27 ”Annie” Ruston & Hornsby 198297 of 1939

no. 27 at Croesor

This loco was delivered new to a contractor, Charles Brand, who employed the loco on the extension to the Royal Edward Dock in Avonmouth. During WW2, the loco moved to the ministry of supply’s explosives depot in the former slate quarry at Croesor, North Wales; it was fitted with an exhaust conditioner box (which it still carries) to allow its safe use underground in the vicinity of explosives.

In 1949 the store and the loco became the property of Cooke’s Explosives Ltd, a division of the I.C.I. Nobel organisation. It worked there until the site closed in 1971, and then lingered on in increasing dereliction. It entered preservation on 19/11/1979, becoming part of the collection at the Gloddfa Ganol slate mine, near Blaneau Ffestiniog.

no. 27 upon arrival to the M.R.T. at Whaley Bridge.

When this site closed, the collection was dispersed, and it joined the MRT collection on 8/3/1998. The former owner restored the loco to its current immaculate state (and named it after his grandmother!) before transferring the loco to the Trust. the loco spent a number of years on the Golden Valley Light Railway at Butterley, Derbyshire, where it participated in their gala weekends and loco parades. The loco arrived at Apedale on 21/8/2008.

no. 27, now named Annie at the MRT open day, 22 July 2000.