This loco was ordered by the French Commission for their artillery railways, and was delivered new to Nantes, France. The French military acheived considerable standardisation in the locomotives which they used to support their operations during World War One.
This loco, although built in Stoke by Kerr Stuart, is very similar to locos built by the French company Decauville; it seems highly likely that the French issued Kerr Stuart with the design drawings. Kerr Stuart built 70 locos of this type. After the war, it was sold from Verdun to a dealer, Brunner & Marchand of Borray, Seine & Oise. In October 1930, it was sold on to Societe Anonyme des Carrieres de la Valee Heureuse et du Haut Banc, Marquise Rinxent in the Pas de Calais area of northern France. This was a stone quarry, and had at least four other similar locos. By August 1956, the locos on this site were derelict. It was repatriated to the UK onboard the ferry “Free Enterprise VII” on 11/10/74.
It was moved to the abortive museum project at Pen-yr-Orsedd quarry, North Wales, and then on to the Gloddfa Ganol slate quarry museum complex, near Blaneau Ffestiniog. Here, it was mounted on a plinth by the museum operator’s house, and became a familiar site to passing motorists as they struggled up the legendary Crimea Pass road out of Blaneau to the north. Following closure of the Gloddfa Ganol museum, the loco joined the MRT collection on 10/3/98. Its restoration was completed in time for the September Gala at Apedale in 2011. Following the expiry of the current boiler ticket, the loco has been moved off-site for a full overhaul. It is currently expected that the loco will return to traffic at Apedale in late 2026 or early 2027.
In 2026, the Trust published a full history of the Joffre locos; the book will be found here.
