Beyer Peacock Works No 7430 – NG 129

This is one of 34 locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock and Company at Gorton, Manchester for the South African Railways. The Beyer-Barratt locomotives became the South African Railways NGG16 class. This locomotive was built in 1951.

This locomotive and classmate (Works no 7428) were purchased from the South African Railways for use on the private Alfred County Railway (ACR), which had taken responsibility for the Port Shepstone to Harding branch line and remained in operation for freight until 2001 and passengers until 2005.

For details of class NG G16 locomotives go to Class NG G16 .

The line was still owned by SAR/Transnet but the Port Shepstone and Alfred County Railway (PSACR) was granted an operational and maintenance lease for a period of 199 years. Because of financial problems the PSACR was forced into bankruptcy in 2004.

In 1996 the locomotive was acquired by the Puffing Billy Railway which is based at Menzies Creek in Melbourne and transported to Australia.

Upon arrival it was dismantled to facilitate assessment, design and planning for regauging and rebuilding to 2′ 6″, with the major components stored at various Puffing Billy Railway sites for a decade.

Rebuilding the locomotive started in earnest around 2006 in order to provide additional motive power for the railway. A dedicated team was established in 2011 to aid the restoration of the locomotive and in September 2019 a fire was lit in the engine for the first time in Australia. The locomotive moved under its own steam again in November 2019 before being withdrawn again for further work. It was operational again in October 2021. 

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