Amberley Museum poised for bumper year

Amberley Narrow-Gauge Museum is preparing for what it hopes will be a successful year following recent lockdown and restrictions. A highlight for the museum is to be the anticipated return to steam of Bagnall locomotive Peter (WB2067/1918) after major boiler work and a heavy mechanical overhaul.

The boiler for Bagnall Peter, recently rebuilt by Andy Bennett at Highbridge works in Somerset.

The museum is predicting with confidence that its narrow gauge railway will feature prominently in what will be on offer to visitors this year.

The mechanical overhaul for the locomotive has carried out in-house with some specialist jobs being contracted to local engineering companies. The boiler has recently been reattached to the frames and insulation fixed and a repaint is to follow with an extended period of testing before it returns to passenger trains. For now, steam-hauled trains will remain in the hands of Groudle Glen locomotive Polar Bear (WB1781/1905).

Bagnall 0-4-0ST Peter at Amberley station.

Peldon, Fowler Resilient diesel JF21295/1936, will be scheduled for operation on at least one Sunday a month for the first time. Its use on Santa special services last December has proved it to be a reliable locomotive. Volunteers have invested many hours of work to achieve this and to leave it shut away in a shed seemed to defeat the object of the work.

Important event dates for the museum in 2022 are as follows:

• Spring Industrial Trains – Sunday 10 April 2022
• Railway Gala Weekend – Saturday/Sunday 23/24 July 2022
• Autumn Industrial Trains – Sunday 16 October 2022

For more information on running days, events and booking, visit the Amberley Museum website.