It has been announced that the National Army Museum has placed WD No.92 'Waggoner' on loan to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. The locomotive was built by the Hunslet Engine Co as HE 3792 and delivered to the Army in January 1953. It was one of the very final batch of 14 locomotives of the 'Austerity' type that was ordered by the War Department and it is a little surprising now that such a large number were ordered at that time, diesel power was replacing steam as the standard WD shunter by then. Maybe the Korean War had something to do with the thinking at the time. All 14 locomotives in the batch still survive, and including No 198 'Royal Engineer', also on loan to the IWSR and currently in full working order. The loco was numbered WD192 and delivered new to the Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire. In July 1955, it was reported to be working at Histon and in May 1959 it was at Bicester. Whether this was just to be put to work on the Bicester Military Railway or for a visit to Bicester workshops is not known, but it was customary for locos ex Bicester works to be run in at Bicester prior to re-deployment elsewhere. By May 1961 it was in store at the Royal Engineers Stores Depot, Long Marston. In the 1968 re-numbering, the loco number became WD No.92 and was named 'Waggoner', the "house" name of the Royal Corps of Transport.

'Waggoner' stands outside the C&W Workshop at Havenstreet.

By April 1969 the locomotive was stored at P&EE Shoeburyness. 1974 saw No.92 transferred to Marchwood Military Port, Southampton, in order to work the internal passenger train, which consisted of vacuum braked stock. 'Waggoner' continued to work around the dock yard system until 1979 when it was due a ten year boiler lift. The locomotive was then taken to P&EE Shoeburyness for the boiler work and heavy overhaul, this project was undertaken under the supervision of Jimmy Heath, the charge-hand boilersmith. A boiler repair facility was maintained at Shoeburyness by the Army Railway Organisation in order to repair the steam cranes that were still in use on the ranges there. The overhaul included a repaint into Longmoor Military Railway Oxford Blue livery, with red lining, the work being undertaken by Ted Robinson, the Shoeburyness Carriage and Wagon foreman. On being declared fit for use, along with No.198, the loco was passed into the care of the RCT Institution, which at that time had responsibility for historic RCT artefacts. Agreement was reached that the loco be retained and used at Shoeburyness as a VIP train with the "Kitchener Coach", which was also at Shoeburyness, and P&EE paid for its continued use and insurance. It was seldom steamed and spent most of its time stored under cover. 'Waggoner's very last task at Shoeburyness was to move the Army's only surviving rail-bourne gun, which had been parked on a short siding at Shoebury for many years. This 16" gun had a twelve-axle carriage with a total weight estimated at about 180 tons and it was known that at least one of the axles had seized solid. Immediately forward of the guns position the siding ran across a level crossing, which was set in concrete. Due to the soft nature of the terrain, the track under the gun had sunk by at least a foot leaving a short, sharp climb up to the crossing. A pair of diesel locomotives had failed to budge this monster, but using a double coupling and full regulator, with a single whoosh, No 92 lifted the whole thing up and across the level crossing. Such is the power of steam.

After arrival on 26th February 2005 'Waggoner' stands in the Goosefield Sidings at Havenstreet.

In June 1984 'Waggoner' was taken to Rushmoor Arena, Aldershot for what proved to be the final Aldershot Army Show, where it was exhibited as part of the RCT display, alongside an almost new Thomas Hill diesel/hydraulic 'Vanguard' locomotive, from Marchwood. At the two-day show 'Waggoner' was kept in steam with the regulator handle bolted closed. The footplate was visited by over 50,000 people, most of whom contrived to blow the whistle! This was its last steaming in Army hands and was in the care of George Church and Roy Barker, who had been the locomotives regular driver during its last four years at Shoeburyness. When the show was dismantled, 'Waggoner' was re-loaded onto its Royal Engineers trailer, (which had a stated maximum load capability of only 35 tons!), and was taken to the Museum of Army Transport, Beverley, for permanent display. On arrival at the Museum the saddle tank was drained, bunker emptied and the firebox, ash pan and smoke box cleaned out by Museum staff. Apart from one brief spell when it was loaned for display in a theme park in the Midlands, the loco remained at Beverley. It was practice until 1992 for the Army Railway Organisation to send two fitters to Beverley annually and move all of the museum's rail exhibits to prevent the bearings from seizing. Direct responsibility for both No.198 and No.92 was passed to the National Army Museum in 2001. The Museum of Army Transport was forced to close by financial problems during the summer of 2003 and, Following a period in store, the National Army Museum has decided to place 'Waggoner' on loan to the IWSR where it will join sister engine WD198 'Royal Engineer'.

Following it's arrival by road 'Waggoner' waits to be unloaded.

So, what is it that the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is getting? The answer to that is a locomotive that, if the equal of WD 198, will be powerful, reliable and capable of handling the heaviest of trains on our railway with ease. The boiler was only four years past its 10-year lift when taken out of use, the locomotive had seen little use during that period. It is, in effect, a virtually new locomotive. The minimum work necessary to return to service will include a boiler lift and re-tube with insurance examination, and a thorough mechanical examination. All glands must be suspect after such a period out of use. The locomotive is fitted with the standard steam/vacuum brake fittings, as per No.198. Unlike No.198, the steam brake controls are extended across the cab to facilitate driving from either side during shunting moves, but No.92 is not fitted for carriage heating. This was not a standard Army fitment, the equipment now on No.198 was fitted at Long Marston to enable the two coaches used for the Commanding Officer's "Santa Claus" train to be heated. In Army use it appears that 'Waggoner' was always considered to be a better loco than 'Royal Engineer'. One question that has to be addressed is that of the locomotive number. Originally numbered WD192, it was renumbered in 1968, as was the entire batch, into a two digit series. 'Royal Engineer' had its original number of WD198 restored at the time of its 1987 overhaul at Long Marston, but to do that to "Waggoner" will cause confusion, as the large cast brass plate on its cab sheet loudly proclaims it as No.92. The Isle of Wight Steam Railway now looks forward keenly to the day when both 'Austerities' can be seen in steam together at Havenstreet.