The official entry of two steam locomotives into Isle of Wight Steam Railway service was marked by a ceremony at Havenstreet Station on Saturday 27th May 2006. Barclay 0-6-0T No.W38 'Ajax' was restored to working order after 33 years on the railway and Hunslet 'Austerity' No.WD192 'Waggoner' after only fifteen months!

'Ajax' waits for the dedication ceremony to begin.

Barclay 0-6-0T 'Ajax' was built in 1918 for the Sulphide Corporation of London. Acquired by the Ministry of Munitions for service in Persia, and passed to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Upon return to the UK it worked at the Stanton Iron Works near Sheffield, and finally went to the British Steel Corporation's Harlaxton Ironstone Quarries in Northamptonshire from where it was withdrawn in 1968. 'Ajax' was purchased by Henry Frampton-Jones who agreed to move her to the recently opened Isle of Wight Steam Railway in 1972. Following many years of storage 'Ajax' steamed for the first time in preservation during December 2003 and hauled her first passenger train during 2005. The Isle of Wight Steam Railway now owns the locomotive.

Isle of Wight Railway Company Chairman John Suggett begins the ceremony. Alongside him are 'Andy' Anderton's widow, Nella, daughter Sarah and her family.

'Ajax' has been dedicated to the memory of Chris 'Andy' Anderton, a railway volunteer for many years who sadly died in 2003. Andy was a well known and popular character at Havenstreet and was one of the railway's senior drivers. 'Ajax' now carries a South African chime whistle which Andy left to the railway. Andy's widow, Nella, unveiled a plaque to his memory mounted on the drivers side of the cab before breaking a bottle of champagne over the smokebox door.

Nella Anderton christens 'Ajax' with a bottle of champagne, assisted by CME Len Pullinger.

WD192 'Waggoner' is a Hunslet 'Austerity' 0-6-0ST, built for the War Office in 1953 and beginning her military service on the Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire. In 1973 'Waggoner' was transferred to Marchwood, Southampton where she was employed on the military port's internal rail system.. Overhauled at Shoeburyness in 1979, she was then placed on static display at the Museum of Army Transport, Beverley, Yorkshire until it's closure in 2003.

Winston McCanna describes 'Waggoner's career, Keith Miller of the National Army Museum is on the left and John Suggett, Isle of Wight Railway Company Chairman, on the right.

'Waggoner' was transferred to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway in 2005, joining sister locomotive WD 198 'Royal Engineer'. 'Waggoner' is now fully restored to working order and has been fitted with Westinghouse air brake equipment , enabling her to haul the railway's passenger trains. Both WD192 and WD198 are on loan from the National Army Museum. Former head of the Army Railway Organisation, Winston McCanna, started the proceedings by giving a brief history of 'Waggoner's career before handing over to Keith Miller, the National Army Museum's Head of Weapons, Equipment and Vehicles, who commemorated her return to service with another bottle of champagne. Later in the afternoon 'Waggoner' hauled her first IWSR passenger train, taking members of the public and the railway's guests on a round trip of the five and a half mile long line.

The National Army Museum's Keith Miller celebrates 'Waggoner's return to steam with a bottle of champagne.

Together again - sister locomotives WD192 'Waggoner' and WD198 'Royal Engineer'

'Waggoner' heads her inaugural train at Smallbrook Junction.