Completed in 1928, ‘Morayshire’ is a Class D49 locomotive. It’s significant to Scotland’s railway heritage because it was designed specifically for express passenger service and the challenges of the Scottish landscape. The designer was Sir Nigel Gresley, a prominent railway engineer. ‘Morayshire’ is the sole surviving example of the D49 class.
‘Morayshire’ was at risk once a scheduled overhaul had to be abandoned after the company carrying out the works went into receivership during the pandemic. The locomotive was disassembled and put in storage, which increases the risk of parts being lost or becoming degraded. Funds were required to complete the overhaul.
Our grant of £144,290 from the COVID-19 Response Fund will help enable restoration works to be carried out in a workshop that features a publicly accessible viewing platform. Completion of the restoration will return ‘Morayshire’ to working condition and it will run on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway where it will be widely accessible to the public.