Locomotive trust gets £150k to develop heritage skills

The locomotive used for the project was bought from a scrapyard in the 1980s

A charity working to restore a 1918 steam locomotive has been awarded a £151,200 grant to develop volunteer's heritage engineering skills.

The 2874 Trust works from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire heritage railway (GWSR), based at Toddington.

The organisation will be able to develop the engineering skills of current volunteers, and will also use the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to attract and train a new generation to help secure the skills for the future.

Chairman of the trust, David Foster, said they are "thrilled" to get the funding.

The locomotive was in service until 1963 - this is it pictured in the 1950s

Mr Foster said the funding "will help ensure that the skills necessary to keep historic steam locomotives working are preserved so that future generations can enjoy the sight and sound of our industrial heritage".

The trust describes the engineering methods needed to repair and maintain historic locomotives as "an increasingly rare commodity".

It said that without projects and money such as this, the viability of heritage railways are put at risk.

Restoration work is being carried out at Toddington in Gloucestershire

The 2874 Trust was created to ensure the restoration and then operation of the ex Great Western Railway 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive number 2874.

Made in 1918 to a Churchward design, it stayed in service until 1963.

Projects to get it going again will be used to teach people skills, while a variety of different activities will also be used to attract new volunteers to get involved.

The trust added that it wants to get more young people interested in the living history side of the railways.