Join us for an afternoon and evening of photography at Didcot featuring visiting Furness Railway 20

About this event

We are delighted to offer an afternoon and evening of photography at Didcot Railway Centre in Oxfordshire featuring the country’s oldest working steam locomotive, Furness Railway No.20, which is paying a short working visit to the Museum in April-May 2023. The engine is a wonderful survivor from the 1860s which is maintained in full working order by the Furness Railway Trust. It carries the splendid and immensely photogenic lined Indian Red livery of the Furness Railway, a company which existed from 1846 until December 1922 when it was absorbed at Grouping (January 1923) under the Railways Act 1921 into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

Furness Railway No.20 was built by Sharp, Stewart & Company in 1863 as one from a batch of eight and is the oldest operational steam locomotive in the United Kingdom. By 1870, the traffic levels being experienced by the Furness Railway were such that these engines proved too small and six of the eight were sold to the Barrow Hematite Steel Company of Barrow-in-Furness. No.20 was converted into a saddle tank and proved incredibly long-lived in industrial service, not being withdrawn until 1960 after ninety years in harness. Following a period on static display outside a local school in Barrow, the engine was purchased for preservation and, after a full overhaul and construction of a new boiler and brand new tender, No.20 returned to steam in 1998 in close to its original condition. We would like to thank the locomotive’s owners, the Furness Railway Trust, and Didcot Railway Centre for facilitating this special opportunity.

We expect the event to start around 15.00 (though FR20 will also be in steam during the earlier part of the day) and we will initially use the engine on the branch line. Once the site has closed to the public, we will photograph the loco in the turntable area and then on shed before taking No.20 into the shed at dusk for the remaining part of our event. We will pair the loco with the most appropriate rolling stock we can find in terms of age when running on the branch line, and have the crew dressed as close as we can to that typical of the 1860s era when No.20 first took to the rails.

Opportunities with locomotives of this vintage are very rare, and we look forward to seeing you at Didcot for what we anticipate will be an excellent and enjoyable event.

Event requirements

Equipment

• Spare batteries
• Camera
• Lenses

Knowledge

• All levels welcome

Fitness

• Low

Other essentials

• Sturdy outdoor shoes