The Barber Line 0-6-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class Barber (Locobase 8567)

Data from Rev. E J Robinson, MA, "An Interesting Narrow-Gauge Railway," Railway Magazine #350 (August 1926) as reproduced on the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society's website ([], last accessed 7 July 2007).

Although the Harrogate Gas Works (which turned coal into illuminating gas for the spa town of the same name in Yorkshire) first moved its coal using road engines, the management concluded by 1908 that they needed to invest in a railway. A 1 1/2-mile (2.4-km) line of 40-lb rail (19.8 kg/m) -- The Barber Line -- was laid that included a bridge and a tunnel and a 1 in 21 (4.8%) grade at the gas works end.

The Rev Robinson reported that Barber "...does most of the work on the line, being more powerful than the other locomotive, which is chiefly used as a standby." (The other locomotive - Spencer - was one of the Hunslet Ten-wheeler tanks originally supplied to the War Department; see Locobase 5393. Redman (see below) cites the engine crews' unfavorable opinion:"Despite its pedigree, it was not popular with the Harrogate drivers proving to be ña bit light on its feet' and prone to slipping on the grades.").

Although T Green produced only 36 locomotives, this engine had works #441. Barber was described as a saddle tank, but resembled most of all the Great Western's pannier tanks, its tank having a flat top and sides. Although small, it was well-proportioned.

By the time of the Railway Magazine article's publication, Barber had put in 17 years of duty -- hard work, apparently, as its firebox and tubes were replaced twice. Ronald N Redman, writing in Narrow Gauge World & NG Modelling magazine (No. 33, May/June 2004 edition, accessed on the STRPS site as well), notes that one of those makeovers was a complete rebuild by Hunslet in 1921.

By 1949, Barber had reached a seedy state and its replacement by a diesel dropped its fire for the last time - or so it was thought. See Redman's article for the detailed account of this locomotive's restoration to operating condition. By 2006, the engine was about 60% restored and its steaming-up was anticipated for its centenary year of 2008.