Taff Vale Railway loco No. 85, based at Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (K&WVR), has been loaned to Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway (E&BAR).

The loco will assist their home fleet over the Christmas period, returning home at the end of the year.

No. 85 will work alongside E&BAR’s home fleet, which is exclusively tank engines of various designs. Santa Specials will be No. 85’s main duties whilst staying at E&BAR.

No. 85’s history

Completed by Neilson, Reid & Co. in 1899, No.85 was one of nine O2 class locos built for the Taff Valley Railway. In the 1923 Grouping, the Great Western Railway acquired thousands of loco, from several companies and of various design. The GWR, therefore, replaced or standardised locos from the pre-grouping. For No.85, this meant withdrawal in 1927.

This wasn’t the end for No.85, as in 1929 it was sold to a private company, Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Colliery Co. Here, No.85 was used for hauling coal trains in County Durham. Just as TVR was absorbed into the GWR, Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Colliery Co. was absorbed into the National Coal Board in 1947.

Working under the NCB, the loco was renumbered as No.52, No.85 worked until 1968. Once again, after a 2-year withdrawal, No.85 found a new lease of life, this time at the K&WVR.

Since then, No.85 has been restored and wears TVR livery. Its a popular member of the K&WVR home fleet, which played a part in the decision to overhaul the loco, which was completed in February 2016.

• Visit the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway Website
  For more information