Former Steam Engines
Teddy: 2012
This unique looking Loco is a Yorktown class 0-4-0 saddle tank built in 1941 by Peckett and Sons of Bristol and is believed to be the smallest working standard gauge steam engine in the UK; this is down to her tiny wheels and boiler in which limiteds in how much work it can do. She was supplied brand new to the Royal Ordnance Corps in Poole Dorset and worked its duties throughout the Second World War collecting wagons and shunting around a very tightly packed yard.
She arrived in February 2008 and has made quite an impression ever since her first steaming, although she’s very limited in how much weight it can handle she can quite happily pull our 108 EMU trailer unit on passenger running days and has a permitted speed of 10 mph due to the small wheels. This particular engine was acquired by the late Rev. Edward (Teddy) Boston who in 1963 at his vicarage in Leicestershire who founded the 2 foot gauge Cadeby Light Railway in which he ran for 23 years until his death. The vicarage was also home to many static exhibits and two highly detailed 00 gauge model GWR layouts. © Geoff Pethick
It was thought that this little loco was the inspiration of the character Percy for rev Audrey of whom created Thomas the tank engine but sadly these were just roomers lost in time, although she does look similar to Percy in many ways its all just a myth. But she has taken several trips to the Mid hants railway to act as Percy during Thomas the Tank Engine weekends which tends to go down with the kids very well. She’s never officially carried a name due to her industrial backgrounds although at some point in the 1970’s she did carry the name Herbert but that was soon taken away due to the horrendous nameplate, so she now carries the unofficial name Teddy after her previous owner the late Rev Ted Boston.
Update
Teddy left the railway in April 2011 after 3 years of service. Unfortunately due to the size of Teddy and the limited amount of weight she can pull it was necessary to draft in another steam engine to work the heavier trains. Teddy can now be seen at the new home at the national railway museum in York where she sees regular use on demonstration passengers train along the museums yard.
