Andrew Barclay & Sons Ltd., Works Number 2088 built in 1940.
Worked at Stourport Power Station, until 1977.
The steam locomotive Sir Thomas Royden was named after the Chairman of the Edmundsons Electricity Corporation who operated the power station where the loco was delivered new on 28th May 1940. Sir Thomas Royden was also a director of the London Midland & Scottish Railway into whose sidings “STR” worked.
The loco worked for the whole of its industrial career at the same power station and when in 1977 the CEGB, to whom the works had passed, offered the locomotive for sale, it was bought by a collector who quickly offered the loco for resale. A museum member bought the loco and it arrived at Cottesmore in April 1980.
STR ran extensively at the Museum until 1988 when boiler repairs were required. Boiler repairs were subsequently undertaken off-site and following a long and thorough restoration the locomotive was welcomed back into the operational fleet in 2011 where it has proved to be a reliable performer. The loco has recently been put into store on display to await partial dismantling for major boiler repairs.
