Sir Goss Overhaul

Posted on 16th June 2021

As part of our Narogauge Services we often complete locomotive overhauls for either private customers or other railways. Over the last 18 months we have been overhauling Sir Goss which is a resident loco from the Swanley New Barn Railway.

Sir Goss was built in 1981 by Jim Goss, A 2-4-2 tender version of Tinkerbell that was built in the workshops at Tucktonia. The loco featured a locomotive boiler, a ‘D’ shaped smokebox (like Medea), a large cab and a bogie tender fitted with a tender cab. This gave the loco a completely unique appearance further enhanced by a distinctive pale blue livery. Sir Goss could be seen running at Tucktonia and various lines across the country, whilst in 1985 the loco moved to the Moors Valley Railway where it became MVR loco number 1 for the railway.

A number of rebuilds followed before finally ending up as a 2-4-0, fitted with Walschaerts valve gear, a traditional style smokebox and high-level running plates. Its last livery was fully lined BR Black livery.

Sir Goss left Moors Valley in the early 1990’s where it performed a key role in setting up the Mersham Valley Railway in Surrey, before moving to the Swanley New Barn Railway in Kent. Since then Sir Goss has clocked up many miles at Swanley hauling passengers on the line there.

We are now delighted to say that the overhaul is complete and after a number of successful tests the locomotive will return to Swanley in the next couple of weeks. One of the major changes we have made to the locomotive is the change in livery; Sir Goss now looks resplendent in Great Eastern Blue livery.