Dunrobin (locomotive)

The name Dunrobin was given to two Scottish steam locomotives.

When the Far North Line opened to Golspie in 1871, the 3rd Duke of Sutherland had purchased a small 2-4-0T from Kitson and Company for his private train. Named Dunrobin, it had 4' driving wheels, 10" by 18" outside cylinders, and weighed 21 tons in working order. On his succession, the 4th Duke decided to have a new locomotive built, and the original Dunrobin was sold to the Highland Railway in 1895. It was rebuilt in 1896 with a larger boiler and cylinders. The Highland Railway numbered it 118 and named it Gordon Castle' for use on the Fochabers branch. Later it was renamed Invergordon and used as a shunter in that town, where it survived until just after the Grouping.

The new Dunrobin

The new Dunrobin was an 0-4-4T built in 1895 by Sharp, Stewart & Co. for the 4th Duke of Sutherland.^[1] It had 4' 6" driving wheels and 13" by 18" inside cylinders. The 3rd Duke of Sutherland had a private station built as a condition of financing the 17 ¹⁄₂ miles (28.2 km) extension of the railway from Golspie to Helmsdale, which opened in 1871. A further condition was that he should have running rights for a locomotive between Dunrobin Castle and Inverness. The original Dunrobin was a 2-4-0T built by Kitson & Co., Leeds for the 3rd Duke of Sutherland. It was replaced in 1895 by the new locomotive. Two railway carriages were constructed, which Dunrobin hauled to Inverness and were then attached to Highland Railway trains to convey the Duke to his destination. The carriages were a bogie saloon and a four-wheel saloon.^[2]

Preservation

In 1949, British Railways, Scottish Region revoked the Duke's running powers. He then sold the locomotive and coaches. The bogie saloon is now part of the National Railway Museum's collection. As of January 2011 it is under the care of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway. Dunrobin and the four-wheel saloon were sold to Captain Howey and initially preserved as static exhibits at New Romney on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent. Following Howey's death in 1963, the locomotive and carriage were sold to Harold Foster, who had them transported to Canada. Foster was declared bankrupt in 1965,^[2] and the locomotive and carriage were bought for $15,000 by the Government of British Columbia. They became exhibits at Fort Steele heritage village, where Dunrobin was steamed occasionally. It was last steamed at Fort Steele in 2005.^[3] In 2010, both were declared surplus to requirements.^[2]

It was announced in January 2011 that they had been bought by Beamish Museum, which intends to restore Dunrobin to working order. Completion in 2013 has been stated as an aim.^[2] The locomotive and carriage arrived back in the United Kingdom on 16 May. Dunrobin was taken to Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway, where it will be dismantled and the feasibility of restoration to working order assessed. The carriage was taken to Beamish.^[3] The Highland Railway W Class were near-clones of Dunrobin.^[4]

References

1. Streeter, Tony (January 7 – February 3, 2011). "Dunrobin: coming home and steaming in 2013!". Steam Railway (Peterborough: Bauer Media) (384): 6, 8.
2. Streeter, Tony (January 7 – February 3, 2011). "Dunrobin: Overlooked, outcast and unwanted - until now!". Steam Railway (Peterborough: Bauer Media) (384): 7–8.
3. Jones, Robin (June 9 – July 5, 2011). "Steam comes home... twice". Heritage Railway (Horncastle: Mortons Media Ltd) (151): 24–25.
4. Streeter, Tony (January 7 – February 3, 2011). "A Highland legacy". Steam Railway (Peterborough: Bauer Media) (384): 8.