IT was a welcome return home on Tuesday afternoon for a steam locomotive who has been working services on the far-flung rails of Mid-Cornwall when it arrived at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway.

The Swindon built 42XX class 2-8-0 tank 4247 arrived at the railway’s base in Blunsdon after a journey of more than 90 miles on the back of a flatbed lorry from the Swanage Railway in South Dorset where it had previously been a guest of honour.

The locomotive – which calls the Bodmin and Wenford Railway its home nowadays– was built in Swindon at the GWR works and has returned to the town for three weekends as part of a number of visits to heritage lines around the country having just left Swanage.

Adrian Brodie of the Swindon and Cricklade Railway said the volunteers were delighted to have the locomotive with them, and volunteers had been on hand to help unload it from the back of the lorry.

“It’s wonderful to have the locomotive back in its original home, and the volunteers and members have all worked very hard to achieve this and put it on for both the public and the members. Obviously when you start moving things like this around the country it can become an expensive process.”

Built in 1916 at a cost of £2,918, the principal role of this class of locomotive would have been working the coal trains from the pits to the ports in South Wales, which was a job which required a high tractive effort, due to the train weights and steep gradients, and good steaming capabilities.

Whilst the majority of the class worked predominantly in South Wales a few locomotives, including No 4247, also spent time on similar work on china clay trains in Cornwall.

During its career with the GWR and, later, British Railways the locomotive was based in South Wales, but also worked out of St Blazey shed in the 1950s. It was withdrawn in 1964, ending up in Woodham’s scrapyard in Barry.

4247 was rescued from there by the 4247 Preservation Society in 1985 and after an extensive restoration, the engine returned to steam in 2001 and since then it has worked on several heritage railways.

This weekend will see the locomotive begin its first passenger services at the line as part of the “Mixed Running Gala” weekend, when a further five or more diesel locomotives will also be running. Mr Brodie said there would be a number of popular diesel locomotives running, including what is thought to be the oldest running diesel shunter in the country – which was built in 1933.

Next weekend will see the locomotive operating the normal train services on both days, while the final weekend is the three day bank holiday “Kids Go Free” weekend.

For further details, call 01793 771615, or visit the website at www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org