After the Erlestoke Manor Fund (EMF) acquired ex-Great Western Railway (GWR) Large Prairie No. 5164 from the 5164 Preservation Group in 2021, it approved proposals to restore it to steam.

However, although the fund acquired 5164 in 2021, it has been stored under cover in Barrow Hill Roundhouse, near Chesterfield since 2014, thanks to arrangements made by the Severn Valley Railway.

The fund has now been invited to display 5164 as the centre-piece attraction at the Warley Model Railway Club Show at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) over the weekend of 25th and 26th November. That has been agreed, and 5164 will leave its current home at Barrow Hill during the week commencing 20th November.

After the show, 5164 will be transported to Tyseley Locomotive Works where it is planned that it will be stored whilst the Erlestoke Manor Fund completes the overhaul and repairs of 7802 Bradley Manor and building a new tender under project T2329.

Whilst that work will take most of 2024, the Erlestoke Manor Fund will also make further detailed assessments of the condition of 5164 and purchase the required materials, with over 40,000 already having been spent.

Further details about the Erlestoke Manor Fund and an appeal fund for the restoration of 5164 can be found here.

Chris Field, EMF Trustee and 5164 Project Lead, says EMF is extremely grateful to the Warley Model Railway Club Show organisers for the chance to get the 5164 project moving, as well as enabling us to raise the profile of the 5164 Appeal and Erlestoke Manor Fund membership through highlighting our work over 50 years with our other two locomotives 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7802 Bradley Manor .

Chris added The 5164 Project will be used as an educational & transitional focus for younger engineering volunteers to project lead whilst learning from the more experienced engineers involved in EMF, thus preserving many, much needed skills for the future .