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Bluebell Railway Trust - Registered Charity No. 292497

Fundraising for the overhaul of London & South Western Railway No. 488
Adams “Radial Tank” 4-4-2T Locomotive.

Fundraising has now commenced for the forthcoming overhaul of this locomotive, which is now in “Atlantic House” at Sheffield Park, where it is planned that the overhaul will commence in earnest once the overhaul of the other locomotive there, Adams B4 ‘Normandy’ is progressing towards completion.
Your support of this project will be much appreciated.

488 approaching Three Arch Bridge - Mike Esau - 5 November 1989 488 at Holywell - Barry Taylor - 26 September 1990

Very heavily used over its first 30 years on the Bluebell, its last overhaul in 1985 saw it running just until 1990. The photos above were taken by  Mike Esau on 5 November 1989 (approaching Three Arch Bridge) and Barry Taylor, at Holywell on 26 September 1990.

It will probably require a complete new boiler barrel, and possibly new driving wheels and much other work before it can steam again.  For 3 decades it has been displayed, usually in the locomotive shed at Sheffield Park.  On 26 March 2010 it was posed with newly restored LSWR Brake Third No. 1520 around and just north of Sheffield Park station, as seen in photos by Alex Morley and Derek Hayward below.

488 with 1520 - Alex Morley - 26 March 2010 488 with 1520 - Derek Hayward - 26 March 2010

Adams Radial Tank at Horsted Keynes - Steve Lee - 18 March 2019
In early 2019, with the livery it had worn for a third of a century getting rather thin in places, and to coincide with the visit of two other ex-LSWR locomotives in BR livery, it was again repainted into BR lined black livery (and again with the chimney appropriate to its “Lyme Regis” period).  Steve Lee’s photo shows the locomotive apparently “in steam” at Horsted Keynes during a photo charter on the Monday after the 2019 Branch Line Weekend, with thanks to smoke effects and steam heating provided by the Q-class at the other end of the train.

There are many Bluebell members and volunteers who want to see it steam again, but the large amount of work required, and its relatively low power, have mitigated against its overhaul over the last three decades. However, with a growing fleet of lightweight Victorian carriages now in service, it could once more perform a useful role, and following the announcement in the Autumn of 2023 that it is to be overhauled, hopefully it will not be too many more years before the locomotive can again be seen at work.

The locomotive entered ‘Atlantic House’ when the Brighton Atlantic was moved out, and whilst LSWR B4 ‘Normandy’ will be overhauled first (a relatively easy job, for which the money is already to hand) the Adams Radial will be subject to an initial examination to establish the scope and costs of the overhaul, and the funds raised for this.