Ivatt tank locomotive No. 41313 will be a guest locomotive at The Spa Valley Railway‘s ‘Southern Steam Up’ event on 17th and 18th of June.

This event will celebrate 100 years since the formation of the Southern Railway. Over the weekend, the Spa Valley Railway, based at Tunbridge Wells in Kent, plans to have a number of Southern steam engines in operation.

Although a Midland Region design of locomotive, 41313 spent all its working life on the Southern Region of British Railways and is currently based on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

The Southern Railway was formed at the time of the Big Four Grouping in 1923. Providing a very-strong Southern steam presence over the weekend will be South Eastern & Chatham Railway O1 Class No. 65, which is based on the Bluebell Railway, Spa Valley Railway’s resident Bulleid Pacific No. 34072 257 Squadron, as well as 41313, which used to be based at the former London Brighton & South Coast Railway engine shed at Tunbridge Wells West.

Steam locomotive 41313 is 2-6-2 tank locomotive that was designed by George Ivatt for the London Midland and Scottish Railway and built at the company’s Crewe Works in 1952. When new it was allocated to Exmouth Junction, then transferred to Three Bridges, Horsham, and Brighton, before spending its last days on British Railways at Eastleigh.

Besides the Southern locomotives appearing at Spa Valley Railway’s ‘Southern Steam Up Event’ there will be Caledonian Railway No. 828 and Hunslet. Caledonian Railway No. 828 is an 0-6-0 tender engine of the Caledonian Railway’s 812 Class and was built in 1899. It is the sole survivor of a class that once numbered 79 and was built at the company’s St. Rollox works in Glasgow.

Further details about the Southern Steam Up Event can be found online at www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk