Dinorwic Quarry No.6 'Irish Mail'

Overview -

Loco Type:

Saddle Tank Engine

Gauge:

1 ft 10 3⁄4 in (578 mm)

History -

Name:

Irish Mail

Livery:

Dinorwic Lined Red

Sibling Locomotives:

Dinorwic Quarry 'King of the Scarlets'

Dinorwic Quarry 'Elidir' (Hunslet)

Dinorwic Quarry No.1 'Rough Pup'

Dinorwic Quarry No.2 'Cloister'

Dinorwic Quarry 'Bernstein'

Dinorwic Quarry 'Covercoat'

Dinorwic Quarry 'George B.'

Dinorwic Quarry No.3 'Holy War'

Dinorwic Quarry No.4 'Alice'

Dinorwic Quarry No.5 'Maid Marian'

Dinorwic Quarry 'Velinheli'

Dinorwic Quarry No.7 'Thomas Bach'

Manufacturing Details:

Builder:

Hunslet Engine Co.

(b/n) Builder's No.

803

Build Date:

1903

Date Rebuilt:

1980

Service:

Operator:

West Lancashire Locomotive Trust

Railway:

West Lancashire Light Railway

Former Railways:

Dinorwic Quarry Railway

No.

6

Years in Operation:

1903 -1959

Fleet No's:

6

Disposition:

Operational

Wheel Arrangement:

Whyte Notation:

0-4-0ST

The locomotive known as "Irish Mail" is an 0-4-0 saddle tank, built in 1903 by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds, under works number 803 for the Dinorwic Slate Quarry in Wales as the engine No. 6 in their fleet. It was named after a racehorse belonging to the quarry owners, and was one of the few quarry locomotives built with a cab.

It ceased work on the Australia Level at Dinorwic in 1959 and many of its parts were removed for use on other engines. In 1969, due to the closure of the Dinorwic Slate Quarry, there was an auction of equipment and it was sold off to the West Lancashire Light Railway at Hesketh Bank as a rolling chassis. The incomplete locomotive consisted of only frames, cylinders and wheels. It was described by the auctioneer as "requiring enthusiastic work to restore it to working order".

Work on restoring what was left of "Irish Mail" went well for a time but was stalled due to missing major components such as the boiler. Things started to improve when word spread that an enthusiast who had purchased a similar locomotive from Dinorwic Quarries was in the process of dismantling a second locomotive for spares. Unfortunately it was discovered that the second locomotive was in fact located at the top level of Dinorwic Quarries. However the owner was prepared to sell the remains of the locomotive which included a boiler at a nominal sum, provided the members of West Lancashire Light Railway undertook the process of removing it from the top of the quarry themselves.

Being unable to locate any other suitable boilers, they were left with no alternative but to purchase the locomotive's remains and attempt to transport them to Hesketh Bank. The locomotive was formerly named 'Alice' and was considered by most enthusiasts to be in an un-retrievable position, high on the notorious "Dinorwic Mountain" in the quarry, the top of which half had been derelict for some years.

However the Group persevered with their task and in five and a half months through the summer of 1972 they managed to move the locomotive into a position where it could be collected by a lorry, and so on the 23rd of November in 1972, the remains of 'Alice' were finally delivered to Hesketh Bank.

The boiler was examined and it was found that although the outer shell was sound, the boiler was in need of a new inner firebox and so work commenced on what is quite a major job for a steam locomotive, and for the group, the removal and fitting of a new inner firebox. In order to finance this work to be carried out the Railway disposed of the frames of "Alice" to the Bala Lake Railway.

After almost ten years, the Railway finally saw steam operating over its tracks for the first time in 1980, with the completion of "Irish Mail's" overhaul thanks to the parts salvaged from "Alice".

The locomotive entered service at Hesketh Bank in 1981 with it's ownership now belonging to the West Lancashire Locomotive Trust.

"Irish Mail" still resides at West Lancashire Light Railway in steam to this day and occasionally visits other railways including the Ffestiniog Railway and the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR).

Gallery[]

Dinorwic Quarry Locomotives
De Winton	Wellington • Harriet • Peris • Victoria • Padarn
Alpha Hunslets	Charlie • Minstrel Park • Louisa
Alice Class	Velinheli • King of the Scarlets • Elidir • Rough Pup • Cloister • Bernstein • Covercoat • George B. • Holy War • Alice • Maid Marian • Irish Mail • Wild Aster
Port Class	Lady Joan • Dolbadarn • Michael
Tram/Mills Class	Jerry M • Cackler
Other	Sybil • Caledonia • Elidir

Dinorwic Quarry No.6 'Irish Mail'

Gallery[]

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