The Lincolnshire Wolds Railway has a comprehensive range of both steam and diesel locomotives in its home fleet. A large number of guest steam locos from heritage railways across the country have also visited Ludborough for special events.
Steam locomotives
Lion (Peckett 0-4-0ST)
This is “Lion”, Works No 1351, the only surviving Peckett “E-Class” 0-4-0 saddle tank, delivered new from Peckett’s Atlas Locomotive Works in Bristol to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich in 1914. She worked alongside her sister E-Class Peckett “Tiger”, pulling gun sleds and ammunition wagons on the Royal Arsenal’s extensive internal railway system. It was here that Lion acquired her large back cab windows to aid with shunting.
Fulstow No 2 (Peckett 0-4-0ST)
A Peckett 0-4-0 (makers number 1749) built in 1928. She spent her working life at Cawdor Quarry, Matlock, until withdrawal in 1970. She was restored by Peter Clark in the village of Fulstow in 1988 and then sold to Great Northern Locomotives Ltd in 1997. Fulstow has had a ten-year overhaul and re-entered traffic on 21st November 2010.
Spitfire (Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST)
No 1964 “Spitfire” is a standard Barclay 0-4-0 saddle tank built in 1929. She spent her working life in the chemical industry at Trafford Park in Manchester, finally working for CPC. After withdrawal in the 1970s she was preserved at the Manchester Museum of Science and Technology, and since 1984 has resided at several heritage railways before moving to Ludborough. Spitfire’s ten-year overhaul was completed in December 2015 and she was back in service for the 2016 running season.
Zebedee (RSH 0-6-0T)
Built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns at Newcastle upon Tyne in 1949, 0-6-0 tank loco No. 7597 arrived at the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway in 2014 after spending a number of years at Peak Rail, Matlock. She gained the name “Zebedee” because of the effect of the coil-spring suspension. 7597 has been moved into the engine shed at Ludborough, where she is being restored before returning to traffic.
No. 1313 (Swedish State Railways B Class 4-6-0)
The former Swedish State Railways B Class 4-6-0, SJ No. 1313, was built in 1917 and withdrawn from service in 1963. It was bought for preservation in the UK in the 1970s and shipped over to operate at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway in Scotland, before moving to the North Tyneside Steam Railway and then to Ludborough, where it sits as a static display and is a very popular and much-photographed loco.
Diesel shunters
DL2 “Debbie” (Bagnall 0-6-0 DM)
G. Bagnall 0-6-0 diesel mechanical shunter DL2 (Works No. 3151) was built at the company’s Stafford works in 1962. She arrived at Ludborough in spring 2015 from the Appleby-Frodingham Railway Preservation Society, based at Scunthorpe Steelworks.
British Rail Class 08 Shunter D3167
A shunting locomotive, used regularly for shunting stock and some passenger operations. It entered service with British Railways in August 1955, its first home being Saltley shed in Birmingham. It initially carried the number 13167, changed to D3167 in July 1962. After withdrawal in March 1988 it was sold to Lincoln City Council to be displayed on a plinth just outside Lincoln Station, before moving to LWR in 1994.
97650 (PWM650)
Built for the BR Western Region Permanent Way fleet by Ruston & Hornsby of Lincoln in 1953, working at Swindon, Newland and Reading depots. She was renumbered 97650 under the TOPS system. Upon withdrawal in 1987 she was purchased by the City of Lincoln and displayed outside the old 40A steam shed for several years before arriving at Ludborough.
Ruston & Hornsby shunters
Two Ruston & Hornsby shunters were given to the Society by Conoco. It was necessary to use spares from one to make the other operational. These locomotives are not currently in working order and sit in a siding awaiting repair.
Rolling stock
MK1 Brake 2nd Corridor Coach
In its previous life this coach was used as a support vehicle for Black 5 44871 at the East Lancashire Railway, and was in need of a lot of care. An extensive renovation of the interior and exterior was completed by volunteers in the carriage workshops in early 2018, and the coach is now back in service on the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway in a smart new “blood and custard” livery.