Peckett W6 No. 1772
​Rocket

Our main steam locomotive throughout the 2000's has been Rocket. This little engine has kept our railway in steam, and is the favourite of many of our visitors.

INFORMATION

Built : 1926
Class : Peckett & Sons W6
Type : 0-4-0 ST
Build No : 1722
Name : Rocket

Arrived : 2003
Status : Under Overhaul

Rocket at Spring Village Station

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HISTORY

Courtlaulds of Coventry

This W6 class locomotive was built by Peckett & Sons in 1926, and was delivered new to Courtaulds Co. Ltd at Coventry. The Foleshill Railway was opened in 1901 to serve Webster's brickwork's from a junction off the Nuneaton line. In 1905 it was extended to serve the new Courtaulds factory. The factory had exchange sidings adjacent to the LNWR Nuneaton to Coventry line.

​Courtaulds eventually took over the Foleshill Railway and their traffic was always steam worked, the line closing on 29th February 1972 after Courtaulds converted their boilers from coal to gas. A final steaming was staged on 8th April 1972 before some 100 enthusiasts, with Rocket being one of the final loco's in service. Courtaulds wove a silk bookmark to commemorate the event. 

Rocket at Courtlaulds in Coventry

Rocket in storage at Tyseley

Time at Tyseley

Rocket was handed over to a local RCTS member for transmission to Tyseley Museum.

For many years the loco was a static exhibit, being shunted around the museum at Tyseley and often stored out of sight. Over the years, the cosmetic condition of the loco began to deteriorate with its black paintwork faded to blue. 

The Locomotive eventually found itself as part of the private “Shropshire Collection” near Shrewsbury. This collection was sold “en mass” to the S & D Co. Ltd, who had Rocket restored to operating status by 2003.

Back to Work

After only three trial steamings the locomotive was moved to the Telford Steam Railway and put straight into traffic on passenger trains. The loco was brought in to replace our other W6 Peckett No. 1990 who's boiler had failed.

In 2012 the boiler certificate expired and the locomotive underwent a ten year overhaul at Tyseley and returned to traffic on the Telford Steam Railway in 2014.
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It is now owned by the railway following a bequest by a long term member who had known the locomotive in industrial use at Courtaulds.

Rockets' first passenger service at TSR

CURRENT STATUS

Rocket was withdrawn in 2023 at the end of its 10 yearly boiler certificate. 

The boiler is currently off-site at a contractor in order to be overhauled. Work on the frames has begun at Horsehay. 

We hope it won't be too long before Rocket is back in service, pulling passengers up our line.

Rocket at Spring Village

Rocket on the final day of the Foleshill Railway

Celebrity Beginnings

While Rocket may seem to have had a fairly regular industrial life, it was quite influential on a certain celebrity. 

A young Peter Waterman lived not far from Courtaulds in Coventry and used to go and watch the steam engines working hard in the yard. He remembers seeing Rocket on a regular basis. 

On certain days, the crew would even invite him up to ride on Rocket's footplate and have a go shovelling into the fire. 

SUPPORT THE LOCOMOTIVE

Help us to complete Rockets overhaul by donating or volunteering to work on the loco.

Your donations will help us to complete the overhaul on the boiler to get it back to Horsehay as soon as possible. Funds are also needed to complete the work on the frames and to re-paint the locomotive.

If you'd like to volunteer on the overhaul of the loco, consider joining up to get involved.

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