I was allowed a visit to the engine shed at Woody Bay
on this summers visit and am most grateful to the staff
for affording me such
ISAAC is now resident having been purchased by
an L&B member and looks splendid as previous
entries show
There were much enquiries about the whereabouts
Charles Wytock at National Preservation.com. A
contributor there has written in some detail about
this engine and I hope he has no objection to my
including some of his research here
Graeme Walton Binns brought 3 of the Tongaat Bagnalls back to the UK. Sinembe (WB2287 of 1926) and Charles Wytock (WB2819 of 1945) were plinthed for about 30 years in Natal, and A Boulle (WB2627 of 1940) went to a farm following its time at Tongaat where it drove a sawmill for many years. Charles Wytock is now at Woody Bay having been bought by a L&B member. The loco had been hydraulic tested in Middlebrough but this will be re-done as it's now nearly 4 years out of date, quickly to be followed by a steam test if all goes well. The loco will need a thorough check over, vacuum brake fitting and its couplings modified or replaced before it can haul passenger trains. Given the Exmoor weather, a cab back sheet will be a welcome addition. A Boulle already has one, and Sinembe now has a conventional cab with side bunkers rather than at the rear (apparently to put it back as originally supplied by Bagnall). Charles Wytock's boiler is no.27622 of 1946. Charles Wytock and the loco now called Isibutu (WB 2820 /1945) were ordered in 1945 and are plated thus although delivery was not until March 1946. They were the final 2 of the 13 4-4-0Ts at Tongaat. A Boulle has a 1948 boiler which therefore must be a replacement unit, not swapped from another engine.
The engine was apparently plinthed at Natal for
some thirty years or so before being repatriated.
A 4-4-0 Tank built for a mining company in
South Africa and delivered I believe in 1946
National Preservation state it has been purchased
by the L&B and is certainly resident there and
looking quite splendid. Hopefully soon to steam
on the railway in partnership with ISAAC
ISAAC is doing a sterling job this year with the
restored heritage carriage set. It really looks
like the old L&B and all credit to those hard
working volunteers who are making all this
possible
It might seem a bit off the beaten track but easy to
find of your down their way
Woody Bay Station is located on the A39, about half-way between Blackmoor Gate and Lynton.
This superb stand alone railway is a treasure which
needs to be preserved. Do please help them all you
can. There are ambitious extension plans and funding
is needed to return this railway to much of the original
Ready to go, visit them at
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