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If ever you’ve been driving along a motorway and seen a steam locomotive or carriage being transported along on a low loader you could be forgiven for thinking “how do they do that?” Well just how do they get a steam locomotive off the rails, onto the lorry and back onto the rails at wherever it’s being delivered to?

Of course it’s no longer unusual to see locomotives being transported in this way, and if it’s a tender locomotive the tender will be split away from the engine and transported on a separate low loader. But why? And where are they going? The answer to that is that Heritage Railways have galas and hire in extra locomotives to supplement their own fleet. No 5526, for example, travelled to Wales to appear at the Llangollen Railway's ‘Steel, Steam and Stars’ 9 day gala in April and was in the company of eleven other locomotives from all over the country. On its way back it called in at the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway to help out with operations whilst their own no. 5542 was at Buckfastleigh for repairs.

And that’s another reason locomotives get transported about. Bearing in mind that the majority of preserved steam locomotives are at least 50 years old, just like a car, they do suffer with breakdowns occasionally. Often heritage railways have specialised heavy railway engineering equipment and the skills to operate it and so just as you might take your car to a specialist audio repair centre when the radio refuses to work, steam engines are sent around the country to experts in repairing different parts of the locomotive.

With the return to Buckfastleigh by road of no. 5526 – a small 2-6-2 prairie tank – on Thursday 4^th June and the despatch of no. 5542, a similar loco, on the same day to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway it seemed an excellent opportunity to photograph the whole operation. So let’s go ahead and find out how they get locomotives on and off low loaders on the South Devon Railway.

Stage 1 When the low loader unit arrives on site it parks so that the trailer is dead centre over the railway track that is set into the roadway.
Stage 2 Unlike some articulated lorries where the trailer is attached to the tractor unit over the driving wheels, this one is different in that it breaks away at the end of the low loading deck. The driver lowers the whole trailer to the ground whilst it's still attached to the tractor.
Once the low loader deck is on the ground the driver detaches the tractor unit and drives it off out of the way.
Stage 3 When the tractor unit has moved away rails, that are stored each side of the low loader, are pulled out and lined up with those set into the deck.
They are also lined up with the track that is set into the roadway and securely bolted to the rails on the low loader. Now we can begin to see how the system works.
Stage 4 Tie rods are now put between the rails leading down to the ground. They are placed at set intervals and securely bolted.
Without these tie rods the rails would be forced apart as the locomotive moves down the track, causing the engine to fall through the gap in the middle. Not only would this be extremely dangerous for the crew working to unload the locomotive but a restored working steam engine is worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Stage 5 The final piece of rail is slid off the low loader, laid down and bolted to the other section. Seen clearly here is how this piece of rail is specially shaped to make the transition from lorry based track to road based track very smooth.
Stage 6 To carry the weight of the locomotive as it passes down the slope huge blocks of wood are placed under the rail for support. Without these there's a good chance the rails would buckle downwards which might also cause the engine to fall off.
Stage 7 As a second locomotive or shunter moves slowly up the ramp we get a clear view of how the whole assembly works. The blocks of wood can be seen as they take up the weight of the track and locomotive.
The locomotive on the trailer is eased gently down the ramp until it too is back on terra firma - much to everyone's relief.
Stage 8 No 5526, Buckfastleigh's own prairie tank has been taken to a siding and the diesel shunter now pushes no. 5542 onto the trailer, ready for its journey back to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway.
A good view of the track set into the deck of the low loader. Once the locomotive is completely on this deck it will be tightly chained to prevent any movement during it's road journey.
Stage 9 The ramp rails are unbolted from one another and with much heaving, pushing and grunting are stored back onto the low loader. When the tractor unit returns and couples up, lifting the low loader to its normal height everything will be ready for the return journey.

SEEEMPULS!!!

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