No 2613 was originally designed by W G Barclay as a narrow gauge (one metre) locomotive to go to work in the coal fields in Turkey to meet an order placed in August 1939. As construction was starting it was commandeered as part of the war effort and built as standard gauge and unusually for a small industrial locomotive it was fitted with Walschaert valve gear. It was one of a batch of five locomotives that were orginally intended to go to Turkey. The other four were used by the Admiralty at Rosyth.
When completed in September 1940 it went to the Admiralty Machinery Depot at the California Works at Stoke on Trent where it was used as a shunting engine. The depot closed in December 1959 but the locomotive was purchased by Brookfield Foundry which took over the site. It worked on at the site until rail operation ceased in 1961 or 1962 after which it remained on the site. In 1982 the company went into liquidation and the following year it was sold by auction.
It was then purchased by a member of the East Essex Locomotive Preservation Society (EELPS) (Richard Moore).
It was in poor condition and many of the brass and copper parts were missing. Another member of the EELPS (Hugh Lewis) provided additional financial support to help fund the cost of restoring the locomotive.
During the course of the next three years the necessary parts were procured and the locomotive restored to working order.
In 1986 the locomotive was moved to the Big Pit Railway in South Wales where it was the mainstay of their passenger service.
During 1993 Brookfield visited the Gwili and Foxfield Railways before moving to the Mangapps Farm Railway Museum at Burnham on Crouch, Essex.
Brookfield was a static exhibit but by the summer of 2020 was reported to be undergoing an overhaul. The locomotive is expected to return to traffic in 2022.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 