Linda
| Linda | |
|---|---|
 at Harbour | |
| Built By | Hunslet Engine Company |
| Status | In Service |
| Loco Number | N/A |
| History | |
| Built | 1893 |
| Designed By | Hunslet Engine Company |
| Type | Penrhyn Mainline Hunslet |
| 14th July 1962 | Arrived on hire from the Penrhyn Railway |
| 1970 | Converted to oil |
| 5th March 1985 - July 1986 | Ran on coal (gas producer system) |
| March 2011 | Return to traffic following major overhaul. |
| Fuel | Oil |
[edit] Origins
This powerful engine was built as an 0-4-0ST by the Hunslet Engine Company, Leeds in 1893 (works No. 590) for main-line service on the Penrhyn Quarry Railway, at a cost of £800. Linda was sent from Hunslet on 6th July 1893, named after Linda Blanche Douglas-Pennant (1889-1965), the daughter of Edward Sholto and Blanche Georgina Douglas-Pennant (after whom sister engine, Blanche, was named). A full height cabsheet was fitted in 1905 and a new firebox at this time. She had another new firebox in 1920 (fitted 1921 at Leeds). The driving axle was straightened in 1931: it was then to break twice in 1934 (replaced with one off Blanche) and in March 1954 when a larger one was fitted. Linda was fitted with a new boiler in April 1936 returning to traffic in 1937). She was stored at Port shed from 24th August 1940 to 18th May 1950 and received a welded tank in January 1951. She had a derailment on 8th October 1958 and worked her last trip at Penrhyn on 11th July 1962 (breaking down at Felin-Hen).
[edit] Arrival on the FR
Linda was hired by FR, arriving at Minffordd via B.R. on 14th July 1962. On 5th September 1962 she derailed rather spectacularly in the area of Squirrel Crossing / Cutting Budr. The event/location have since become known as Linda's Leap. She was purchased by the FR in 1963, and equipped with a tender (ex Welsh Pony). The backplate of the cab was removed and wheel spacings were adjusted to fit the FR track gauge (Penrhyn gauge was 1ft 10.5"). The cab was reprofiled as a result of clearance tests at Garnedd tunnel. In 1963, the FR eventually purchased her for the sum of £1500. Like Blanche, Linda initially ran on the FR as an 0-4-0STT as seen here, photographed over Easter 1965.
Allan Garraway regarded Linda as his personal engine until he stopped driving. In 1969, she was fitted with superheating by the original manufacturer, Hunslet Engine Company. In 1970 she was rebuilt again, this time as a 2-4-0STT (saddle-tank tender engine). The pony truck fitted as part of the rebuild used a pair of wheels from the rear bogie of long scrapped Moel Tryfan - the other pair of wheels later being similarly used for a pony truck for Blanche. In October 1970 Linda was converted to oil firing using the Laidlaw Drew system, to reduce the chances of lineside fires, the rest of the main fleet locomotives were converted in following years. FRM51.
Principal stated dimensions: Cylinders: 10½" x 12", Nominal wheel diameter: 2' 2", Boiler pressure: 160 psi. Rigid wheelbase 5' 0".
[edit] 1990/91 Overhaul
During Winter 1990/91 Linda underwent a major overhaul, which included a new aluminium (removable) tender cab. The society magazine carried the following describing works carried out in the Workshops
"Much time has been spent on Linda, addressing many outstanding jobs: the reverser quadrant has been strengthed and a crack in an adjacent mounting angle repaired; play between the valves and buckles has been eliminated; valve spindles have been remachined to suit; new neck rings and front cover guides have been fitted; die-blocks have been 'built-up' and remachined and valve gear taper-pin bushed have been replaced. Furthermore the front coupling and drawbar assembly has been rebuilt and modifications have been made to the tender suspension and engine-tender drawbar and buffer. Perhaps even more earth-shattering is the fabrication of a new (removable) aluminium tender cab section, long requested by the engine crews, and a full repainting of the engine in Midnight Blue, lined white. Students of modern history may be interested to know that, whilst in the process of preparing for this first full repaint since 1971, much of the Penrhyn livery was uncovered (and then mostly sanded off!), revealing it to be very thin, seemingly hastily applied and altogether rather a rough job" - FRM132 (Spring 1991, pp 484/5)
[edit] Recent Years
Following another overhaul between 1994 and 1995 Linda emerged in Penrhyn black livery for the first time since 1964. This popular machine continued to work on the FR until withdrawal in late 2004 with a badly leaking tube-plate. During this period the locomotive made its first visit to the WHR(C) for Adventure Week in May 24-30 2003.
Repairs were delayed, and priority was given to sister locomotive Blanche, and as result Linda was stored to be completed as a volunteer project. This progressed steadily until eventual completion early in 2011.
Linda has changed much over the years, and during this overhaul the opportunity has been taken to restore as much of the locomotive as practically possible to its original specification including:
- Original position of smokebox handrail
- Original style injectors
- Movement of the safety valves from the dome back to their original location within the cab.
- Removal of Lempor exhaust system.
Following extensive trial runs and running-in (including a trip to Caernarfon!) during March and April 2011, Linda returned to traffic on the 1140 departure on April 26th 2011.
On the 4th June 2011 Linda departed Wales for the first time since delivery to visit the private Statfold Barn Railway in Staffordshire.
Previously operating in unlined black, a surprise move by the Linda restoration team saw the loco lined out in Penrhyn livery, original sandboxes,vacuum pipes and the tender removed and the backsheet added for a brief period before the repaint in in July 2011. A clever use of a small oil tank on the cab floor, and a 'long range' tank hidden in a slate wagon enabled Linda to operate as a tank engine again on a train of slate wagons. Linda was repainted in green livery, similar to Blanche who was receiving a repaint at that time.
