The Project

Sir William McAlpine and Cliff Thomas--respectively President and Chairman of the Greensand Railway Museum Trust--address the invited guests at the donors’ and sponsors’ event on 14th July 2007.

A far cry from the bullets and shells that would have greeted its original entry into service, No 778’s public launch on 19th August 2007 was marked by the firing of confetti guns at Page’s Park station. The fusillade was led by the Town Mayor of Leighton-Linslade, Councillor Adam Fahn.

Several of the Baldwin 4-6-0Ts found their way on to British light railways after the First World War. They formed the entire locomotive fleet of the Ashover Light Railway, Derbyshire, which opened in 1923, and supplemented existing stock on the Welsh Highland Railway, the Glyn Valley Tramway and the Snailbeach District Railway. Some were also used in industrial service.

The last British survivor was “Peggy”, which was scrapped in June 1951 following the closure of the Ashover line. It was this 50th anniversary, together with a realisation that direct personal memories of the horrors of the First World War are slipping into oblivion, that led to the formation of the Greensand Railway Museum Trust in 2001, with the aim of restoring and operating WDLR No 778 in the 21st century.

Although based at the Leighton Buzzard Railway, No 778 is expected to make occasional working visits to other suitable lines.

The Trust--named after the sand deposits which led to the construction of the Leighton Buzzard Railway--is a separate legal and financial entity, although closely linked with its host railway. UK charitable status has been obtained.

Its Chairman is Cliff Thomas, the well-known railway journalist and author. Other trustees are David Smith of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society, Mervyn Leah, Chairman of the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway Society, Tony Tomkins, environmental advisor to the Heritage Railway Association and Vice-President of the LBNGRS, and Alf Fisher, Vice-President of the LBNGRS. Sir William McAlpine kindly agreed to be the Trust’s President.

The restoration of No 778 has been a major undertaking. It was thoroughly worn out when withdrawn from service over 20 years ago, and almost every part has needed some work. A new boiler was one of the most expensive items on the list.

The project was managed by the Leighton Buzzard Railway’s steam engineering team, who have restored several of the regular fleet to working order, and have also carried out major overhauls as required.

Thanks to the success of the fundraising phase of the project, most of the restoration of No 778 was carried out by specialist engineers, under LBR supervision. The first test steaming took place at the works of Alan Keef Ltd in 2006.

It returned to the Leighton Buzzard Railway in full working order in April 2007, and made its first public appearance as a static exhibit at the Indian Hill Railways Spectacular event, on Monday 7th May. Following the private event for donors and sponsors on 14th July, it was launched into public service officially on Sunday 19th August 2007.

Last updated 28th December 2007