Tanfield Railway Blog: Hudswell Clarke No.38

Wednesday, 6 May 2020

Hudswell Clarke No.38

No.38 (HC 1823 of 1949) is a link between Rising Sun Colliery and Tanfield Railway
(photo Bob Payne)

HC No.38 in the shed at Rising Sun Colliery in May 1968
(photo Eric Maxwell)

No.38 was built new for Rising Sun Colliery as part of the NCB's modernization of this & other Northumberland collieries. Two similar locos were built by Hudswell Clarke, but only 38 survives. I haven't found many photos of 38 at Rising Sun, although there are photos at other pits. There's a history of No.38 on the Tanfield Railway web.

38 at Backworth Colliery in the 1950s
(photo Chris Allen collection)

The loco spent time at the following Northumberland collieries, mainly after becoming redundant as Rising Sun wound down to closure in mid 1969:

Rising Sun 1949 - 1954
Backworth 1954 - May 1956
Rising Sun May 1956 - November 1968
Burradon November 1968 - November 1970
Bates November 1970 - March 1971
Shilbottle March 1971 - October 1973

38 at Burradon in 1970

38 at Weetslade washery (while at Burradon)
(photo Bobby Hunter)

38 working at Weetslade (while at Burradon)

The same Weetslade location today, with artwork
This cycle route is on the Seaton Burn waggonway
(photo courtesy of Tom Hartley)

38 at Camperdown (while at Burradon)

The same Camperdown location today
This cycle route is on the Seaton Burn waggonway
(photo courtesy of Tom Hartley)

38 after arrival at Tanfield Railway in late 1973
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

Much of 38 (wheels in front) at the back of Marley Hill in September 2014
(photo from 38's history on Preserved British Steam Locos web)

38 now belongs to the Rising Sun Locomotive Trust, a group of Tanfield volunteers who have taken on the task of returning the loco to working condition after 50 years of waiting in the wings.