UNRESTORED Hunslet 0-4-0ST Nesta (HE704/1899) has been acquired by Jeremy Martin’s Richmond Light Railway, and in late February was transferred from its recent display location at Bala Lake Railway to the Ffestiniog Railway.
Nesta left Penrhyn slate quarry in July 1965 and was exported to the USA, subsequently ending up in Puerto Rico where it was intended to be used in a project which never reached fruition.
Following many years of storage in less than ideal conditions adjacent to a swamp, Rob Gambrill, in conjunction with Martyn Ashworth and Statfold Barn Railway – which wanted to rescue Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT Cegin (1991/1931) which was at the same location, succeeded in bringing the two locos back to Britain in April 2016. This amazing repatriation effort was exclusively described by Rob Gambrill in a feature published in the September 2016 Railway Magazine.
Having been initially stored at Rob Gambrill’s private workshop, Nesta was unveiled to the public for the first time since repatriation at Vale of Rheidol Railway’s September 14-15 2019‘Forgotten Engines 2’event, following which it was placed on display in Bala Lake Railway’s Llanuwchllyn Heritage Centre.
Richmond Light Railway and the Ffestiniog Railway have formed plans for conservation work which envisages returning Nesta to operable condition while conserving as much original material as possible.
Initially, Nesta will be displayed in its unrestored state as part of the Ffestiniog’s new Boston Lodge behind-the-scenes tours which are scheduled to start this summer. Physical work on the locomotive is unlikely to start until the end of 2024 after a conservation and repair plan has been prepared.
Corris and Talyllyn locos to make reciprocal June/July visits
TALYLLYN Railway’s (TR) ex-Corris Railway Hughes 0-4-2ST No. 3 Sir Haydn will visit the Corris Railway (CR) during June.
It is expected to operate CR passenger trains on June 1, 8, 22 and 29 and
