THE FURNESS RAILWAY TRUST

The story of Furness Railway Number 20 by Tim Owen ISBN 0-9519201-8-9 Price £5.95 including post and packing in the UK This lovely book has been published to celebrate the return to life of Britain’s oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive, Furness Railway Number 20. Written by Tim Owen, a leading light in that restoration, it’s the story of the circumstances surrounding the birth of the engine in 1863, and the series of amazing turns of fate that culminated in its debut on the heritage railway stage in 1999, 136 years later!

Photo: H.C .Casserley

This was an engine that was sold off after less than a decade by its first employers - was substantially rebuilt twice - and even survived a boiler inspection that should have seen it condemned, continuing in industrial service until 1960 at the grand old age of 90 (see photo).

But that wasn't the end of this remarkable tale of escapology: it avoided scrapping to become a playground toy, before being rescued for preservation - and finally, thanks to the Furness Railway Trust, rebuilt into its original, Victorian splendour. FR No. 20 is also an illusionist... the book reveals how it managed to live under an altered identity for most of its life. Intrigued? You should be....

Since its debut in 1999, it’s been taken to the hearts of the people in its native Furness, where it’s a reminder of the area’s proud industrial heritage, and has also won many fans across the country and even further afield.

But this is also a human story - from 1860s dogma on the best locomotive design, the tragedy that clouded the first attempt at restoration, and the nail-biting wait to hear if the Lottery funding application had been successful.

"The Great Survivor"