Bradyll (locomotive)

Infobox Locomotive
name="Bradyll"
powertype=Steam


caption=
builder=Timothy Hackworth
(or Thomas Richardson)
builddate=c1840
railroad=Hetton colliery railway
gauge= 4ft 8½in (1435mm)
whytetype=0-6-0
retiredate=1875
weight=
topspeed=
currentowner=National Railway Museum, Shildon
disposition=static display

"Bradyll" is an early steam locomotive built by Timothy Hackworth at his Soho Works in Shildon, England in 1840. She is the oldest surviving locomotive with an 0-6-0 wheel arrangement.cite web | url = http://www.nrm.org.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/2008/rare.asp| title = National Railway Museum acquires rare locomotive|publisher = National Railway Museum | accessdate = 2008-01-21]

History

"Bradyll" was built to work on the South Hetton Railway, which ran from Haswell to Seaham Docks.cite web | url = http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/h025.htm| publisher = Durham Mining Museum | title =Hawthorn Combined Mine |accessdate = 2008-01-21] She was named after Colonel Thomas Bradyll, who owned the mines and promoted the railway and new port built at Seaham.

urvival

"Bradyll" was obsolete by the 1870s, and in 1875 she was converted into a snowplough. This was done by removing her cylinders and motion, and adding a blade and weights. By World War Two, she had been withdrawn from this duty, but escaped the scrap drive as she was on an isolated piece of track.

After the war, she was placed at the works gates to the Philadelphia Iron Works as a "gate guardian" and regularly painted with a tar-based paint, which helped to preserve her. Bradyll has never been restored, and is probably unique in this respect. The locomotive has an Adamson type firebox, and Wilson wheels, as used by Hackworth on the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

"Bradyll" is currently on display at Locomotion, Shildon. She will be conserved, but no restoration will take place to return her to an "as built" appearance.cite web | url = http://locomotion.sedgefield.gov.uk/ccm/locomotion/locomotion/content/conserve-or-restore.en| publisher = Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shilton| title = Conserve or Restore|accessdate = 2008-01-21]

Is it Bradyll or not?

Recent research by Dr Michael Bailey has led him to conclude that the locomotive is probably not "Bradyll", but "Nelson", a locomotive built c1840 by Thomas Richardson of Hartlepool for the South Hetton Colliery. The December 1919 issue of "The Locomotive Magazine" states that the locomotive at the time bore plates identifying it as "Nelson No.2'.cite journal |last=Hardy|first= Michael |title=Bradyll mystery |journal=Steam Railway|date= April 18 - May 8 2008|issue=Issue 348|pages=p38| publisher = EMAP| location = Peterborough ]

References