Former Steam Engines
Cunarder:
Cunarder joined Isfields steam fleet in 1995 as a hire engine to accompany Sparky in providing steam motive power; she proved to be a very powerful and reliable engine and stayed at the railway for just over a year before she was returned to her owners due to a heavily corroded inner firebox.
She was built in 1931 by Hunselt of Leeds as originally a saddle tank and later rebuilt as a side tank; she was then supplied brand new to the consortium of John Mowlem & Son Ltd. and Edmund Nuttal, Son & Co. (London) Ltd for use on the construction of the King George V dock at Southampton. After 3 years helping in the construction of the new docks she was transferred to Dover for work on the Train Ferry Dock which was being constructed to allow express trains to terminate at Dover docks.
After being sold in 1945 she managed to get transferred to Ipswich for work on the construction of the new Power Station and stayed there for four years. After passing through many hands working its way through slough, Leeds and South Wales she finally retired in 1969 when she was purchased by the Buckingham railway centre and restored to full working order for use on their passenger trains. After spending 7 years at Quainton Road she left for the Swanage railway in private hands where she stayed for many years until it leased out to smaller railways for hiring purposes
