Railway Herald
NCB West Ayr Area 0-6-0T No. 17 is seen near Dalmellington Ayrshire on a blustery Friday 24th February 1977 mid way up the 1 in 66 gradient near Dunaskin Washery. No. 17, built by Andrew Barclay of Kilmarnock in 1913 as works No. 1338, is hauling a lengthy train of empty NCB wooden bodied coal wagons from the washery enroute to Pennyvenie Colliery near Dalmellington in the final complete year of the collieries operation. The loaded coal wagon being pushed by No. 17 carried an extra source of fuel for the loco and saved a return visit to the shed for more coal during the day. The loco did not survive in use to the end of the Waterside System being sent to the NCB Cowdenbeath Workshops in Fife later in 1977 for repairs that were not authorised. Fortunately No. 17 was not scrapped and having spent many years at the Tanfield Railway on Tyneside was moved to the Llangollen Railway in August 2013.
Bob Woolnough
