The Mid-Suffolk Light Railway has taken delivery of this summer’s guest steam engine with the arrival of the Industrial 0-4-0 Saddle tank steam locomotive No. 1370, ‘May’.

On a cold, grey and drizzly Tuesday at Brockford the Railway’s Ops team took delivery of the steam engine. After a complicated shunt operation to get ‘May’ into the right place, a warming fire was lit, after the boiler had been first filled with the water. The engine will then be tested and Middy drivers and firemen familiarised with the steam engine on Wednesday 1 April.

It is planned that ‘May’ will then go into service with ‘Illingworth’. This is another steam engine that has been visiting the railway since last Christmas. The two engines are both planned to be in steam over the Easter weekend

After Easter, ‘Illingworth’ will now return to its owner, as the 10 year boiler certification is due to expire. This necessitates a refurbishment and boiler re-certification before further service is possible.

John Durrant the Mid-Suffolk Railway’s Locomotive Manager said, “The arrival of ‘May’ continues the Middy’s policy of securing a diverse and interesting range of small industrial and shunting steam engines to haul our passenger trains. The Easter weekend it is planned will see both steam locomotives in service together with the recently arrived Great Eastern Railway Chief Engineer’s Salon coach no 14.”

History of ‘May’.

Peckett and Sons of Bristol built ‘May, in 1915, with the works number 1370. It was designated as a Class R2. During its working life, ‘May’ was first delivered as new to the Coventry Ordnance Factory. It then moved to GEC Stafford and was named Lady Godiva. The steam engine was next bought by Cohens Scrap Dealers and Loco Merchants who sold it to Yates Duxbury, based at Heap Bridge Bury, Lancashire. This was when No. 1370 was named ‘May’, and operated at Yates until being sold into preservation in 1975.

‘May’ is currently based at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton. All at the Middy are grateful for the loan of May for the summer running season.

For more information about the railway’s events and opening times, please see their website at mslr.org.uk.