5542 - The Planet's Favourite Prairie

5542 is a GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T "small prairie" tank engine which was built in 1928 and withdrawn by British Railways in December 1961, she spent the next fourteen years in a scrapyard before being acquired for preservation.

After many years of hard work restoring her she entered traffic on the West Somerset Railway in autumn 2002, she has since moved to work on a number of other heritage lines and her first 10 year boiler overhaul in preservation has just been completed. While she was on the West Somerset she was dubbed "The Planet's Favourite Prairie" by her dedicated bunch of followers - many of whom have photos of her on this site.

24 to 27 May 2013 5542 will be running at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Cotswold Steam Celebration

5542 has now returned to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway ready for the Cotswold Steam Celebration, details of recent travels and engineering work are on News Page

News of 5542's moves added to News Page and more photos of her in action on the WSR added to WSR 2013 - more added 30/3!

Photos of 5542 on the WSR with auto 178 now on WSR 2013 - many more added 19/03/2013

16 to 24 March 2013 is the West Somerset Railway's Spring Steam Gala, 5542 will be operating on several days, mostly with the Autotrailer.

On 9 March 2013 5542 was on an historic working on the GWSR - see see the railway's site ! There's some photos of the day on GWSR 2013 plus some more of 5542 working a charter for Cheltenham Races.

Several photos of pre-season work on the loco added to News Page and some of 5542 between two autos added to SDR 2013

16/02/2013 5542 was in action - with auto-trailers front and rear, photos on SDR 2013.

10/02/2013 photos of 5542's testing after winter maintenance on News Page (more now added!) plus a bonus of some photos of Railmotor 93 on a new page Railmotor 93

19, 23 & 27/01/2013 photos of the progress with winter maintenance added to News Page

06/11/2012 arrangements for the use of 5542 during the period March 2013 until the end of the 2016 season added to News Page

If you require some space on your bookshelves we will be pleased to receive your surplus transport related items for resale.

If you've been impressed with the timescale of the overhaul process and our 'blow by blow 'account of what's involved a quick visit to the 'Donations' page might just help us a little.

We have been asked how you can help us with donations so there is now a new page Donations

5542's owning group are also restoring GWR Autotrailer 169, click on the banner to visit the site with all the news and details of the appeal for this project.

5542 with autocoach near Bishops Lydeard, WSR

With the 15.30 Auto service from Bishops Lydeard to Norton Fitzwarren on 02/10/2011 5542 propels its penultimate service of the first 10 year boiler certificate past Longlands Farm. Photo copyright John Wood

5542 being loaded at Bishops Lydeard for transport to the SDR

Within 90 minutes of the above photo 5542 was loaded and departing for Buckfastleigh Photo copyright John Wood

5542 with an engineers train at Williton

With just 4 days remaining on its 10 year boiler certificate 5542 drifts into Williton at the head of a short engineers train 29/09/11 (copyright John Wood)

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FANS' PHOTOS HAVE THEIR OWN PAGES

THE PLANET'S FAVOURITE PRAIRIE

We restored this rusted hulk over many years, help us keep her running by Getting Involved

For enquiries about 5542 please e-mail Chairman of 5542 Ltd

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I'm a poet and didn't know it
Said the driver for a fiver.
As he made his cup of tea
with water from the PFP.
Now steam is up, 'tis time to start
a journey along beside the Dart
up and down the Devon line
push and pulling 169
'til at last it's back to shed
and head for home and then to bed.