46464

46464 was built at Crewe in 1950 and was the last one built there. The next batch were built at Darlington and the final locomotives of the class at Swindon.

BR motive power depot allocations.

Date Arrived	Depot
June 1950	DundeeTay Bridge
December 1950	St Margarets
February 1951	Dundee Tay Bridge
May 1955	Kittybrewster
December 1955	Dundee Tay Bridge
August 1957	Kittybrewster
November 1957	Dundee Tay Bridge

46464 was allocated to Dundee Tay Bridge shed along with classmate 46463 but were allocated, turn and turn about, to Arbroath.

46464 was briefly allocated to Kittybrewster where it worked on the Buchan line to Peterhead, Fraserburgh and St Combs, deputising for the regular engine, 46460, known to locals as ‘The Baby Elephant’.

The engine suffered damage some time in 1964, it was apparently hit by a B1 in Dundee, and was sent to Inverurie Locomotive Works for repairs to the LHS crosshead and footplating. It is perhaps surprising that 46464 was repaired, and not withdrawn at this point. The replacement crosshead came from already withdrawn classmate 46461.

46464 hauled the very last passenger train from Arbroath to Forfar on 2nd August 1952 when it had to stand in at the last minute to replace another failed engine. This was its only visit to Arbroath, and indeed the only recorded visit of an engine of its class. It also hauled the last train to run over the Carmyllie branch, on 19th May 1965.

It was bought in 1966 by Ian Fraser, who was a stream traction engine enthusiast, and became the first member of the class to be preserved.

His book ‘The Arbroath Affair’, published in 1961, tells the story of how he overcame the opposition of the local council to build an engine shed and garden railway in the grounds of his house in Arbroath.

Ian worked as a locomotive engineer with the LNER at Darlington, Doncaster and Inverurie and, following his retirement, made friends with many of the local engine crews. As a result of his interest, he eventually purchased several engines, most notably 46464 and the Gresley D49 ‘Morayshire’, which has recently been overhauled and returned to steam by the SRPS at Bo’ness.

Following its purchase, 46464 was presented to Dundee City Corporation. The initial intention had been to put the engine on display, but it was stored for several years before being loaned to the Strathspey Railway. It hauled the first scheduled passenger train on 22nd of July 1978 and remained in service there for several more years until it suffered accidental firebox damage.

The locomotive was subsequently restored to Mr Fraser’s ownership and left the Strathspey Railway on in November 1989 to return once more to Brechin.

Sadly Mr. Fraser died in 1992 and once legal matters were concluded, plans for the locomotive’s restoration were started and some preliminary investigation work took place to determine the overall condition of the engine and to give the railway some idea of the eventual cost of repair.

The Caledonian Railway decided in 2000 that it had neither the money or resources to continue with the restoration so a group got together and, in July 2000, signed an agreement with the engines’ former owner, David Fraser. As a result the Carmyllie Pilot Company Ltd was set up to restore and subsequently operate 46464.

In March 2002 the engine was dismantled and moved from the Caledonian Railway to a private site nearby with better facilities and improved access.

The locomotive requires a thorough overhaul, including extensive work to the boiler. This will take several years to complete. Unlike many locomotives saved from scrap yards, however, 46464 is about 95% complete and the missing parts can be relatively easily remanufactured.

During the overhaul of the pony truck of the locomotive it was discovered that the wheelset was marked BR 77004 which was a former Standard class 3 locomotive. Presumably the switch had been made when 46464 was overhauled in 1962 at Darlington Works. Also at its overhaul in 1962 46464 received the boiler from classmate 46465.

The boiler now carried on 46464 was sent to Northern Steam Engineering of Stockton-on-Tees.

In November 2019 an agreement was signed between the Strathspey Railway Company and the locomotives owning group which resulted in the locomotive being moved to Aviemore on the Strathspey Railway in February 2020 where its overhaul is being completed. Following the completion of the overhaul the locomotive will be based on the Strathspey Railway.

In October 2020 all of the driving, tender and pony truck wheelsets were delivered to the Strathspey Railway following the worn tyres being re-profiled by Tyseley. Good progress was said to be being made at Northern Steam Engineering.

In August 2021 the owners confirmed that the locomotive had been re-wheeled at Aviemore on the Strathspey Railway.

In March 2022 it was reported that a fire had been lit in the firebox for the first time in 64 years. This was part of gently warming the boiler ahead of hydraulic and steam tests at Northern Steam Engineering. When the locomotive was last fired up it 1979 it was done without having water in the boiler and resulted in damage to the firebox.

The boiler passed its hydraulic test at Northern Steam Engineering in March 2022 before undergoing a pressure test in the following month.