Workhorse locomotive Ajax heads for new home in Midlands
The Isle of Wight Steam Railway (IWSR) is saying a fond farewell to one of its locomotives, which is going to a new home near Northampton.
The 1918 Barclay 0 6 0 T locomotive Ajax is to leave the railway to join the Northampton & Lamport Railway (NLR).
It has been on the Isle of Wight for more than 50 years and although it was once used as a working locomotive, in recent years it has been a mainstay of the Train Story Rail Discovery Centre.
The IWSR owns 13 steam locomotives, of which eight are in its operational fleet.
Of the others, two are already on loan to other heritage organisations, while the remaining three are available for display. The 13th, Haydock, donated by the National Trust, is a recent arrival, leaving Ajax surplus to requirements and facing being placed into storage.
The trustees decided to look for a new home for Ajax, where it would be returned to operational use.
Following the NLR’s visit to the Island and inspection of the locomotive, an agreement was reached for the transfer for a nominal sum.
Its new owners aim to use Ajax on the two-mile heritage line in the Midlands, where it will join the NLR’s fleet of heritage steam and diesel engines.
The story of Ajax
Ajax was built for the Sulphide Corporation of London in 1918 but was requisitioned on completion by the Ministry of Munitions and sent to Persia, where she remained for many years, latterly in the service of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
The locomotive returned to the UK, working at Llandarcy Refinery, near Swansea, and later at the Stanton Iron Works, Sheffield. She finished her industrial service at Harlaxton Ironstone Quarries, near Grantham, being withdrawn in 1968.
Ajax was bought by Henry Frampton-Jones, who placed her on loan to the IWSR in 1972.
No major restoration work was carried out for more than 20 years, until a full overhaul was completed. Ajax hauled its first public passenger train during 2005 and was in service until the end of 2014, when it was withdrawn for overhaul.
By then the IWSR had been able to build a fleet of more suitable locomotives to haul its ever more frequent and busier trains, and Ajax was placed on display in Train Story.
Visitors have been able to climb onto the footplate to see how a steam locomotive is controlled.
Ajax’s new home
The Northampton & Lamport Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway a few miles north of Northampton. It uses part of the former LNWR Northampton to Market Harborough line, which was closed by BR in 1981.
Volunteers have rebuilt the railway from scratch since 1984 and the NLR now operates two miles between Pitsford and Brampton, and Boughton stations, offering steam and/or heritage diesel trains most Sundays, as well as on some Saturdays and Bank Holidays during special events.
A quarter-mile extension project for the NLR is currently under way.
Northamptonshire has a long history of ironstone quarrying, and iron ore trains are synonymous with the history of the line.
Historically, the line was not only a frequent route for ironstone trains passing through the county, but also had several ironstone quarries along its route, including Pitsford Quarry (closed in1965), where the exchange sidings are preserved as part of the NLR.
The NLR’s dream is to recreate the scene of mineral wagons being shunted in Pitsford Sidings, as would have been a daily occurrence between 1925 and 1965, and Ajax will perform a central role in this.
The project also includes the creation of supporting educational and interpretive information to help enrich public understanding and appreciation of the area’s history of iron-stone quarrying.
What they say
Peter Taylor, chairman of the IWSR, said “We’re delighted to have found a new home for Ajax where she will be returned to steam and will operate in service again for people’s enjoyment.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the NLR overhaul Ajax and are pleased to be able to support another growing heritage railway by transferring Ajax into their care.”
Adam Giles, chairman of the NLR, said: “We are very grateful to the IWSR trustees for giving us the opportunity to overhaul Ajax so that it can be returned to operational condition and form a central part of the ironstone train project.”
Ajax is being prepared by the IWSR ready for the journey to her new mainland Britain home and is expected to depart at the end of November.