Yorkshire Engine 0-4-0DH

James

The first two locomotives Andrew bought were the YEC 0-4-0DHs “James” and “Jack”.

Both built for South Yorkshire Chemicals at Parkgate, they were bought by Thomas Hills when SYC finished and sold on to the Ford Motor Company at Halewood, where they were known as "2" and "3" (Number "1" was another YEC 0-4-0DH, ex ICI Runcorn). Eventually Halewood moved over to hiring locos, and Jack and James were parked up, with James nominally operational and Jack very much a "spares donor".  In due course they were offered for sale as a pair. With no interest shown other than Andrew, his bid went through without problem and  Ford donated all relevant spare parts from Halewoood stores. Initially Andrew took them to Long Marston, and in late 2001 James operated trains for the MoD Territorial Army exercise "Operation Silver Beaver", probably the last ever military rail traffic at Long Marston. With the site sold to St Modwen Properties and commercial rail vehicle storage being undertaken by Motorail Logistics, "James" occasionally helped out when other locos were out of service.

In 2006 it left for Nantmawr and the Cambrian Railway Society, being their first working loco on the site. In April 2009 it transferred to the Derwent Valley Railway near York, where it is seen below. A vacuum brake installation had to be completed before the loco handled passenger trains at Murton. Although work did proceed on this, distance and open-air facilities mitigated against rapid progress and in early 2011 it was agreed that it would be exchanged for Hibberd Planet "Pluto", the latter being staged via Peak Rail to enable the vac-fit to be completed. James will in due course go to Peak Rail for vac-fitting.

For more photos of this loco, see the Gallery section here