More photographs and information about
 'Dunrobin' can be
 seen here.


Dunrobin - The Duke's Locomotive
 

  

Photo courtesy of P. Atterbury

  

This photo shows the Duke of Sutherland's own locomotive, 0-4-4T named "Dunrobin", with the Duke's personal saloon, No. 58A. This was the second loco owned by the Duke bearing the name. It was built by Sharp Stewart in 1895 and used for transporting the Duke, his family and guests to and from Dunrobin Castle.
 

Photo and information: Mike Morant Collection

"Dunrobin" was withdrawn from service in 1949 and the picture above was taken the following year, on its journey to New Romney where it took up residence at the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway as a static museum exhibit until it went Canada some 15 years later.

Below is the itinerary for the journey between Scotland and Kent - This inormation and the photograph above kindly supplied by the Mike Morant Collection.
June 2014 - further detail added enhancing the loco's journey to New Romney (in RED). This is taken from the ‘Journal’ of The Stephenson Locomotive Society for August 1950 and kindly supplied by Anthony Davies.
 

DUNROBIN 1950 itinerary

 

 

 

  

 
20/3/50

Helmsdale Shed 

dep. 

 0640

 light engine
20/3/50

Golspie

dep. 

 0735

 attach saloon coach
20/3/50

Laing

 

  

water stop
20/3/50

Tain

 

  

water stop
20/3/50

Invergordon

 

  

water stop
20/3/50

Inverness

arr.

 1200

 
20/3/50

Inverness

dep. 

 1320

 
20/3/50

Aviemore

 

  

water stop
20/3/50

Dalwhinnie

 

  

water stop
20/3/50

Blair Atholl

 

  

water stop
20/3/50

Perth 

arr.

 1855

 

 

 

 

  

 
21/3/50

Perth

dep. 

 0915

 
21/3/50

 

 

  

Several water stops
(not recorded)
21/3/50

Carlisle

arr.

 1655

Side rods etc. removed in “the shops”
22/3/50 Carlisle dep. 0520 “Dead”- hauled by Hughes 2 6 0
22/3/50 Leeds arr. 0815  
23/3/50 Leeds dep. 0810 In freight train hauled by 4F 0 6 0
23/3/50 Toton arr. 2020  
23/3/50 Toton dep. 2320 In freight train hauled by 8F 2 8 0
24/3/50 Wellingborough arr. 0600  
24/3/50 Wellingborough dep. 1035 Hauled by 8F 2 8 0 No.8644
24/3/50 Cricklewood arr. 1700  
24/3/50 Cricklewood dep. 2010 Hauled by N1 0 6 2T
(via Blackfriars)
24/3/50 Hither Green arr. ????  
25/3/50 Hither Green dep. 0430 Hauled by N15 No.30806 (see note)
25/3/50

Ashford

arr.

 ????

Into “the shops” for side rods etc.

 

 

 

  

 
28/3/50

Ashford

dep. 

 ????

In steam
28/3/50

New Romney

arr.

 1130

In steam


Note:- An interesting anecdote is that, at that date, the "King Arthur" No.30806, was the only engine of that class to be allocated to Hither Green Shed. It was usually used to work the 05:40 Cannon Street to Dover commuter train, returning on the 01:15 up freight from Ashford, due Hither Green at 4 a.m. So, on Saturday 25th March 1950, she must have made a quick turn round!
 
Wikipedia says: "Dunrobin and the four-wheel saloon were sold to Captain Howey and initially preserved as static exhibits at New Romney on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent."
 

Following Howey's death in 1963, the locomotive and carriage were sold to Harold Foster who had them transported to Canada." They ended up at Fort Steele Heritage Town with "Dunrobin" hauling the ducal carriage for the visitors.

In 2012 it was returned to Britain and is now being renovated at Beamish.

More photos of the loco and Dunrobin station can be found on John Spenbrook's web site.

Further information and the early history of the loco and the line on which it worked, can be found in an article from "Railway Bylines" published in 2007.

 

Click here to see the article.

 

Another article in "Steam Railways" magazine, published at the start of 2011, has also covered the history of the locomotive together with the plans for its repatriation.

Read it here.

(you will need Acrobat Reader© to read these.)

 

 

More photographs and
 information about "Dunrobin" can be
seen here


Much more information about the restoration of 'Dunrobin' at Beamish can be found on the  'Beamish Transport Online' website