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This is the website for ex GWR Locomotive 5542 5542 is a GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T "small prairie" tank engine which was built in 1928 and withdrawn by British Railways in December 1961, she spent the next fourteen years in a scrapyard before being acquired for preservation.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.
5542 will be in action at several galas during 2013:- 24 to 27 May 2013 5542 will be running at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Cotswold Steam Celebration 14/05/2013 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 31/03/2013 5542 was working on the SDR during their Easter Gala, photo added to SDR 2013 29/03/2013 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! 18/03/2013 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. 06/03/2013 Photos of 5542 being loaded onto a lowloader added to News Page 02/03/2013 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. 2012 10 year boiler overhaul click here for the full story and photos - updated 30/05/2012 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.
On this site there are details of this overhaul, current and archived news of her working, technical details, histories of her mainline service and initial restoration; and photos of her at work on Fans Photographs and Railways There's a full list of pages on Site Map. There's new videos of her working on Videos 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.
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
Within 90 minutes of the above photo 5542 was loaded and departing for Buckfastleigh Photo copyright John Wood
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)
DO YOU HAVE PHOTOS OF 5542 YOU WANT TO SHARE? 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 For matters relating to this website, link requests or to submit photos please e-mail Webmaster
I'm a poet and didn't know it (C) Chris Osment 2009
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This site was last updated 14/05/13
Site © 2012 Locomotive 5542 Ltd/S G Huddy