New arrival at the National Railway Museum

Cape Government Railways locomotive no.390 has arrived at the National Railway Museum in York.

Photographer Charlotte Graham has captured the moment the 4-8-0, 3′ 6”gauge Cape Government Railways locomotive and tender arrived at the National Railway Museum.

Numbered 390, the wood-burning locomotive, has an eight wheel, double-bogie tender and was built by Sharp Stewart & Co in Glasgow in 1896 for the Cape Government Railways, later South African Railways.

The locomotive was on display at Locomotion in Shildon and has travelled to the National Railway Museum by road, where it is now on display (for the first time), in Great Hall.

It was moved by specialist contractors Allelys Heavy Haulage at night to avoid disruption, as it involved the temporary closure of the Leeman Road tunnel.  

The rail move is the latest in a series of others to have taken place as the museum prepares for its Vision 2025 masterplan. Other rail moves saw the arrival of the Beattie Well Tank from Shildon and the redisplay of the Skinkansen and Eurostar power cars.  

Photo credit: Charlotte Graham

Download article