76084

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Built at Horwich in March 1957 at a cost of £22,082 and for financial calculations it was expected to have working life of 40 years. This was one of the last batch of locomotives to be built at Horwich – the final locomotive was completed in November 1957.

One account of a journey with 76084 at the head is recounted below. The details are from a Back Track magazine left in the mess room at Oxenhope and was written by Vic Benson at KWVR member. Thanks to the 76084 Locomotive Company Limited for the story and other information – More information on 76084 can be found at http://www.standard4.com/

In his article Vic describes the numerous summer excursions from Keighley in the postwar 1950’s when few people owned cars and excursions to Morecambe and other resorts by train were very popular.

On one particular Bank Holiday in 1957 he reports a crowded platform 2 at Keighley which the Keighley News was later to report numbered over 600 would-be passengers. Train after train arrived – all virtually full from previous stations, so that only about 50-100 further passengers could be accommodated on each as numbers on the platform continued to grow. A local railway official who worked in headquarters Control took charge of the situation and attempted to keep everyone on the platform informed. Eventually he announced that the normal Morecambe stopping train which had left Leeds at around 8.30am had additional coaches attached and all would be well.

Soon, to Vic’s amazement a brand-new, very clean 76084 roared into the platform hauling ten corridor coaches instead of the usual five. Again the train was virtually full but Control man was not to be defeated. In consultation with the stationmaster the locomotive was detached and disappeared round the back of the station to collect the spare Worth Valley push-pull set comprising an LMS non-corridor third and a brake third from the sidings which are nowadays the station car park. After attaching these extra coaches, Vic and family scrambled on board, and as there were fifteen in his compartment, he had to stand for the journey. The train, now of twelve coaches, set off for Skipton, leaving around 200 passengers behind, to claim a refund or be transferred to a later Scarborough excursion.

However, on reaching Skipton, the situation was repeated with a crowded platform. Vic thought that staff had been pre-warned from Keighley as another two LMS non-corridor coaches were picked up from the sidings (possibly Barnoldswick branch coaches). The train was by now already delayed but as it was the stopping service, it had to stop twice and draw up at some of the intermediate stations with short platforms.

He describes the locomotive roaring along with a more than full load of 14 carriages despite the climb towards Giggleswick. Beyond Clapham with the gradient the other way there was a problem with some incompatibility of the brakes and snatching in this ad-hoc rake of carriages and it failed to stop at Bentham – so passengers for there were carried forward to Wennington.

Worse was yet to come at Lancaster (Green Ayre) station, which was situated in a dip with a climb out of 1 in 62 on a sharp check-railed curve. Again two stops were necessary because of the length of the train and the non-corridor coaches. The restart from the first stop was “spectacularly unsuccessful” and it moved only three coach lengths before becoming stuck.

An official from the adjacent shed appeared waving his arms apparently to stop further attempts at forward movement to prevent damage to the track, so the whole train was reversed about half a mile. Without braking the locomotive was wound into forward gear and with a roar and slipping wheels passed back through the station at around 10 mph (and without the second stop). Almost grinding to a halt again, it just reached the end of the check-railed curve and regained adhesion.

Arrival at Morecambe took just under four hours for the 50 miles from Keighley.

Motive power depot allocations.

Date ArrivedDepot
March 1957Lower Darwen
September 1958Lancaster
October 1958Skipton
February 1959Lancaster
March 1959Lower Darwen
March 1965Sutton Oak
June 1967Wigan Springs Branch

76084 was withdrawn from service along with other members of the class at Wigan Springs Branch in June 1967. Along with 76077 and 76079, 76084 was to sold to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry and towed there in September 1968.

In mid October 1974 five members of the Hallamshire Railway Preservation Society from Sheffield spent a working weekend at Barry with a view to purchase and to prevent further decay painted it with red lead primer. For whatever reason this was to be an abortive preservation attempt but made 76084 stand out from the crowd for the remaining 8 years of its stay in the yard.

Like many other locomotives at Barry parts were removed for use on other preservation projects.

It 1982 that Phil Rollin concluded negotiations to buy 76084 for £7,500, plus £1,500 for the tender, and it left Barry in January 1983 and was moved to South Leverton near Retford. 76084 was placed in the owners back garden and given a cosmetic makeover.

The owner died in the early 1990s and future for the engine was uncertain.

In 1997 the 76084 Locomotive Company Limited came in to existence soon after the engine was put up for sale with a view to raising the necessary funds to restore the locomotive and tender by the issue of shares. The engine was then moved to Morpeth where restoration work started. Restoration was started in the open air but progressed more easily after a purpose built shed was erected.

By the time 76084 returned to traffic on the North Norfolk Railway in July 2013 (it first steamed again in My 2013) over £750,000 had been spent on the restoration.

The restoration was achieved thanks to the contribution of approximately 200 shareholders scattered around the UK and overseas. The restoration received a major boost when one shareholder joined the Company with a significant injection of cash. This was followed with the finding of a worthy partner in the North Norfolk Railway who provided up front steaming fees to finance the latter stages of the work to assist in a speedy completion of the final restoration work.

In 2016 76084 £100,000 was raised by the owners (The 76084 Locomotive Company Limited) to cover the cost of the TPWS, OTMR and GSM-R technologies required to run on the main line. A support coach had previously been refurbished to facilitate main line running with the engine. In September 2016 the locomotive completed light engine and loaded test runs which were successfully completing which enables it to haul its first revenue-earning main line run on the Buxton Spa Express in February 2017.

The first main line run in early February was cancelled because of the low level of ticket sales for the trip but 76084 did haul the Buxton Spa express later in February in conjunction with Jubilee 45690 Leander.

In late 2017 the shareholding of the owning company changed which helped to ensure that the locomotive stays on the North Norfolk Railway.

During the winter maintenance in 2017/18 a new set of smoke tubes were fitted which gives the locomotive another five years on the boiler certificate.

Home BaseCurrent StatusOwner
North Norfolk Railway 

Operational

 

76084 Locomotive Company Limited
76084 on Sutton Oak shed.jpg
76084 on Sutton Oak shed
The scrap line at Wigan Spring Branch with 76077, 76080 and 76084 waiting to be moved to Barry. 76080. 76080 was cut up in April 1972. – December 1967
76084 in Woodham's scrapyard at Barry - 1975.jpg
76084 in Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry – 1975
76084 at Bury on the East Lancashire Railway – January 2014
76084 at Burrs Country Park with a 3P20 Parcel Charter on the East Lancashire Railway – February 2014
76084 at Burrs Country Park with a 3P20 Parcel Charter on the East Lancashire Railway – February 2014
76084 leaves Nuttal Tunnel with a 3P20 Parcel Charter on the East Lancashire Railway – February 2014
76084 at Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway – September 2015
76084 at Sherringham on the North Norfolk Railway – September 2016
76084 passing Marholm whilst moving from Sheringham on the North Norfolk Railway to Carnforth – September 2016
76084 near Holt on the North Norfolk Railway – September 2017
76084 at Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway – September 2017
76084 with 53809 at Sheringham on the North Norfolk Railway – September 2017

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