View source for Russell (locomotive)

{{italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox locomotive
| name             = ''Russell''
| image            = WHHR Russell Porthmadog 2015-06-27.jpg
| alt              = 
| caption          = ''Russell'' running on the [[Welsh Highland Heritage Railway]] in 2015
| powertype        = Steam
| designer         = 
| builder          = [[Hunslet Engine Company]]
| ordernumber      = 
| serialnumber     = 901
| buildmodel       = 
| builddate        = 1906
| totalproduction  = 
| rebuilder        = 
| rebuilddate      = 
| numberrebuilt    = 
| whytetype        = {{whyte|2-6-2|T}}
| uicclass         = 1′C1′ n2t
| driver           = <!-- e.g. 1st, 2nd  or 3rd coupled axle -->
| gauge            = <!-- {{track gauge| }} -->
| leadingdiameter  = 
| driverdiameter   = {{convert|28|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| trailingdiameter = 
| tenderdiameter   = <!-- tender wheel diameter -->
| minimumcurve     = 
| wheelbase        = 
| engine total     = 
| leading          = 
| drivers          = 
| trailing         = 
| tender total     = 
| length           = 
| over couplers    = 
| over bufferbeams = 
| width            = 
| height           = 
| frametype        = 
| axleload         = 
| leadingbogie/pony= <!-- load on leading bogie or pony wheel -->
| coupled all      = <!-- when the load on all coupled wheels are the same -->
| coupled 1        = <!-- load on 1st coupled wheel -->
| coupled 2        = <!-- load on 2nd coupled wheel -->
| coupled 3        = <!-- etc. -->
| trail bogie/pony = <!-- load on trailing bogie or pony wheel -->
| weightondrivers  = 
| locoweight       = 
| fueltype         = 
| fuelcap          = 
| watercap         = 
| tendercap        = 
| sandcap          = 
| fireboxtype      = <!-- Round-top, Belpaire, combustion chamber, etc. -->
| firearea         = 
| boiler           = <!-- Watson Standard no. x, etc -->
| boilertype       = <!-- Domeless, etc -->
| pitch            = <!-- height of boiler centreline above the railhead -->
| diameterinside   = 
| lengthinside     = <!-- distance between tube plates -->
| smalltubediameter= <!-- number of boiler tubes and their outside diameter -->
| largetubediameter= <!-- number of larger tubes, if any, and their outside diameter -->
| boilerpressure   = {{convert|160|lbf/in2|MPa|2|abbr=on}}
| safetyvalvetype  = <!-- Salter spring balance, Ramsbottom, Pop, etc. -->
| totalsurface     = 
| tubearea         = 
| fluearea         = 
| tubesandflues    = 
| fireboxarea      = 
| cylindercount    = Two, outside
| cylindersize     = {{convert|11|x|15|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| valvegear        = 
| valvetype        = 
| valvetravel      = 
| valvelap         = 
| valvelead        = 
| transmission     = 
| trainheating     = 
| locobrakes       = 
| locobrakeforce   = 
| trainbrakes      = 
| safety           = 
| coupling         = 
| maxspeed         = 
| poweroutput      = 
| tractiveeffort   = {{convert|7425|lbf|kN|2|abbr=on}}
| factorofadhesion = 
| operator         = 
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| numinclass       = 
| fleetnumbers     = 
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| axleloadclass    = 
| locale           = 
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| firstrundate     = 
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| retiredate       = 
| withdrawndate    = 
| preservedunits   = 
| restoredate      = 
| scrapdate        = 
| currentowner     = 
| disposition      = 
| notes            = 
}}

'''''Russell''''' is a [[narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]] [[steam locomotive]] originally built in 1906 for the [[North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways]] (NWNGR), but most famously associated with the original [[Welsh Highland Railway]] (WHR), and now based at the [[Welsh Highland Heritage Railway]] in [[Porthmadog]].

== History ==
[[File:RussellGelertsFarm.jpeg|thumb|right|''Russell'' approaching Gelert's Farm halt]]

* 1906 - ''Russell'' was built by the [[Hunslet Engine Company]] to the order of the [[Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway|Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway (PB&SSR)]].<ref name=Boyd1>{{cite book |last=Boyd |first=James I.C. |title=Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire, Volume One: The Embankment Tramway, Gorseddau Tramway, Festiniog and Blaenau Railway, Croesor Tramway, Bettws-y-Coed & Festiniog Railway, North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways and Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway |publisher=The Oakwood Press |year=1972}}</ref> The PB&SSR was never completed, and sold the locomotive to the [[North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway|North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway (NWNGR)]], as part of a deal for a two-year delay in electrifying its line by that Company. The locomotive was named after the Chairman, Managing Director and second receiver of that company, J.C.Russell.
* 1922 - The locomotive became the property of the [[Welsh Highland Railway|Welsh Highland Railway (WHR)]], which acquired the NWNGR and the (partially completed) PB&SSR.<ref name=Richards1>{{cite book |title=The Slate Railways of Wales |last=Richards |first=Alun John |pages=158–159 |publisher=Gwasg Carreg Gwalch |year=2001}}</ref>
* 1924 - After the WHR was taken over by the neighbouring [[Ffestiniog Railway]] (FfR), ''Russell'' was reduced in height in order to allow it to work trains on the FfR. The Ffestiniog's bridges and tunnels were built to a restrictive [[loading gauge]]. The work entailed lowering Russell's chimney, steam dome and cab; however the locomotive was still too wide and could not pass through the long Moelwyn tunnel.
* 1937 - The WHR closed, with ''Russell'' running the last through train. The locomotive was left in the sheds at [[Dinas railway station|Dinas]].<ref name=Lee>{{cite book |last=Lee |first=Charles E. |title=Narrow-Gauge Railways in North Wales |publisher=The Railway Publishing Co. Ltd. |year=1945}}</ref>
* 1942 - Requisitioned for war service, refurbished by the [[Brymbo Steel Works]], and sent to the [[Brymbo Ironworks railway]] in [[Oxfordshire]]. It was converted to a 0-6-2T after frequent derailments on the industrial tracks.<ref name=Mitchell/>
* 1946 - Sold to [[Fayle's Tramway]], in the [[Isle of Purbeck]] in [[Dorset]].<ref name=Mitchell>{{cite book |author1=Mitchell, Vic  |author2=Smith, Keith  |name-list-style=amp |title=Dorset & Somerset Narrow Gauge |publisher=Middleton Press |year=2006}}</ref>
* 1954 - Russell was purchased by the Birmingham Locomotive Club for £70 in order to secure it for preservation.<ref name=Mitchell/>
* 1955 - It was put on outside display at Tywyn Wharf station on the [[Talyllyn Railway]].
* 1965 - It was donated to the company now known as [[Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog)|Welsh Highland Railway Limited]] through the generosity of the Birmingham Locomotive Club and moved to that company's base at [[Kinnerley]] in [[Shropshire]].<ref name=Boyd2>{{cite book |last=Boyd |first=James I.C. |title=Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire, Volume Two: The Welsh Highland Railway |publisher=The Oakwoo Press |year=1989 |edition=Second}}</ref>
* 1970 - Fitted with a new boiler by its makers the [[Hunslet Engine Company]] at Leeds<ref name=Boyd2/> and it returned to Kinnerley on 29 January 1971.
* 1971 - Sent to Lakeside Railway Estates Co. Ltd. at [[Carnforth]] for further repairs.
* 1974 - Moved from Carnforth to Hills & Bailey Ltd. at [[Llanberis]] for further overhaul work.<ref name=Boyd2/> Subsequently the engine was moved to the Gelerts Farm Works of the WHR where the restoration work continued.
* 1987 - Steamed again at the Gelerts Farm Works and has since operated trains regularly on the [[Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog)]].
* 1988<ref name=Boyd2/> and 1990 - Visited and operated trains on the [[Ffestiniog Railway]]
* 2000 - Visited the Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon) and operated trains on the occasion of the official reopening of the line between [[Dinas railway station|Dinas]] and [[Waunfawr railway station|Waunfawr]].
* 2005 - Was withdrawn from service pending the commencement of a major overhaul, with the aim of running again between Porthmadog and Dinas, on the completed Welsh Highland Railway.
* 2014 - ''Russell'' back in service on WHHR
* 2015 - ''Russell'' attends the [[Talyllyn Railway]]'s 150th anniversary.
* 2018 - ''Russell'' completed a test run on the main Welsh Highland Railway, reaching Beddgelert for the first time in over 80 years.

==Design==
A {{whyte|2-6-2|T}} steam locomotive, the design of ''Russell'' is more closely related to Hunslet No 865 of 1905 otherwise known as Leeds Number 1, although certain engineering aspects can be more readily associated with design of locomotives supplied to the [[Sierra Leone Government Railway]]. One of the driving wheel centres bears the initials SLR, however this has been found to have been a later replacement and not as originally supplied. Originally built with air train brakes, it was converted to vacuum train brakes following the linking of the Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog Railways.

==Fiction==
A character named "Fearless" Freddie based on this locomotive appeared in the children's television series ''[[Thomas & Friends]]''.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[Welsh Highland Heritage Railway]]
*[https://www.russell2009.fr/ Restore ''Russell'' 2009]
*[http://jamescholmeleyrussell.blogspot.com/2008/08/james-cholmeley-russell-1841-1912.html ''Russell'' Biography]

[[Category:Welsh Highland Railway]]
[[Category:Hunslet narrow gauge locomotives]]
[[Category:Individual locomotives of Great Britain]]
[[Category:Preserved narrow gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain]]
[[Category:2-6-2T locomotives]]
[[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1906]]
[[Category:Narrow gauge locomotives of the United Kingdom]]