Steam Railway Locomotive No. 9 Pendragon (Ashorne)

No.9 Pendragon is a coal fired 2-4-2 tank engine. Works No. 297 it was built in 1994 by Exmoor Steam Railway and was originally called Ashorne and originally painted maroon. It is the third of six locomotives of this type to have been built at Exmoor. Its one of the standard designs of the Exmoor Steam Railway at Bratton Fleming in Devon who are the UK's foremost builder of narrow gauge steam engines.

Pendragon at Rudyard in 2006 after regauging

The engine was originally built to12.25 inch gauge for the Ashorne Hall Railway in Warwickshire. After that Railway closed it was bought after a successful tender at the dispersal sale in 2005. Taken back to Exmoor it was re-gauged to 10.25 inch gauge. Since arriving at Rudyard in 2006 it has been a reliable and popular engine. It was given the name Pendragon after King Arthur's father Uther Pendragon in 2006. This is part of a theme around the legends of King Arthur.

No.9 has been in use every year since its arrival in 2006. Pendragon was the opposite way round to all the other engines. This is deliberate as when it arrived it had sanders working only on the back wheels so these faced up the gradient. It also allows for different photo opportunities. Now fitted with sanders both ends. It was overhauled in early 2011 and turned round to face the same way as the other engines. It emerged in a bright green livery.

No.9 Pendragon has cylinders 4 inch bore X 5inch stroke. The boiler pressure is 150 Pounds per square inch and it has 11 inch diameter driving wheels. It has the shorter wheelbase like the earlier 3 engines built of this type but a different sort of fly crank on the axles. These are problematic and not as good as the larger clamped type. It is planned to replace them at some time in the future.

Pendragon in its new bright green livery April 2011

More views and information on other steam locomotives and trains linked to this railway are on the locomotives pages. Sister Exmoor steam railway engines No.6 Excalibur and No.7 Merlin also run on the Rudyard Lake steam Railway

Developments to Pendragon

Fitting of new fly cranks and a steam chest pressure gauge is planned and possibly a special steel firebox arch.In 2011 it had a bolier overhaul and was repainted in bright green