Abbey Light Railway

9.     Muir Hill     20 HP     110     1925

New to Meeth Clay works, Devon; thence to R. P. Morris, Dartford, Kent.

The Muir Hill is much like Number 8, the Gogo Tractor. it uses a Fordson tractor as its power unit with the drive going straight to the wheels via chains each side. This loco was for a long time stored outside and is very much a 'one day maybe' project, but with a forced lack of progress on the O&K due to the stolen parts, work has started begun on restoration.

Pictures and details of these locomotives are very scarce, if you think you know anything about it, please get in touch through the guestbook!

this was the scene in 2005, as is as it had been since arriving at the railway.

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Work has started on returning the Muir Hill to working order, possibly for the first time in 70 years. This process starts by moving it from it's resting place for the last 30 years and putting it on the rails. From there it can be put onto a wagon and cleaned up. This page aims to be a pictoral record of the progress on the restoration.

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June/July 2008 - Putting the Muir Hill on the rails

The Muir Hill is a heavy beast. Already it weighs the best part of 3 tons, and thats as it stands in scrapheap condition without an engine or gearbox. The loco has been stored beside the railway in our compond next to the sheds. It was put here about 30 years ago when delivered to the railway as being a secure spot relatively out of the way. In the years that have passed, things have been piled on top of it, and the trees have grown up around it.

Before

 

Vegetation clearing

Putting the loco on rollers for its short sideways journey.

 

The Muir Hill's current mis-matching wheelsets. The rear (left hand) set is from a Gogo tractor.

The buffers have been removed to lighten the loco so we can lift it onto a wagon.

One of the Muir Hill's worn out bearings. the cast iron axlebox housings are also damages and need repair or replacement.

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September 2008

The Muir Hill chassis is now up off the rails and onto a wagon. It is the aim to get the chassis turned upside down so we can clean and paint the underneith and remove the wheels. However, attention has turned to the O&K rebuild, so for now this is where the Muir Hill will stay.

 

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June 2009

One of the major jobs of this rebuild is releasing the wheelsets from the frames, this needs to be done to fit the replacement wheels and repair the axleboxes, this came a step closer recently when the bolts that hold the axles in were burned out. Now we can lift the chassis off the wheels and set about cleaning a painting it.




The axleboxes without the bearings, showing the extent of the damage. This type of locomotive was rarely cared for or well looked after, in most cases the loco was run until it broke, then abandoned.

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October 2009
Over the past months, as and when we have had time, the Muir Hill chassis has been cleaned, painted in undercoat, and has now been turned over to allow us to clean the underneith and put its bearings, wheels and brakes in, as and when they are ready.