Farleigh Mill Avonside

Under restoration at the Bala Lake Railway, Wales, UK

My thanks to Brett Geraghty for contributing this view of the Farleigh Mill Avonside loco, dated 25 March 2006.
This photo reveals a number of interesting features, including a high-pitch boiler and smokebox saddle.
It can also be seen that the near-side tank has been cut away (presumably due to rust), revealing the firebox.

Builder	Avonside Engine Company, Bristol
Builder’s Number & Year	1909 of 1922
Wheel Arrangement	0-4-0T

This rare Avonside locomotive work at the Farleigh Mill, near Mackay, before being withdrawn in the 1960’s. It was then plinthed in a park near Farleigh Mill, where it remained for many years. It was later purchased by a local enthusiast and placed in undercover storage at his private property in Mackay.

The photo above reveals several interesting and unusual features for this locomotive, such as the high-pitched boiler and smokebox saddle. Two large sand boxes are mounted high on either side of the smokebox in positions that seem likely to have impeded the driver’s forward vision! The loco shows some signs of decay during its time on plinthed display such as the side tanks which have been cut away, presumably because the metal moth had been feasting.

Heritage Railway magazine of November 2020 carried a news article reporting a change of ownership for this locomotive. It has now been exported from Australia, arriving at the Bala Lake Railway in Wales, UK on 22 October 2020 after a lengthy journey in a shipping container. Its new UK owners describe the loco as 90% complete and apparently plan its complete restoration for operation on the Bala Lake Railway, a delightful narrow-gauge line built alongside Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake) on the right-of-way of the former standard-gauge Ruabon to Barmouth line of the Great Western Railway.

I would appreciate further information or photographs for this interesting little loco, at for any stage of its working life, preservation or restoration.

References

a	Light Railway Research Society of Australia Inc. Web site (as at 17 November 2017): 'Preserved Australian Sugar Cane Locomotives' list by John Browning (www.lrrsa.org.au/LRR_SGRc.htm)
b	Wikipedia page for Avonside Engine Company, retrieved 17 November 2017
c	Heritage Railway, Issue 274, November 27 – December 22, 2020 Published by Mortons Media Group Ltd, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, UK

Page updated: 21 February 2021

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