British Railways (BR) Standard Class 4MT No. 76084 is a 2-6-0 "Mogul" type steam locomotive built at Horwich in March 1957 and entered service at Lower Darwen depot.
76084 was allocated from new to Lower Darwen from March 1957 and was later transferred to Lancaster Green Ayre in October 1958 (the locomotive remained at Lancaster from 4th October to 26th October 1958). After a brief period the locomotive was later transferred to Skipton in late October.
The engine was transferred back to Lancaster Green Ayre in February 1959 before returning to it's old shed at Lower Darwen in March 1959 which it would then remain at for the duration of it's service with British Railways. Another transfer took place in March 1965 to Sutton Oak & in June 1967 the locomotives final transfer was to Wigan Springs Branch in June 1967.
76084 was one of five representatives of the class based there were mainly used on freight duties (a second being fellow preserved classmate 76079), although one of the regular diagrams they worked took them from St Helens to Warrington and on to Chester with a local passenger service, working back home with the morning Hooton to Heaton Mersey freight empties.
The duties at Wigan were mainly concerned with mineral and general goods traffic, but it only lasted on this work for two years, being withdrawn from service in December 1967. It was sold to Woodham Brothers as scrap and arrived at the Barry scrapyard in September 1968 (along with 76077 and 76079).
An attempt was made in October 1974 to purchase the engine for preservation which included painting the engine in red primer to prevent further corrosion, unfortunately the attempt by the group failed and it would remain at Barry Island until 1982 when it was purchased by a preservationist for £7,500 and departed Barry Island in January 1983 as the 143rd locomotive to leave the yard. From withdrawal to preservation the engine spent fourteen years and four months in South Wales.
Following the passing of it's owner in 1990 it was purchased by a group later becoming 76084 Locomotive Company Limited and was moved to Morpeth and eventually the North Norfolk Railway for restoration to running order.
Fourty-six years after withdrawal the locomotive returned to steam in May 2013 and eventually into traffic two months later in July following a sixteen year restoration costing over £750,000.
Mainline Career[]
Despite being restored from scrapyard condition to mainline standards, the engine was outshopped only able to operate on heritage railways due to the engine not being fitted with the required equipment. In 2016 a decision was made by the locomotives owners to have 76084 fitted with mainline equipment to operate on the national network. Following the raising of £100,000 from shareholders and supporters the locomotive was fitted with the required mainline equipment - TPWS, OTMR and GSM-R aswell as fitting a speedometer.
The locomotive made it's debut appearance on the mainline travelling with a support coach from Sheringham to Carnforth MPD as it's light test run on Mon 19th September and then carried out it's loaded test run on Tue 20th Sept travelling from Carnforth via Hellifield, Blackburn and Preston before returning to Carnforth.
For the remainder of 2016 the engine went on hire to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and later East Lancashire Railway. 76084 hauled it's debut railtour on 25th Febrary 2017 which was Railway Touring Company's "Buxton Spa Express" that ran from Preston to Buxton with 76084 double heading with 45690 Leander. 76084 was attached to the train as pilot engine in Heaton Norris for the journey to Buxton via Stockport & then from Buxton to Blackburn travelling via Peak Forest, Sheffield, Wakefield Kirkgate & Copy Pit once again as pilot engine. The sections from Preston to Heaton Norris and Blackburn to Preston sections being with 45690 Leander on it's own. Another "Buxton Spa Express" tour had been planned to run a few weeks earlier on 4th February 2017 with both 76084 and 45690 Leander, this tour however was cancelled due to insufficient bookings.
On 18th March 2017, 76084 hauled "The Whitby Flyer" from York to Whitby while top and tailing with 61264. 61264 Hauled the tour north from York up the East Coast Main Line to Darlington with 76084 trailing on the rear, from Darlington heading to Battersby via Middlesbrough the tour was hauled by 76084 with 61264 now on the rear. From Battersby heading down to Whitby following another reversal 76084 trailed on the rear of the train for the journey to Whitby with 61264 pulling the train. The return journey followed the same routing but no reversal would take place, 76084 lead the tour for the journey to Battersby from Whitby with 61264 on the rear and from Battersby back to York the tour was hauled by 61264 with 76084 on the rear.
It's mainline career however was shortlived due to no interest in 76084 by charter companies aswell as the cost and restiction in use due to steam locomotives in use on the mainline is now mostly with air-braked locomotives. The locomotives next overhaul as a result won't be to mainline standards.