Following an extensive rebuild,1918 built Andrew Barclay 'Bahan' Class' 0-6-0 T 'AJAX' (Works No.1605, IWSR No.W38) has been in steam at Havenstreet, almost 10 months after the boiler's first steam test.
This stage has been reached following several years of restoration work undertaken by the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, led by Chief Mechanical Engineer Len Pullinger. During this work, the locomotive has been completely stripped down to its frames and a vast amount of repair and refurbishment undertaken to all parts of the loco A great deal of the original superstructure of the locomotive including the side tanks, cab and bunker are being replaced with new material, fabricated in the Havenstreet Mechanical Engineering Workshop. The boiler itself was repaired under contract at the Tenby, South Wales, works of Bartlett Engineering in 2002. The work carried out included the fitting of a new steel inner firebox, manufactured for the locomotive some years ago, fitting of a new front tube plate, fitting of a new smokebox, re-tubing of the boiler and having patches inserted in the lower half of the outer firebox. A successful hydraulic test was carried out on the boiler before it returned to the Island in October 2002.

'Ajax' in steam at Havenstreet during the early part of October 2004.

This is the first of a series of test steamings that enable any minor glitches to be ironed out before 'Ajax' enters passenger service on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway during 2005.

In December 2003 'Ajax' was steamed for the first time in thirty five years. Following this successful test work started on rebuilding the locomotive's superstructure.

Built to the order of the Sulphide Corporation of London in 1918, 'Ajax' was requisitioned on completion by the Ministry of Munitions and sent to Persia where she remained for many years, latterly in the service of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. It is uncertain exactly when 'Ajax' returned to the UK but she was recorded as working at Llandarcy Refinery, near Swansea and later at the Stanton Iron Works in Sheffield. She finished her industrial service at Harlaxton Ironstone Quarries, near Grantham, being withdrawn in 1968. 'Ajax' was purchased by Mr Henry Frampton-Jones who placed her on loan to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway in 1972. No major restoration work was carried out for over twenty years but, following agreement regarding her future use, repairs got underway.. The vast majority of the work required has been undertaken by the works staff at Havenstreet. It is anticipated that 'Ajax' will enter passenger service during 2005. For more details of the history of 'Ajax' and other members of the IWSR fleet click HERE.

For more information on the work of the IWSR Mechanical Engineering Department visit the latest edition of the On-Line Newsletter Mechancal Times.