THE South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society has obtained significant grant aid from the Power to Change Trust to restore PKP 0-6-0 Naklo.
The £200,000 grant will also cover the creation of a new microenterprise delivering railway experiences on the 2ft gauge line for the first time.
Starting in January, Naklo will be overhauled and rebuilt in-house at Alston, safeguarding existing jobs and creating new opportunities in the engineering department.
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Projects director Brian Craven said: “We receive many requests for railway experience days to help people celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, and visitors frequently say ‘it’s just something I have always wanted to do.’
“Sadly until now this is something the STR has not been able to offer, but as Naklo has a large footplate with plenty of room for four adults, this is a perfect opportunity to make our visitors’ ‘steam dreams’ come true with a fabulous footplate experience.”
The Power to Change Community Business Development Programme supports community businesses across the UK to develop fresh innovations that contribute to the growth and sustainability of the overall business.
Further funds will be raised to enhance and further develop the Naklo project, as the restoration gets underway and the opportunity to deliver railway experiences from 2019 draws near.
Previously used at the Naklo Sugar Factory, near Bydgoszcz, Poland, Naklo was built at the country’s Chrzanow workshops in 1957 as works No. 3459. Originally fitted with both side and well tanks, the locomotive was completely rebuilt at Alston in 2001 without side tanks and with an improved tender.
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