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Operating the first trains to Foxfield Colliery since 2019, Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST ‘Marston, Thompson & Evershed No. 3‘ is seen during a 3P20 photo charter at the Foxfield Railway.

The reopening of the line to Foxfield Colliery has been made possible through the Foxfield Railway’s ongoing appeal, which is raising funds to restore the route and return trains to this historic section of the railway.

Locomotive history:

Built by R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. Ltd. in 1926, No.3 was one of three 0-4-0 saddle tanks constructed for Marston, Thompson & Evershed Ltd., the Burton upon Trent brewers best known for Bass. Designed for shunting duties at the brewery, the locomotive spent its working life moving wagons within the brewery complex before withdrawal in the 1960s. Following preservation, it became part of the Foxfield Railway collection, where it represents the industrial locomotives that once worked across Britain’s private industrial railways.
A popular performer at the Foxfield Railway, No.3 regularly demonstrates the compact yet powerful nature of industrial steam locomotives. Its distinctive appearance and brewery heritage make it a firm favourite with visitors and photographers, while its return to working the line towards Foxfield Colliery has helped recreate the atmosphere of a bygone industrial railway scene.