The 0-4-0 diesel locomotive No. 5 Bredgar has been withdrawn for overhaul at the 2-foot gauge Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway near Sittingbourne in Kent.

Bredgar was built by Baguley-Drewry as works number 3775 for the metre gauge Ministry of Defence line at Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. After being declared redundant by the MoD, it was transported to the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway, where it was converted to 2-foot gauge.

Having worked for many years on shunting and works trains, it has become due for overhaul for the first time in 20 years. Among the faults identified are failed engine mountings and worn brake shoes. Fortunately, the brake shoes are all steel, and the railway has some in stock; they are also the same as those used on some Barford dumper trucks.

Further inspection revealed that some of the frame mountings are well worn, and work is proceeding to bring them up to a more precise standard.

The railway hopes to have completed all work in time for Bredgar to be back in service in time for the summer holiday diesel train.

Other locomotives owned by the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway include: No. 12 Bicknor, built by Motor Rail in 1953; No. 13 Lyne, built by Simplex in 1936; No. 14 Milstead, an 0-4-0 diesel mechanical locomotive built by Andrew Barclay in 1988 for the Ministry of Defence; works tractor Jenny; and a rail tractor based on a Fordson Major tractor.

Other work recently completed at the railway includes the conversion of its semaphore signals from oil lamps to battery power. Several years ago, one of the railway’s locomotives. Eigiau, and 0-4-0Wt built by Orenstein and Koppel, put in a guest appearance at the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales.