1848-BUILT 4ft gauge Horlock 0-4-0 Fire Queen, displayed at Penrhyn Castle since 1969, is to be relocated. It is probably the oldest surviving narrow gauge locomotive in Britain, pre-dating Ffestiniog Railway’s 1863-built George England 0-4-0STTs Prince, Princess and Palmerston which are the oldest surviving 2ft gauge steam locos and the oldest narrow gauge locos to remain operational.
Fire Queen was built (with sister loco Jenny Lind) to work the Padarn Railway which linked the Dinorwic slate quarry complex at Gilfach Ddu with the port of Y Felinheli (Port Dinorwic). The only locos built by A Horlock and Co, they were based on Thomas Crampton’s 1847 patent, having no frames with the wheels and cylinders mounted directly to the boiler.