Steam Locomotives
Steam was introduced on the Severn & Wye route in the 19th century, replacing horse drawn drams on plateways. The first steam locomotives ran on broad gauge track but after standardisation, standard gauge at 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in. The Severn & Wye railway had their own fleet of steam locomotives when operations commenced but when they were absorbed by the Midland and Great Western in a joint venture, locomotives from these two larger companies began creeping in. The line is most associated with the GWR designed 0-6-0 types: firstly the saddle tanks and then the well-known Pannier tanks. These locomotives were perfect for the Forest with its low speed branch lines and tight curves, they were ideally suited for both the small amount of passenger work and the mammoth amount of freight work, mainly hauling coal from the multiple collieries down to Lydney for export.
Interrupted by a brief period of dieselisation in the 1960’s and 70’s, the Forest of Dean has now returned to a primarily steam operation in the preservation era with our fleet of hardy tank engines providing the motive power for our visitors to enjoy. Our resident fleet is a mix of ex-GWR/BR locomotives and ex-industrial/War Department engines all with different strengths and weaknesses. Our primary locomotive provider is the independent Dean Forest Locomotive Group, a registered charity who own, overhaul and maintain their fleet of three ex-mainline locomotives for operation on the DFR (see their own website here). The Dean Forest Railway Society and a smattering of private individuals also reside steam locomotives on site which we are able to use when they are operational.
The list of locomotives below is centred on our resident fleet, all of which are based on our railway. Other locomotives may visit for work or temporary storage: Western Steam Engineering may have temporary residents currently undergoing works or storage at Norchard, for example – they are not listed on this page as these locomotives regularly come and go on behalf of other owners and operators. We also don’t list previous visitors here, as the page would be far too large!
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| Peckett works no. 2147 ‘Uskmouth No. 1’
Class: R4 ‘Uskmouth No.1’ is a Peckett R4 steam locomotive, built by Peckett & Sons in 1952. The locomotive was constructed for work at the Uskmouth Power Station in Newport, South Wales. One of Pecketts standard industrial designs, many of these locomotives plied their trade in industrial settings around the globe! Moved to the DFR in 1972, it was our first steam locomotive and operated the first passenger rides at our Parkend station back in 1970! ‘Uskmouth No.1’ spent many, many years stored out of traffic at Norchard but was restored as part of our 50th year celebrations. She re-entered service in 2024. Due to its very small size and limited haulage capacity it is not suited for our regular passenger trains and therefore the locomotive is now used on occasional light duties: for example brake van rides at our Royal Forest of Steam Gala or for private hire making up an exclusive train alongside the resident ‘First Class’ Hawksworth Inspection Saloon. It has also already had a ‘holiday’, operating on hire at the SDJR Midsomer Norton site during December 2024. Image courtesy of Adrian Copley |
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| 8750 Pannier no. 9681
Class: ‘8750’ 9681 is part of the Great Western Railway’s largest single class of locomotive, the 57xx Pannier tank. More technically, 9681 is part of the 8750 subclass which is mainly identified by it’s more modern cab with large windows. Although a GWR design, 9681 was actually built by British Railways post-nationalisation in 1949 and therefore never saw GWR service. It arrived at Norchard in 1975 and first returned to steam in 1984. After a couple of ten-year boiler tickets and their associated rebuilds, it was withdrawn in 2013. It returned to service in 2022 after a particularly extensive (and expensive) overhaul, returning the engine to almost factory condition. 9681 is currently our primary passenger service engine and is almost exclusively seen at the head of our main passenger service rake: if you’re visiting the DFR soon for a steam train ride it will probably be the locomotive that you are hauled by. She also appears at our annual steam gala and undertakes our popular “Branch Line Experience” days in which you can take command of the regulator and drive her for yourself! Image courtesy of Adrian Copley |
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| Under Overhaul | |
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Austerity no. WD152 ‘Rennes’ Class: Austerity ‘Rennes’ is one of the large class of Hunslet Austerity designs. Built for the war effort, a large number of these easily to build, easy to maintain and reliable locomotives were built during the harsh wartime conditions. WD152 was originally built for the War Department and entered service in 1944 at the Command Ordnance Supply Depot at Didcot. After brief spell at the Central Ordnance Depot at Steventon in Berkshire, it moved to the Longmoor Military Railway, a dedicated railway for training soldiers on aspects of railway construction and operation. It was at Longmoor in 1950 it gained the ‘Rennes’ name, after the French town. The War Department sold the engine back to Hunslet in 1959 and in 1961 it was sold to the NCB who pressed it into service at Mountain Ash Colliery in South Wales. Withdrawn in 1979, it had spells in storage at The Big Pit Mining Museum and Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway before moving to the DFR sometime in the mid 2010’s. She returned to steam in 2017 and ably assisted 5541 on our passenger trains until withdrawal in early 2021. ‘Rennes’ is currently under overhaul at Norchard, with a replacement overhauled boiler currently being prepared within the restoration shed. The locomotive is expected to return to service in the near future. Image courtesy of Dan Winter |
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Hunslet works no. 2413 ‘Gunby’ Class: ‘50550’ ‘Gunby’ was one of eight 50550 class of industrial locomotives built by Hunslet in 1941: it was the forerunner design to that of the Austerity. All eight were built for Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd who’s plans for use of the engines fell through between the order being placed and the locomotives delivered. ‘Gunby’ was subsequently sold to the Stanton Ironworks Co. and operated there for many years. The locomotive ended up in preservation quite early, operational at the Stour Valley Railway in the late 60’s/early 70’s. After time at the Swindon & Cricklade, it arrived at the DFR in 2017. ‘Gunby’ is a sister engine to ‘Gloria’, also residing at the DFR and currently stored at Lydney Junction. ‘Gunby’ is currently being overhauled in the restoration shed at Norchard. Work is underway but it is too early to allocate a timeline for completion.
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| 8750 Pannier no. 9682
Class: ‘8750’ 9682 is a direct sister to 9681 and they shared the production line together, both being outshopped in 1949. Importantly, she was the last of the 57xx and associated subclasses to be constructed. In her operation life with British Railways she was allocated to three sheds, predominately Tyseley, latterly Aberbeeg and finally Radyr. Up until 28th December 1963, when records ceased, she travelled an estimated 242,035 miles. 9682 was withdrawn in 1965 and purchased for preservation in 1982. She was well travelled in her early preservation years, visiting the Swindon & Cricklade Railway, Bodmin and Wentford, Mid Norfolk Railway and the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway. Withdrawn with boiler issues in 2007, she was stored at Southall until the DFLG purchased the engine in 2019. The extensive overhaul of 9682 is now underway by the volunteers of the Dean Forest Locomotive Group. As previously reported in the railway press, the majority of the steam fittings with a street value of £35,000 have been misappropriated leaving the DFLG the task of sourcing or even manufacturing new ones. Image courtesy of Dan Winter |
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| Andrew Barclay works no. 2221
Built: 1946 Built by Andrew Barclay & Sons in Kilmarnock, Scotland, ‘2221’ was delivered in 1946 to the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth. Operational at Devonport for 20 years, it was sold for preservation in 1966. After brief spells in storage in Northern Gloucestershire, the locomotive arrived at the DFR in 1988 and was stored on a plinth next to the restoration shed until 2024! Following the completion of ‘Uskmouth 1’, the team behind the Peckett have now started work on the Barclay in earnest with the engine now disassembled and the overhaul underway. We are at the very start of the process and therefore it is far too to allocate a timeline for completion. |
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| Stored/Awaiting Overhaul | |
| 4575 Prairie no. 5541
Class: ‘4575’ 5541 was built in 1928 at Swindon Works for the Great Western Railway. After brief spells at Swindon and Bristol Bath Road sheds, she was transferred to Machynlleth in 1938 where she spent the majority of her working life.IDuring 1960 she moved from Machynlleth to Laira, where she stayed until being made redundant on the 10th July 1962, after completing 921,589 miles in service. The locomotive was brought to the DFR in 1972 and restored to service in 1975. She received an overhaul and fresh ten-year boiler ticket in 1994 and then again in 2014. Her most recent boiler certificate expired on 31st December 2024 and the locomotive is now stored at Norchard awaiting overhaul, albeit in the queue behind owners-mate 9682 which is currently ‘in the shed’. Image courtesy of Dan Winter |
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Austerity no. 3806 ‘Wilbert’ Class: Austerity ‘Wilbert’ is probably the most famous engine on the Dean Forest Railway, thanks to his connection and feature in the Thomas the Tank Engine Series! Built to the Hunslet Austerity design in 1953, ‘Wilbert’ was ordered and delivered to the National Coal Board where it moved around collieries in the North and Midlands of England. It ended its working life at Rugely Colliery. Bought by members of the DFR, ‘Wilbert’ arrived in the early 70’s and was steaming in the early 80’s. It was brielfy named ‘G.B.Keeling’ after the Severn & Wye chief engineer but this was renamed to ‘Wilbert’ in 1987: named by the Rev. W. Awdry, he wrote ‘Wilbert’ into his famous Railway Series. ‘Wilbert’ operated between the late 80’s and mid 90’s and then from 2012 to 2016. Now stored at Norchard, the locomotive is jointly owned by the Dean Forest Railway and Dean Forest Railway Society. The locomotive requires a rather extensive overhaul and therefore at the present time there are no firm plans on when/if this will commence. Image courtesy of Adrian Copley |
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Austerity no. 3823 ‘Warrior’ Class: Austerity ‘Warrior’ is another of the large Austerity class. Built specifically for the NCB in 1954, not much is recorded about it’s use bar the fact it finished its working life at Bickerstaff Colliery in Lancashire. ‘Warrior’ is a rare beast, being one of a small number of NCB locomotives to be fitted with a ‘Giesl ejector’. Invented by the Austrian “Dr. Adolph Giesl-Gieslingen”, the device was supposed to increase the combustion of fuel by increasing the draught of air through the fire through the use of a cleverly design blastpipe in the chimney: this design was called the ‘Giesl ejector’. In reality it had less of an effect than advertised and the NCB did not fit the device to many locomotives. ‘Warrior’ is currently disassembled and stored with some parts at Norchard and some parts at Lydney Junction. The locomotive requires a rather extensive overhaul and therefore at the present time there are no firm plans on when/if this will commence. |
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Austerity no. 65 Class: Austerity #65 is another of the Austerity Class that resides at the DFR. A late build, she was constructed in 1964 for the NCB, entering service in Yorkshire. Painted in a very striking all over Yellow livery, it was suitably nicknamed ‘The Yellow Peril’. Following the end of steam on the NCB network in the 1980’s, #65 entered preservation but has not yet turned a wheel in anger. Following various moves, she arrived at the DFR in 2015. #65 is currently residing in Lydney Junction yard in a stored condition. |
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Hunslet works no. 2411 ‘Gloria’ Class: ‘50550’ ‘Gloria’ is another of the eight Stewarts & Lloyds engines built in 1941 and a direct classmate to ‘Gunby’, currently under overhaul at Norchard. ‘Gloria’ was deployed at the Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd steelworks where it worked the trains of tube wagons from Corby Tubeworks to Corby Sidings during the 1950s and 1960 and was still working at the steelworks into the 1970s. This was heavy and hard work. ‘Gloria’ is currently residing in Lydney Junction yard in a stored condition. |
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This page was last updated on 18/03/25. Information correct at time of writing, E&OE.