Caledonian Railway 812 Class 828

Caledonian Days

The Caledonian Railway Company built No.828 at their St. Rollox engineering workshops in the Springburn district of Glasgow. She is one of 20 of her class which were built at St. Rollox between May and November 1899. 828 herself was delivered from the works at the end of August 1899.

828 was amongst the 17 of her class which were turned out in full Caledonian Railway blue passenger livery and fitted with the Westinghouse air brake system.  The 812 class locomotives were intended for use on a variety of duties all over the Caledonian’s extensive system from Carlisle to Aberdeen. They could be found on the Clyde coast boat trains. They could be found working on local and semi-fast services around Glasgow and Edinburgh. They were also at home in more rural surroundings and could be seen working the branch lines around Perth as well as out on the main line between Perth, Forfar and Aberdeen.

828 herself was allocated to the new Aberdeen Ferryhill engine shed. For nearly 20 years, she worked on local trains on the main line between Aberdeen and Laurencekirk. A popular Saturday destination for urbanised Aberdonians was an escape to the peace and cleanliness of the Angus glens. For many summer Saturdays in the Edwardian era before the First World War, 828 could be seen on excursions from Aberdeen to Edzell.

LMS Ownership

After the First World War, the Caledonian Railway was grouped with the companies forming the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company (LMS). In the new numbering system introduced by the LMS, 828 became No. 17566. Under the ownership of the LMS, the 812 class locomotives underwent some significant changes. The most obvious change was that the LMS fitted a new boiler and smokebox, which 828 still carries. The LMS boiler is based closely on the original Caledonian boiler but has a number of design differences – the most significant of which are hidden within the boiler. The boiler which 828 carries was originally manufactured by the LMS in the mid-1920s. Visually, it differs slightly from the original Caledonian boiler, but in terms of steam generation, there is no significant difference. The LMS smokebox differs from the Caledonian prototype by having ‘snap-headed’ rivets. Caledonian practice required that smokebox rivets should be countersunk and finished flush with the plating. Other changes introduced by the LMS involved replacing McIntosh’s original marine pattern connecting rods with the strap-and-cotter type preferred by the LMS.

Nationalisation – British Railways Ownership and Withdrawal

In 1948, when nationalisation of Britain’s railways resulted in the formation of British Railways (BR), 828 underwent its last but one change of ownership. As a British Railways locomotive, she was renumbered 57566 and began her previous 15 years of service on the national network. During her period of BR ownership, 828 was based in the west of Scotland and was withdrawn from Ardrossan MPD in August 1963. At the time of withdrawal (for scrapping), she had rendered 64 years of faithful service to her three owners, and she had accumulated a total running mileage of almost one million miles. Changes made to her by BR were few; the 812 class was approaching the end of its working life, and there was little incentive to spend much money on them. However, one significant change made to 828 in the early 1950s was the removal of the Westinghouse compressed air braking equipment and its replacement with a combination vacuum and steam brake assembly. According to the Engine Record cards, which are still in existence, the cost of replacing the Westinghouse brake equipment with vacuum/steam equipment amounted to just under £16!!

BR intended that 828’s story should have ended ignominiously in a scrapyard – the fate shared by all 78 of her sister 812 class locomotives. Without the determined efforts of a band of Scottish railway enthusiasts, this would undoubtedly have been the case. A public meeting held in Glasgow in January 1962 resulted in the formation of the Scottish Locomotive Preservation Fund (SLPF). The objective of the SLPF was to preserve at least one (or more) Caledonian Railway locomotive – not as museum pieces – but in full working order. Although it was not known at that far-off meeting over forty years ago, this was the turning point which saved 828 from the scrapyard.

Preservation

Constituted in Glasgow in 1962 as the Scottish Locomotive Preservation Fund, it had the aim of preserving as many of Scotland’s Pre-Grouping steam locomotives as possible. In 1962, the chill wind of modernisation was sweeping away much of Scotland’s locomotive heritage, and it was only a few classes of North British Railway mixed traffic locomotives that survived in any number. Representation of the Highland and Great North of Scotland Railways had been reduced to one survivor each. Caledonian Railway locomotives were becoming rare, and the remaining survivors were disappearing quickly.

In 1963, after more than a year of fundraising, the SLPF recognised that its objective of preserving several locomotives would not be achievable. Time was running out quickly for the surviving Caledonian locomotives, and the rate of accumulation of funds was less than had been hoped for. The SLPF acknowledged that it would need to focus on purchasing a single locomotive.

After considerable debate, the locomotive chosen was the 812 Class 0-6-0, BR 57566. She was selected for several reasons. She was still in traffic, in working order. She had been built as a passenger locomotive by the Caledonian Railway at St Rollox Works. Most importantly, she was one of the last pure McIntosh locomotives in existence, and she carried an example of the famous Dunalastair boiler.

Having made their choice, the SLPF formally advised British Railways of their intention to purchase 57566. The locomotive was still in normal service at Ardrossan MPD in Ayrshire. The events moved fairly quickly to a conclusion after the locomotive was withdrawn on August 8, 1963. With the active assistance of several members of the British Railways Scottish Region, who were sympathetic to the SLPF’s objectives, the locomotive was purchased for the scrap value of £900. Even this wasn’t without its problems. By the time the SLPF made a formal purchase offer, BR had begun to change its attitude towards the preservation of veteran steam locomotives. Sadly, the new attitude was a very negative one. As a consequence, instead of being able to base the loco on BR premises, the SLPF found that it had to remove it from BR as soon as the purchase was complete.

Fortunately, a short-term sanctuary was found in a privately owned siding near Ardrossan at the Ardeer Works of ICI. 57566, now known once again as Caledonian No.828, was removed from Ardrossan MPD to Ardeer and began her wait for a permanent home.

It was housed in the Glasgow Museum before being moved to the Strathspey Railway in 1980, where its restoration began three years later. It steamed again ten years later and continued to run until it was withdrawn for overhaul in 2000.

828 re-entered service in July 2010, following restoration, as CR 828 and in this guise travelled south over the border in 2011 to take part in a steam gala on the Severn Valley Railway. After having some work done over the winter whilst at the Severn Valley Railway, 828 returned north to the Strathspey Railway via a short stop at the Llangollen Railway.

In March 2019, the Spa Valley Railway approached the now CR 828 Trust (formerly known as the Scottish Locomotive Preservation Trust) with a view to hosting the locomotive for a Steam Gala. Sadly, lockdown and other restrictions prevented this from happening; however, during 2020, the engine did undergo a boiler overhaul, which restarted the 10-year clock.

It was subsequently agreed that 828 could visit the Spa Valley Railway, and the locomotive arrived in March 2022, starring alongside fellow Caledonian Railway 438 Class 419 at our Scottish Steam Up in April 2022.

Since arriving, the hire of the engine has been extended, and she can regularly be seen hauling trains between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge, with the current hire period extending well into 2026. Whilst at 75F, the engine has undergone heavy works to axle boxes, valve gear and cab fittings to ensure the continued operation of this fabulous engine for many years to come.