The North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG) was formed in 1966 with the intention of preserving some of the
steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
s then still working on regular goods or passenger trains in
North East England
North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authorit ...
. At the time of its formation, its first president was
Wilbert Awdry, the author of
The Railway Series books and the creator of
Thomas the Tank Engine.
Now the group owns four unique North Eastern steam locomotives, its aim is to have as many of its steam locomotives running on the main line or preserved lines as possible. In 2014, the LNER K1 (62005) ran on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and on the Jacobite service in Scotland. The LNER Q6 (NER T2, 63395) was undergoing boiler repairs at the start of the season but finished the season on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the LNER J72 (NER E1, 69023) ran on the Wensleydale Railway.
The group have two workshops, one at
Hopetown Carriage Works
Hopetown Carriage Works, also known as the Stockton and Darlington Railway Carriage Works, was a carriage works of the Stockton and Darlington Railway built in 1853 in Hopetown, near Darlington, County Durham, England.
The works built railway ...
,
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town.
In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
and another workshop and base at
Grosmont, the northernmost station on the
North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The shed at Grosmont is called deviation shed. Members of the group hold regular evening meetings to discuss railway subjects, have a membership newsletter, and have produced various publications.
The group now also has a junior volunteers section, training young recruits at, mainly, the NYMR and Deviation Shed. These JVs will help with mainly the locomotives, although a small amount has been done on the carriages (K1 support coach).
Locomotives
NELPG
*
LNER Class J27 no. 65894 - Operational following overhaul completed in May 2018. Currently based on the
NYMR. Visited the
Wensleydale Railway in August 2018 & 2019.
*
LNER Class J72
The North Eastern Railway Class E1, classified as Class J72 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), is a class of small 0-6-0T steam locomotives designed by Wilson Worsdell for shunting. They had inside cylinders and Stephenson va ...
no. 69023 - Under overhaul at
Hopetown Carriage Works
Hopetown Carriage Works, also known as the Stockton and Darlington Railway Carriage Works, was a carriage works of the Stockton and Darlington Railway built in 1853 in Hopetown, near Darlington, County Durham, England.
The works built railway ...
. Semi-permanently based at the
Wensleydale Railway.
*
LNER Class K1 no. 62005 - Out of service, overhaul commenced at
Carnforth MPD in October 2021. It is currently the NELPG's only mainline certified locomotive which means it is able to haul
excursion trains on the mainline. When it isn't on the mainline, it is usually in service on the
North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).
*
LNER Class Q6 no. 63395 - Operational at the
NYMR, having had its most recent overhaul completed in September 2021.
Other
The group does not own the following locomotives but has looked after them in the past:
*
LNER Peppercorn Class A2 60532 Blue Peter
LNER Peppercorn Class A2 No. 60532 ''Blue Peter'' is the sole survivor of 15 4-6-2 locomotives of the A2 class, designed by Arthur Peppercorn of the London and North Eastern Railway, LNER. 60532 worked between 1948 and 1966. It is owned by th ...
(contract ended August 2011)
*
LNER Class Q7
North Eastern Railway Class T3, classified Q7 by the LNER is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight. Five were built by the NER in 1919 and a further 10 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1924.
Performanc ...
no. 901
References
External links
The NELPG website: http://www.nelpg.org.uk/
Rail transport in Darlington
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