Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn 0-6-0T 7684/1951

Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn 0-6-0T 7684/1951Nechells 1970 – H.B.Holland

A powerful locomotive of a design originated by Hawthorn Leslie.  Ex the builders’ Forth Bank works, Newcastle-upon-Tyne on August 7^th, 1951, 7684 was one of a batch supplied to the British Electricity Authority initially being delivered to Meaford Power Station near Stone, Staffordshire.  By October, 1951, just two months later, 7684 was transferred to Nechells Power Station, Birmingham to serve the old Power Station ‘A’ which had opened in 1916 and ‘B’ station then still under construction on land previously occupied by the Birmingham, Tame and Rea Drainage Board (the body responsible for control of the city’s sewage).

7684 became number 4 in the steam locomotive fleet at the Power Stations, sharing duties with a couple of sister locomotives and a pair of much smaller Peckett 0-4-0 saddle tanks.  Rakes of loaded coal wagons were collected from the British Railways exchange sidings on the former Midland Railway Birmingham to Derby line, and worked up a line approximately ¾ mile in length into the Power Station to supply the boilers, empties being returned in the opposite direction.

Regular steam working ceased in 1972 and the locomotives tendered for disposal with the exception of the Peckett No.1 which moved on the Northampton Power Station.  Peckett No.2 was scrapped but the big RSH side tanks 3 and 4 were purchased privately, going to Shackerstone, Leicestershire.  No.4 was preserved at the Battlefield Line Railway at Shackerstone, arriving there on 11 June 1973.

 

It was restored to working order by its owner in 1995, and then moved to the Foxfield Railway on 8 July 1996, where its livery was completed in the lined green form originally carried when new at Meaford Power Station. “No 2” has been a regular and powerful performer on Foxfield passenger trains ever since.

The owner of 7684 recently decided to sell the locomotive which has now been purchased by Chasewater members and arrived at Chasewater on 11th December 2010.

Information – Barry Bull and Foxfield Railway

In the yard at Chasewater.

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