Thakeham Tiles Petrol Locomotive No 5 of c1950 :: Fotopic.Net

Thakeham Tiles Petrol Locomotive No 5 of c1950

18th May 2001

This 2ft gauge 4wPM locomotive was the fifth and last built by Thakeham Tiles, near Storrington in West Sussex for use on their short line in the sand pit. Commonly, but wrongly, referred to as a skip-chassis loco, it was in fact entirely built in the workshop at the Tileworks using commercially available wheelsets and axleboxes from William Jones. The loco is only about 5 feet tall, having to pass under some very low sand hoppers. Also, like most Thakeham locos including the two Hudson-Hunslets, it has no couplings on the rear, only ever required to couple to two skips at the front. The fourth Thakeham built loco formerly preserved in the Cadeby collection near Market Bosworth in Leicestershire has now also moved to Amberley.

Originally built with a rear entry cab and powered by a single-cylinder air cooled Armstrong Siddelely engine, it was later quickly modified to a side entry cab and fitted with a Wisconsin single-cylinder petrol engine, but retained the original Armstrong Siddeley pre-select automotive gearbox. The loco passed into preservation in 1974 and was subject to a very vivid makeover being painted in a purple, red and yellow livery. The rear cab sheet was replaced with two round spectacle windows and at one point it even carried a bell! Eventually it became a static exhibit at the former Gloddfa Ganol railway collection, the engine having been dismantled for repairs many years previous but most parts had since been lost.

The loco was acquired by the Smith family in 2001 and transported to Amberley Working Museum in West Sussex where restoration to its later industrial condition commenced. A replacement Wisconsin petrol engine was sourced locally, a new cab back sheet was made to replicate the replaced original and a new roof had to be formed and rolled to replace the badly corroded original. Restoration complete, work continued to get the temperamental Wisconsin petrol engine to run reliably, but the loco has since seen action at Amberley hauling two original Thakeham Tiles inside framed skips.

A picture of this loco, taken by C.G. Down before engine replacement, can be found in Industrial Railways of the South-East, published by Middleton Press.

The loco after unloading at Amberley, direct from Rich Morris at Gloddfa Ganol in its very unprototypical livery!	After unloading, bonnet lifted forward and propped on it's stand. Engineless!	With the replacement engine installed a trial run was made down the passenger line before any other work was carried out.	In cabless form, actually a designed-in feature was the removable upper cab and roof as one unit. During dismantling for restoration.
Removing the wheelsets for restoration. The cab had been made easily removable when built at Thakeham by just undoing five bolts. This view also show the single-cylinder Wisconsin petrol engine.	The Armstrong Siddeley automotive pre-select gearbox located under the drivers seat. More commonly found in expensive classic cars, this one uses just 1st forward and reverse, the other gears being blanked.	With final painting and a myriad of small jobs yet to be completed, a test run brought about the opportunity to be the first, unofficial, loco to work into the new exhibition building, despite the access track not yet properly fish-plated or spiked!	Restoration almost complete, standing outside the railway workshops, showing cab entry and starting handle.
Restoration now complete, a run down the industrial line.	From the other side in the industrial sidings.	Behind the pottery on the industrial line.	From the other side behind the pottery, the large curved cut-out in the bonnet clears the buffer beam when tilted fully forward.
Amongst the bushes on the industrial line.	Hiding in the undergrowth.	With skips in the sidings.	An arty shot, sunlight through the foliage.
Running during the 2004 Railway Gala Weekend with two skips from Thakeham Tiles.	Another view coupled to the original Thakeham skips.