THE Vintage Carriages Trust has announced that its historic Manning Wardle L class 0-6-0ST Sir Berkeley, Works number 1210 built in 1890, is to spend a month at Beamish Museum.
The locomotive will be operating on the Colliery Line on 10 days between April 6and the May Day Bank Holiday. In mid-March, the locomotive was being prepared at the Middleton Railway’s Moor Road workshops for the visit. The loco has recently undergone winter maintenance and a boiler inspection.
In addition to work on Sir Berkeley, the Middleton Railway Trust has been attending to Swanscombe No. 6 over the winter period. This Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST, works number 3860 built in 1935 has also had its annual boiler inspection alongside work on valves and pistons.