The Blue Circle on the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway on June 23, 2004 (taken by Tony Pearce)
Aveling and Porter No. 9449, named The Blue Circle, is a 'TJ' class 2-2-0GWT (geared well tank) railway traction engine built in 1926 at Leiston Works in Leiston, Suffolk, England.
"The Blue Circle" worked for Holborough Cement at Snodland Cement Works in Snodland, Kent. It worked as a shunting engine for them alongside another engine (No. 1756 "Hornpipe") until the company was bought out by Associated Portland Cement in 1931. It continued to work for Associated Portland until 1962.
After it was withdrawn in 1962, it stayed in a yard until 1964 when it was purchased by the Bluebell Railway on April 23. It would stay in a shed at Sheffield Park on the Bluebell during it's time there. In 1988 it had boiler repairs. In the early 90s it was repainted green with red accents. It worked there until 1997 when it was loaned to the Buckinghamshire Railway center at Quainton Road, who owned a similar engine. It was repainted from it's working livery to it's green livery sometime around 1998.
It was later sold Mick Smith of Northamptonshire in 2001, as it was deemed too slow (it's top speed is 6 mph without straining the boiler). It was repainted a darker blue than before with red and black wheels in 2002. Smith loaned it in 2005 to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway and arrived on February 14. It was loaned yet again, in 2007 to the Battlefield Line in Shackerstone, a town in Leicestershire. At some point during its life here it had more boiler repairs. In 2010 for the Bluebell's 50th anniversary the engine was loaned to the line for the 6–8 August. In 2014 it was repainted so that the wheels and flywheel were painted all black.
In January 2015, it moved to the Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway. It attended the Great Dorset Steam Fair from August 23–27, 2018 as a part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the event. The Great Dorset Steam Fair is the largest and most famous traction engine rally and was repainted to have all red wheels and a blue flywheel. The engine opened a line of track at Leiston Works on June 1 and 2 of 2019. Since June 14, 2019 it has resided at the Nene Valley Railway in Peterborough on loan. In May of 2023 Mick Smith sold The Blue Circle to a man called Jon Carter.
Carter has decided to give The Blue Circle a much-needed restoration and as such the engine will be under overhaul until summer of 2024. It will continue to operate on the Nene Valley Railway.
Trivia[]
- It was the last standard gauge traction engine to ever be built.
- Without straining the boiler, its top speed is 6 mph.
- When it was built in 1926 its designs were already 100 years old. It was over 80 years out of date by the time it was constructed.
- The engine that it worked alongside "Hornpipe" is also preserved and under private ownership in the UK.
- This engine was the basis for Fergus from Thomas and Friends
- Interestingly enough, The Blue Circle is one of the few preserved steam engines that has never been on long term static display. Aside from repairs, overhauls, etc. the engine has always been in working condition.
- The Blue Circle's pulling power is an astoundingly low at 10 horsepower.
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