Wellsworth and Suddery Railway Engines

These four engines were known to have worked on the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway.

Manning Wardle 0-6-0STs
The Manning Wardle 0-6-0STs were a pair of saddle tank engines which worked on the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway.

Biography
The two saddle tank engines were the first engines bought for the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway, and were purchased "off-the-peg" from Manning Wardle. These were sufficient for most work on the line and were retained following the line's amalgamation into the Tidmouth, Wellsworth and Suddery Railway in 1912 and later the North Western Railway in 1914. It is also known that these engines survived until at least 1919, however all were in very poor shape.

Their fate afterwards is unknown as no further mention of them is made. Based on the advent of the later North Western Railway push-pull trains supplementing the branch line, it might be assumed that they have been either scrapped, relocated or fitted with push-pull equipment.

Basis
Slides from the Railways of Sodor lecture reveals at least one of the pair to be Manning Wardle Q Class 0-6-0STs. This is somewhat anachronistic, as they are said to have been purchased around the time of the railway's opening in 1870, however the first engine of this class would not be built until three years later in 1873. In said lecture, however, the W&SR was stated to have opened in 1878, thus justifying their basis. It can be assumed that when retconning the opening year to 1870, Awdry may have changed the basis for these two engines.

Liveries
It is currently unknown what livery the two saddle tank engines would have been painted in.

Appearances
Railway Series=

Companion volumes

 * 1976 - Railways of Sodor
 * 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways

Sharp Stewart 0-6-0
The Sharp Stewart 0-6-0 was a tender engine (formerly tank engine) which worked on the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway.

Biography
In 1881, the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway decided a spare engine was required, so bought one of the nine Sharp Stewart 0-6-0 tank engines which the Cornwall Minerals Railway had pledged to the Yorkshire Wagon Company. Sharp Stewart fitted a bunker in place of the rear railing of the footplate, however once this was done, it was found that the weight of the engine with fully-loaded tanks and bunker was too much for the lightly-laid railway. Thus, the engine had to run with both its bunker and tanks only half-full.

In 1912, when the railway amalgamated with the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway to form the Tidmouth, Wellsworth and Suddery Railway, the engine was sent back to Sharp Stewart to have the bunker removed and a four-wheeled tender attached. To save time and expense, the tanks were initially left in place, however were later removed at its next major overhaul. It is also known that this engine survived until at least 1919, however was in very poor shape.

The engine's fate afterwards is unknown as no further mention of it is made. Based on the advent of the later North Western Railway push-pull trains supplementing the branch line, it might be assumed that they have been either scrapped or relocated.

Basis
The Sharp Stewart 0-6-0 is based on the Cornwall Mineral Railway 0-6-0Ts. Eight of these were sold to the Lynn and Fakenham Railway circa 1876 and later converted into tender engines of similar description to the Wellsworth and Suddery's example.

Livery
It is currently unknown what livery the engine would have been painted in.

Appearances
Railway Series=

Companion volumes

 * 1976 - Railways of Sodor
 * 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways

Wellsworth & Suddery Railway No.4
The Wellsworth and Suddery Railway No.4 was an 0-6-0 tank engine which worked on the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway.

Biography
It is recorded in The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways that it had four 0-6-0 tank engines of its own. All four were still in service by the time of the 1914 grouping. Their fate afterwards is unknown as no further mention of them is made.

Basis
It is currently unknown what the engine would have been based on.

Livery
It is currently unknown what livery the engine would have been painted in.

Appearances
Railway Series=

Companion volumes

 * 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways

Trivia

 * Only three engines were mentioned in the 1976 Railways of Sodor lecture. The fourth engine was added as a later addition in the 1987 publication of The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways.