J27 65894
BR 0-6-0 J27 65894
A Brief History
Outshopped from Darlington North Road Works on 19th September 1923, 65894 spent most of its B.R. career at York, frequently to be viewed from main line trains as it stood in the Engineer’s yard north of the City. In 1963 during a visit to Darlington works it was fitted with a non-superheated boiler.
On 2nd October 1966 the engine was transfer to Sunderland South Dock where it joined the other surviving J27’s working coal trains in East Durham. On 9th September 1967 it worked the last diagrammed steam turn from Sunderland shed. Withdrawal along with the four other survivors swiftly followed and 65894 was sent to Tyne Dock for disposal.
The loco was purchased directly from BR by the group on 1st December 1967. There then followed restoration to full working order, initially at Tyne Dock where the loco was stored after withdrawal, then professionally at the then still functioning National Coal Board workshops at Philadelphia County Durham, and then at Thornaby Depot. Final restoration including the fitting of a vacuum brake and steam heating apparatus for working passenger trains was fitting by the group’s volunteers at ICI Billingham.
While the engine is useful on the N.Y.M.R. it is only capable of hauling 6 coaches up the steep 1 in 49 gradients. So during the peak summer season when the NYMR regularly runs with 8 coach trains the engine is hired out to less demanding railways, the engine has seen use on the K and W.V.R., Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway and the Llangollen Railway.
The engine was withdrawn again in 1992 for a general overhaul which included retyreing of the engine and tender as well as several improvements such as fitting of a hopper ashpan and rocking grate. Repainted in B.R. livery as 65894, the loco returned to the N.Y.M.R. during the summer of 1996 hauling its first train after overhaul on the 6th June 1996.
In Preservation
Since returning to traffic in 1996 the engine has been a regular performer on the NYMR during the early and late season, during the peak summer season the engine has been hired out to less demanding railways. The engine has worked on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway, the North Norfolk Railway, the Nene Valley Railway, the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (for 3 summer seasons), The East Lancashire Railway and the Weardale Railway. Fun fact: The loco had the honour of hauling the official re-opening trains on both the NYMR back in 1973 and the Weardale Railway in 2004!
The highlight of the last 10 years for the J27 was in 1998 when the engine was certificated to run on the mainline, at the time it was the only engine available to the NYMR that had the a current mainline boiler ticket. The P3 ran 2 return trips between Grosmont and Whitby – this proved to be the start of what is now almost a regular service of steam specials run on the Esk Valley line by the NYMR. In June 2003 the locomotive was repainted back into its NER livery as P3 No.2392.
As well as the usual running repairs the engine has also had more than its far share of other problems as well. In 2000 it became necessary to lift the engine from its wheels to undertake axlebox repairs. In 2001 during a routine examination a small leak was spotted in a boiler tube – following further investigation this then led to full boiler re-tube. Then, in 2003, the right-hand centre driving wheel axlebox ran hot, the engine then had the centre wheelset removed for repairs to the axlebox. But by far the most serious problem we have had to deal with is the fracture in the cylinder casting.
This problem can be traced back to the last overhaul, during which a crack in the cylinder bore was metal stitched and then a cylinder liner fitted. This solved the problem for several years until, in 2001, the crack suddenly spread. This again was metal stitched and again gave no more problems until late November 2004 when part of the stitching started to leak steam. A repair was again made which held for only a few months before again starting to leak. The engine was withdrawn from heavy traffic and spent the final year of its boiler ticket at the National Railway Museum outpost museum “Locomotion” at Shildon; the final few days in steam were on the demonstration track at Darlington Railway Museum.
In May 2006 the P3 was moved again, this time to Darlington to star in the Darlington North Road 40th Anniversary Celebrations held over the spring bank holiday weekend, at the Darlington North Road Railway museum (the museum at the time named “Head of Steam”). The celebrations were held to mark the 40th Anniversary since the closure of the towns North Road Locomotive works (where the P3 had been built back in 1923). Other locomotives on display included a Standard Class 2 No. 78019 and a Class 20 diesel – both of which where also built in Darlington.
The anniversary weekend was the last time the P3 steamed as on June 12th the boiler ticket expired. The P3 was then moved into the North Road museum where it spent time on static display.
The P3 remained on display until the museum was shut for refurbishment in the spring of 2007.
The locomotive was then moved across to Hopetown Carriage Works for initial dismantling and investigation work prior to overhaul.
On the 23rd May 2007 the locomotive moved from North Road Museum to our Hopetown Works for the overhaul to commence.
Initial work consisted of an assessment to determine the condition of the cylinder block and the boiler, the overhaul proved to be one of the most extensive ever carried out by NELPG.
The locomotive received a new cylinder block using patterns manufactured by South Lincs Foundry, cast by Timsons and machined my Multi-Tech Engineering. The locomotive’s tyres were turned and a “wobbly” wheel was discovered, this was rectified by fitting a new tyre to the wheel concerned.
The axle boxes, motion and brake gear were completely overhauled. The boiler was Overhauled by London North Western at Crewe, receiving a new firebox tube plate, new roof stays a new smokebox as well as foundation ring repairs and a number of side stays were renewed as well.
The tender was in poor condition. The frames received an extensive overhaul by our volunteers at our Hopetown works. A new tender tank was supplied by Adam Dalgleish Engineering in Stockton. The tender wheel profiles were deemed to be in good enough condition however to continue in service.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway assisted with the completion of the locomotive at Grosmont ready for the locomotive to enter service on the 20th May 2018.
2018
May-July saw the locomotive run 2000 miles on the NYMR, after which it was then moved to the Wensleydale Railway to operate their summer service. The locomotive then returned to the NYMR appearing in the Autumn Steam Gala, it then operated a photo charter and Santa Specials on the NYMR. Mileage for 2018 being 3681.
2019
The locomotive returned from winter maintenance in time to be available as standby locomotive for the half term running, the locomotive then operated in NYMR service until 15th July when it moved to the Wensleydale Railway. The locomotive the returned to the NYMR and operated at the Steam Gala and Santa Specials.
2020
A turbulent year for us all. Winter maintenance was carried out at Grosmont before the country was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic in March.
A steam test was passed for the insurance company on the 1st June with a further steam test at the end of July. The locomotive stayed at the NYMR operating their shuttle services with the timetable being amended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Up until the second national shut down due to Covid-19 the locomotive had ran 30 days.
The locomotive hauled a couple of Christmas Moorlander Pullman trains before the NYMR took the decision to shut down due to further Covid-19 restrictions.
2021
The locomotive received planned wither maintenance including a rebore and many other routine jobs. It entered traffic on the 28th June and in early July attended the gala at The North Tyneside Railway. The locomotive then returned to the NYMR and appeared the NYMR Autumn Steam Gala.
2022
Planned winter maintenance was carried out at Grosmont including work on the big ends. The locomotive entered service in early May but was stopped with broken stays at its first wash out in June. The stays were repaired and the loco re-entered service in time for the NYMR Autumn Steam Gala, after which it the attended the Autumn Steam Gala at the Great Central Railway.
2023
Planned winter maintenance was carried out at Grosmont including work on the safety valves. The locomotive was ready for traffic in time for the NYMR 50th Anniversary special on the 1st May. The locomotive was the repainted into LNER livery for its centenary on the 19th September. The locomotive spent the rest of the year operating on the NYMR with mileage to the end of the year being 3486.
2024
Planned winter maintenance was carried out at Grosmont including work on the ejector and sampling of the boiler tubes. The locomotive ran on the NYMR all year including some photo charters in November – mileage for the year being 4427.
2025
Planned winter maintenance was carried out at Grosmont including work on the axle boxes and frames.
During 2025 the locomotive attended Rail 200 celebrations at Locomotion, Shildon in May, Stainmore Railway at Kirkby Stephen East for their Rail200 Steam Gala and at Hopetown (the new name for Darlington Railway Museum) in September/October, celebrating 200 years of the railway we all know and love today.
