The West Somerset Railway has announced their last guest locomotive that is to pay a visit from the Blaenavon Heritage Railway.
Owned by Mike Pearse and based at Blaenavon, Hunslet 0-6-0ST No.1873 ‘Jessie' will visit the WSR for the first time and will be running at the Spring Spectacular event over 4 days of the first May Bank Holiday weekend from the 3rd – 6th May.
‘Jessie' is expected to run on all four days of the event undertaking a range of duties, hauling a pick up goods train on the Friday, Saturday and Monday to Washford, while she will also be on passenger trains on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
There will also be opportunities to see her shunting wagons performing the same duties that she was built for.
Details of the times and trains ‘Jessie' will be working will be released in due course.
Built in 1937, ‘Jessie' spent all her working life hauling huge heavy wagons around East Moors steelworks in Cardiff.
Filled with melted hot iron ore, these wagons were shunted about between the various furnaces and forges at the works.
In preservation, she has travelled about and brought joy to many children. Upon being withdrawn, she became a static exhibit in a park in Cardiff.
Some years later, the decision was made to convert her into a famous blue tank engine with a number 1, and in this disguise, she has visited many heritage railways.
Having performed that role, it was decided she should be put back to something more original, and so Jessie had her saddle tanks restored and is now back in the original livery that she wore during her time at the Steelworks.
Her visit to the West Somerset will be the last time the public will see her in her original livery as she is due to be repainted into a different livery after the event.
Those that are planning on visiting the West Somerset Railway to ride behind the 8 locomotives in steam including ‘Jessie', over the bank holiday weekend, can pre book tickets online at – https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/events/view/spring-steam-spectacular
