This historically important locomotive was the first to be built to the Garratt patent and represents an important milestone in the development of articulated locomotives.

A Garratt is a type of articulated locomotive that is made up of three parts – two separate power bogies which swing under a rigid frame carrying the boiler and cab. This allows larger boilers to be carried and enables the loco to get around fairly tight curves too. The four NGG16s on the WHR are also examples of this Garratt design, but are actually called Beyer-Garratts as all later Beyer-Peacock Garratts were called once the Garratt patent ran out.

K1 started its life on the North East Dundas Tramway, a branch line between Zeehan and Williamsford in Tasmania, following its construction at the Manchester works of Beyer-Peacock. Unusually, K1 uses compound expansion - larger low-pressure cylinders on the front bogie with high-pressure cylinders on the rear. Steam is recycled, used first in the high pressure cylinders, then in the low pressure ones at the front. K1 is the only full-size working compound in the UK.

The tramway finally closed in 1929 and after running only 81,603 miles, K1 plus her sister K2 were put into store. After attempts to sell them, K1 passed back to its makers Beyer-Peacock for its nominal scrap value, in recognition of its historical importance. It is believed that Beyer-Peacock wished to restore it to working condition and some work was done. However, this was never completed and in 1966, on the works closure, it was purchased by the FR with generous financial help from FR society members.

Various ideas were thought up to convert K1 to fit within the much tighter FR loading gauge, but none of these were taken forward and after a period of display at Harbour Station she was loaned to the National Railway Museum in 1976, where she was cosmetically restored.

Following the start of the WHR revival, she was moved back to Wales in 1995 and for two days she was displayed in Caernarfon, to the clear interest of many locals. Later in 1995 the loco was moved to Tyseley works in Birmingham where overhaul work, largely funded by private donations was started. Unfortunately, the boiler was later condemned and in 2002 a new all-welded boiler was ordered from Israel Newton’s workshops in Bradford.

Following the boiler being lifted into the frames, K1 was moved indoors for the final leg of her restoration. After a break for the raising of extra funds, work continued, reaching crescendos in late July 2004, when she was steamed and in August, when she moved under her own power for the first time since 1929. Following tests on the Cob, she was moved to Dinas for commissioning in early October.

Following initial testing, K1 hauled a rake of coaches in late November/early December 2004. However, a number of issues required attention and further testing, at times double-heading with NGG16s in 2005 and 2006 revealed an annoying set of minor niggles. The locomotive is now closer than ever to being passed for passenger service, but testing is ongoing and a definite date for here entry into passenger service has not yet been set.

Gallery:

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Super Power 2006, and K1 stands in the sunshine at Dinas waiting for her train.