SOMERSET & Dorset ‘7F’ 2-8-0 No. 53809 has left the West Somerset Railway after a 22-month residency and moved to a new home at the North Norfolk Railway (NNR).
Agreement has been reached between the NNR and the ‘7F’s’ owner John Moorhouse and the 13809 Preservation Society, that will see the loco remain in Norfolk for the foreseeable future. It arrived on January 18, having visited the railway for a gala appearance in September last year.
No. 53809 is one of only two surviving ‘7Fs’ and requires some valve and piston repairs prior to entering traffic in time for the NNR’s main running season.
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The railway hopes the 2-8-0 could be available for the Spring Steam Gala on April 20-22, but this is dependent upon the progress of the ‘7F’s’ repairs, which in turn can only take place when space becomes available within the shed at Weybourne, which is currently extremely busy.
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