THE FURNESS RAILWAY TRUST

Welcome to the section of the website devoted to the oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive in Britain, Furness Railway Number 20.

The locomotive is ready for a busy 2010! FR 20 is spending a fair bit of the coming year at Locomotion - the National Railway Museum at Shildon in County Durham, the birthplace of the railway.

But it is also breaking new ground - off to the double track of the Great Central Railway at Loughborough at the end of May to appear alongside replicas of even older engines (but remember FR20 is the real deal!") then back to the renowned Beamish museum in County Durham before another long trip south, popping in to the Bluebell Railway in East Sussex. The Bluebell is Britain's oldest standard gauge heritage railway, and to mark its half century, it is holding a very special gala in August. A poll of Bluebell crews revealed that Furness Railway Number 20 was their first choice for a visiting loco --- and we were very happy to oblige! The gala will also feature Britain's youngest working steam locomotive - headline grabbing new build A1 Pacific "Tornado". So the oldest heritage railway will host the oldest and youngest working steam engines in the country. Unmissable!

At Locomotion 20 is the operational locomotive in residence, regularly hauling passenger trains on the museum's 2/3 mile running line.

FR 20 drew the crowds at the Locomotion steam gala in September 2009, appearing alongside "Oliver Cromwell" - the "Britannia" class Pacific that hauled the last steam train on British Railways in 1968. It was the first time that BR's last engine has come face to face with Britain's oldest working locomotive. But even without the "Brit" there on the Saturday, there were queues to ride behind No. 20 when it took its turn on the museum's running line. Visitor numbers to the gala weekend were up by almost 50% on 2008!

Click here to see other planned steaming dates at Locomotion, but please note these are subject to change and you should check with Locomotion before travelling.

The Trust is delighted and honoured that FR No. 20 has been invited back to this NRM site, having starred in Locomotion's Steam Gala in September 2008 as part of a highly successful tour of the North East. This hire agreement was the first step in the Trust's plans to relocate its assets away from the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway and to establish a museum and workshop.

The locomotive was returned to action, after its first heavy overhaul in preservation, in July 2008. Every ten years locomotive boilers must be removed and examined by the boiler inspector. See the photo-gallery charting the progress of the overhaul. The locomotive was put back together, and approved for another ten years' service, in time for the engine to return to traffic for its final series of Victorian Evening specials on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway in August 2008.

It appeared in the L&HR's 2007 Steam Gala, alongside Trust stablemate 5643 - the first time the two engines have appeared in action together.

The rare chance of a smokebox to smokebox picture was made possible by 5643 running facing downhill - unusual on the L&HR when all engines normally face uphill towards Lakeside.

For a decade its starring role was the annual summer season of Victorian Evening specials. Passengers enjoyed a night out with Furness Railway Number 20 and the Trust's Victorian North London Railway 2nd Class Coach - plus a cruise on the 1891 Furness Railway-built Windermere lake steamer MV Tern. During the 2004 season an amazing photo of the Victorian engine and train was taken using a Victorian camera.

It has also paired up with former Millom Ironworks Barclay 0-4-0ST "David" at the various gala weekends organised at the LHR - the pair are seen storming out of Newby Bridge during one such event.

This website has an up to the minute guide to where FR Number 20 is, and what it's up to.

Furness Railway Number 20