|
|
Sir John Grice Puffing Billy Railway |
|
Peckett locomotive “Sir John Grice” in steam at the Puffing
Billy Railway.
The handsome lined
green livery is evident, together with brass nameplates attached to the saddle
tank.
|
Builder |
Bristol, United Kingdom |
|
|
Builder’s Number & Year |
1711
of 1926 |
|
|
Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-0ST |
|
|
This handsome little industrial steam engine was
built for the Metropolitan Gas Company in West Melbourne, being delivered in
1926 and receiving the name ‘Sir John Grice’.
It was manufactured in Bristol by Peckett and Sons at their Atlas
Engine Works, being one of many small industrial locomotives built by this
company for export around the world. ‘Sir John Grice’ was withdrawn from gasworks duties in 1941 and placed in
store until 1962, when it was sold for private preservation. A further change of ownership came in 1965,
after which it operated at the 'Whistle Stop'
fun park in Frankston. In 1974 ‘Sir John Grice’ was
purchased by the Puffing Billy Railway Preservation Society and placed on
static display at their museum at Menzies Creek. Restoration started in 1978, culminating in
a return to operating service in 1981 wearing an attractive lined green
livery. Together with other small
engines, it is normally housed in the ‘Nursery’ loco shed at Emerald. This locomotive regularly appears as
‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ at Puffing Billy Railway theme events, shrouded in an
overall fibreglass case to resemble the famously useful blue engine. At other times I have seen it wearing a
more discrete Thomas-style face on the smokebox; it this guise I believe it
is known as ‘Peter Peckett’. I would appreciate any contributions
of further history and older photographs for this locomotive. |
|||
Peckett ‘Sir John Grice’ under a fibreglass shroud to resemble
Thomas the Tank Engine” at a Puffing Billy Railway theme day.
This photo was
contributed by Gordon Ross and is dated November 2003.
References
|
a |
Puffing
Billy Railway website, retrieved 3
December 2015 |
|
b |
Webmaster's
observation or comment |
Page updated: 3 December 2015
|
Government Railways: |
|
|||||||||
|
Private & Industrial Railways: |
|