Hunslet Engine Co Ltd (HE) class WD 0-6-0ST "LORD PHIL" departs from Rowsley South at Peak Rail on 11 January 2014 with a train for Matlock Riverside.
Built in 1943 as works no.2868 the locomotive was delivered to the War Department depot at Donnington near Telford as WD 75019. By September 1960 it was stored out of service at the Proof & Experimental establishment at Shoeburyness in Essex and was sold back to Hunslet in September 1961 for rebuilding (as works no.3883), the rebuild was the result of a bid to meet stringent restrictions on smoke emissions and included modifications designed by the Argentinian engineer L.D. Porta and was the very first application of Porta’s work outside of his native Argentina.
Tests on no.3883 demonstrated significant improvements over a standard locomotive with a steaming rate of 12,000lbs/hour being achieved compared with 6,000lbs/hour for an unmodified locomotive. A maximum output of 898hp was recorded, a very impressive figure for what was a shunting locomotive. These tests were the last time a steam locomotive was formally tested by British Railways with a dynamometer car.
After testing the locomotive was sold to the National Coal Board (NCB) at Glasshoughton Coking plant at Castleford in Yorkshire as Coal Products No 6 in September 1963.
In February 1971 the engine was loaned to Glasshoughton Colliery for one day but never returned and by May 1972 it was regarded as a spare at the colliery and by October 1976 it was stored out of use on an isolated piece of track.
In March 1979 the locomotive moved to the Market Overton Industrial Railway Association in Leicestershire before going to the Rutland Railway Museum in January 1982. It remained at the Rutland Railway Museum until 2008 when it moved to Peak Rail under a long-term agreement with the owner.