4247's working Life

Built 1916 @ Swindon – 2-8-0 tank. A Freight engine working in the South Wales Industrial Areas, mainly coal workings, iron & steel up the valleys & back down to the docks around South Wales. Passed into public ownership in 1948 after 36 years owned by the Great Western Railway. Taken over by British Railways for 16 years before sent for scrap at Woodhams Scrapyard, Barry. South Wales.

 

4247 worked in Cornwall mainly on the heavy China Clay diagrams. Based at St. Blazey, she ended up having a varied work pattern between 1952 and 1958, including empty coaching stock around Par, Newquay & reaching Laira where we are lucky to have a photograph of 4247 there working the sidings, by Cornish railway historian Maurice Dart. We are lucky to hold numerous photographs of 4247 whilst based in Cornwall, but prior to & after that, only just a couple in South Wales. If you have any or know of any, we would like to hear from you. 1964 saw 4247 dispatched to Woodhams where she stood for 21 years before being recused by the then 4247 Preservation Society. 4247 Limited, formerly 4247 Preservation Society, have now owned her for 40 years & she is still going strong & doing what she was built for – work.

The Purchase

It all started with Founder Member Neil Powles teaming up with Paul Burns, who were requested to bring a steam engine to the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway back in January 1984. They were both present at a public meeting held in Wallingford to promote the establishment of the closed branch line as a preserved railway. The line had seen class 47 diesels on freight workings to ABM Maltsters before closing.

 

After surveying all the engines at Woodhams, 4247 was deemed to be in the best condition for restoration. Rough estimates at the time worked out at around £40000 to £50000. Numerous trips were undertaken to soak the lower half of the engine in oil ready for moving onto a low loader. Health & Safety did not apply there as the amount of blue & white asbestos open to the elements was plain to see!!

 

Meanwhile in November 1984, a committee was put together for its first meeting at the North Star, Steventon, Didcot. Paul was taken on as Chairman, Neil Secretary, Ron Hodges Treasurer and joined by Nick Bilton, Mike Lambert, Roger Wicksteed and David Goodenough. Then followed a whirlwind fund-raising campaign to buy 4247 from Dai Woodham for £7500 + vat. This was achieved in just 12 weeks owing to the Society selling shares at £180 or paying £5 a month for 3 years. Publicity was the key with 3 of the committee working in the print industry & so were able to produce their own printed matter. Their boss at times turned a blind eye & even bought a share! David Goodenough & his wife took on the role of sales & got around all events to promote & sell railway items etc., later Ron & his wife took on the task. April 1985, Neil produced the cheque to Dai Woodham & the same day Alley’s Transport picked up 4247 from the yard. Thankfully all the preparation of soaking with oil worked well and she went smoothly along the siding & onto the low loader. A 16mm film was take of the arrival & unloading at ABM Maltsters, Wallingford. Neil is currently working on tracking down the whereabouts of the film.

 

Arrival at Wallingford created great interest with 4247 on the low loader negotiating its way over Wallinford Bridge, through the narrow roads & eventually unloading.  After settling at Wallingford over the next couple of years it became apparent space was at a premium as the railway was also progressing & expanding.

 

A big setback hit the society when unfortunately Paul departed for ventures new which left them with no one with steam locomotive restoration experience. Nick Bilton took over as Chairman & successfully took the group from a society to a company in a changing world of increasing legalities. A decision was taken to move 4247 to the Chinnor & Princess Risborough Railway based at Chinnor due to space, where a section of track was put aside to continue restoration. “Heyford Works” is a little known location for steam engine restoration. Neil proceeded to turn his double garage into a workshop along with Brian Cherry fabricating & making a new bunker, side tanks & cab roof. Living in the old Stationmasters house at Heyford Station with no nearby neighbours' noise was no problem except to Janet & family!

 

The Restoration

Taking apart each section, the rivets & bolts was a challenge. The fabrication & eventual riveting was by hand. A real progress adventure for the group, along with participation from Bill Bastin & Roger Wicksteed Progress was slow on site with just a handful turning up to work on the kit of parts, the Chinnor Railway always welcomed & helped when they could. Again we lost our Chairman to pastures new which left us with skeleton volunteers. Finance wise Martin Betts kept us on an even keel, as we gradually chipped away at acquiring missing parts, even to the point of purchasing our own stamped parts removed in the early days at Woodhams!!!

 

After a few years, we left to become the last steam locomotive to enter the private owned Swindon Works. Wheels were turned, copper welder repaired firebox, new & refurbished parts were steadily fitted back on. All this overseen by CME Ed. Freeman. Whilst trying to complete the restoration there we encountered a serious cash flow issue, but with Martin’s expertise we managed to side step many a difficult time. 4247 left Swindon Works in 2001 ready to steam again, in a blaze of publicity from the media, for her inaugural run on the West Somerset Railway, where she stayed for a while, before venturing out to the Great Central & Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway.

 

After a couple of years all was not well with 4247 mechanically, and with little money in the bank, we seemed to be back at square one again with 4247 having £300000 spent on her restoration. Our CME, Ed, with all his contacts, put the Bodmin & Wenford Railway onto us & soon 4247 was dispatched to the Flour Mill Forest of Dean for a complete overhaul. She made her debut in 2005 at the Bodmin Railway where she enjoyed 11 good years of service & maintenance overseen by Geoff Westlake & Martin Blackwell of the railway.

 

Unfortunately, our host railway, like others at the time, fell on tight financial constraints, which in turn affected 4247. She lay dormant in the bottom shed for 4 years, but luck was with us again when the Paighton & Dartmouth Railway came knocking at the door looking for another powerful & economic engine to add to their locomotive fleet. She entered the East Somerset Railway Workshop for another complete overhaul in 2023. To date with a steaming tentatively envisaged late Summer 2025, she has had new tyres, extensive copper welding repairs in & around the firebox, new laser cut cladding for the boiler, new firebox, extensive manual fettling, repairs to the bunker in fact just about everything. Which it needs to work hard up & down the Dartmouth Line. 4247 will come out on limited occasions, when not required by the railway, and especially in light of the amount of finance they have put into the overhaul. 4247 Limited has signed a twenty-year agreement with our hosts, with options on both sides to extend for another period of time. Since starting & completing this venture, it is estimated that over a million pounds has been spent on 4247. No mean feat for a voluntary organisation. The company finds itself in a good financial place. Regular updates will appear on this site, especially with her first steaming due soon & testing thereafter on the ESR before going off to earn her keep on the Dartmouth Railway.