Built: 1875 Maker: London Brighton & South Coast Railway    Makers’ No: ?  Bought: 1937

Withdrawn by WC&P: 1940            Scrapped: 1948

Photo reproduced with permission from Weston-super-Mare Library

History:

This was the last loco to be bought by the railway. It was a Stroudley Terrier, as was the second No 2 Portishead. It was built as No 53 Ashtead and by 1935 had become No 2653 on Southern Railway from whom it was bought. It was used to haul the very last train on 18 May 1940. It was painted Southern green and black edged white lining.

After the closure, it saw service with the GWR (as No 6 painted in GWR livery) until 1948. It was allocated to St Philip’s Marsh, for shunting and harbour duties. It was used in 1941 (with former No 2 Portishead) to shunt at Portishead power station and the US Army depot at Wapley Common. In 1943 No 6 was used to lift rails from the WC&PR.

Research by Jonathan Clarke-Irons showed that it was used by Westland Aircraft Co between 14th and 19th July 1945 at their Yeovil factory.

It was sent to Nottingham but little used, and was returned to Bristol and scrapped in 1948.

See Models on Market for details of kits or models of this loco.