PRESS RELEASE - 12 MAY 2015 Dr Pete Waterman OBE DL is delighted to announce that he has reached an agreement with Peak Rail to base his Waterman Railway Heritage Trust assets at its Rowsley site. Over the coming months, Pete expects to announce exciting plans to overhaul his trust’s steam locomotives, return them to active steaming and in the process provide structured training opportunities for young people interested in a career in the railway industry. It has always been Pete’s passion to see young people given the chance to learn engineering skills and over the last 30 years or so, he has provided such opportunities to dozens of people via apprenticeships. Pete said “I have long been an admirer of Peak Rail and they were a natural choice for me when I decided to relocate from the Crewe Heritage Centre. In my time at Crewe, I’m proud to have created hundreds of skilled jobs by providing investment that no-one else had the vision or foresight to do. I intend to work with Peak Rail to continue that tradition”.
Pete Waterman on the footplate of 8624 on 1st May 2010 when he inaugurated the new turntable at Peak Rail.(Photo: Sheila Rayson).
On Sunday, 21st June 2015, I was able to have an initial, brief look at two of the Waterman Railway Heritage Trust locomotives now at Peak Rail. This was the day of the Peak Rail Preserved Bus Gathering 2015, which is described here.
Number 5224
This is a Great Western Railway 2-8-0T of the 5205 class, built by Collett in 1923. The design is based on Churchward's 4200 class built between 1910 and 1923.
5224 outside Rowsley locomotive shed.
Number 5553
This is a Great Western Railway 2-6-2T of the 4575 class, built by Collett between 1927 and 1929. The design is based on the earlier 4500 class. I believe this locomotive claims the distinction of being the last locomotive out of Barry Scrapyard. There's an excellent series of articles on the remarkable story of Barry Scrapyard on the Great Western Archive website, starting with The Barry Scrapyard story, part 1.
5553 in the sidings at Rowsley.
My pictures
G.W.R. Locomotive 5224.
G.W.R. Locomotive 5553.
