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Gertrude set to enter Leighton Buzzard service in 2021

LEIGHTON Buzzard Railway (LBR) anticipates Sarah Westmacott’s Andrew Barclay 0-6-0T Gertrude (AB1578/1918 being available for service in 2021.

It arrived at the railway in February 2019.

The boiler was lifted and sent to Locomotive Maintenance Services in Loughborough prior to the March national lockdown, and is now back at Page’s Park, where work has been undertaken on the loco’s running gear.

Five locos

Gertrude entering service will give LBR five available main line steam locos in 2021, the others being Gertrude’s sister Andrew Barclay 0-6-0T Doll (LBR) and privately owned Baldwin 4-6-0T WDLR No. 778, Avonside 0-4-0T Sezela No. 4, and O&K 0-6-0WT Pedemoura.

LBR’s O&K 0-6-0WT Elf and O&K 0-4-0WT P C Allen are out of ticket, awaiting overhaul.

Other LBR locos currently out of service and undergoing overhaul are Kerr, Stuart ‘Wren’ 0-4-0ST Pixie and privately owned De Winton 0-4-0VBT Chaloner.

LBR’s Baguley 0-4-0T Rishra goes out of ticket in March 2021. Whether it will be available to steam for its November 2021 centenary is uncertain.

New lockdown measures halt railway operations… again

UK LOCKDOWNS brought narrow gauge operations throughout Britain to a standstill for the second time in 2020.

The Welsh Government introduced a ‘firebreak’ lockdown on October 19 followed by the UK Government’s November 5 to December 2 lockdown in England.

Traditionally, narrow-gauge railways take a November break between Halloween and the start of Christmas operations.

This year, having lost the early to middle season to Covid-19, and after enjoying good postlockdown traffic figures, many lines extended their seasons.

‘Santa’

The remaining question as this issue of The RM went to press concerned the operation of ‘Santa’ trains

A number of Welsh lines had already decided to drop Christmas operations this year, with those intending to run being clear of the Welsh ‘firebreak’.