14/09/2026
This film shows the end of an era – the last time Fireless loco CEGB No. 1 moved under its own power, at Castle Meads Power Station, Gloucester (video courtesy of Ken Bailey – please note there's no sound).
Fireless locomotives have no firebox or boiler to generate their own steam. Instead, they are powered by a charge of high pressure steam provided from an external source. Stored in the loco's reservoir (which replaces the boiler) the steam charge allows the Fireless loco to run continuously for several hours. This made them ideal for shunting in locations which were unsuitable for conventional steam locomotives because of the fire risk, such as mu*****ns depots or paper mills,
The Vale of Berkeley Railway was donated a 1942 Andrew Barclay-built Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) Fireless locomotive in 2022, from the British Waterways Museum in Gloucester. It has been a static exhibit for many years. However, Fireless locos can also be run on compressed air. Thanks to a recent generous donation of a compressor, we were able to see CEGB No.1 run very slowly and for a very short distance on compressed air, fed directly to the cylinders. This brief yet significant event wasn't filmed as it was only a test run to prove the loco moves, but it bodes well for her future.
If we're going to run her for a longer period, we'll have to address the issue of ensuring effective lubrication to the cylinders. Ideally, we'd like a stationary boiler to provide the steam! There's more investigation and restoration needed, but our Fireless loco's very short run nevertheless marks a new era and will bring fresh impetus to its restoration.
This post is dedicated to the memory of the late Phil McNamara, a Trustee of the VoBR and a great Fireless loco enthusiast.
