature three cylinders, which were incorporated into the design to aid with acceleration. This was a particularly important feature on busy railway lines of the time, as trains were required to stop and start frequently along the route.

The Tilbury Tank can be identified by its relatively short smoke stack and smaller external cylinders, which differ from other 2-6-4 engines of the era.

East Lancashire Railway Director and Bury Transport Museum Chairman Keith Whitmore welcomed the new arrival, saying:

“We are absolutely delighted to be strengthening our working partnership with the National Railway Museum.

“The 2500 is an LMS Large Tank locomotive built in 1934 that now looks very much at home in our museum, representing the zenith of steam power on the London Midland and Scottish Railway before post war British Railways came into being.

“We are working closely with the Science Museum Group to ensure that our Museum is a must see visitor attraction in the North West and are looking forward to further announcements shortly on a further refresh of our displays.”

These words were echoed by the National Railway Museum's Paddy McNulty, who said:

“We are proud to be working with ELR and the Bury Transport Museum to enable LMS locomotive no. 2500 to go on display. This will give the public additional opportunities to see this important part of the National Collection for themselves.”