Southern Locomotives is a company that owns, restores, maintains and operates steam locomotives. It does not aim to make a profit, so any surplus is ploughed back into the locomotives.
We are a successful organisation in that we have already restored a Merchant Navy Class locomotive, 35027 Port Line, which many experts considered to be unrestorable. The locomotive was restored from scrapyard condition in 5 years, a record time for a Barry wreck. We followed that by restoring an unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class locomotive, 34072 257 Squadron, in 2 years. Two standard tank locomotives followed, 80104, was completed in 1997 and 80078 was finished in 1999. The last locomotive to be completed was 34028 Eddystone, a rebuilt West Country class locomotive, in October 2003.
In 2005, with the prospect of still having to restore three further Bulleid Pacifics and overhauling 257 Squadron, it was decided to sell Port Line as it was impossible to envisage having the money, time or labour to overhaul her, especially as she is basically too big to operate on most private railways.
We were happy that the purchaser of the locomotive plans to run her on the Main Line and she is currently at Southall undergoing a complete overhaul.
At the end of 2007 we are close to the completion of our sixth restoration – 34070 Manston, which has involved the building of a new tender. Meanwhile at our Kent base in Sellindge, our Austerity also nears completion.
The history of Southern Locomotives Ltd is inextricably linked with the history of the restorations of Port Line and 257 Squadron. Most of the restoration work on Port Line was carried out in the open air at Blunsdon but it became obvious that if we were to finish the locomotive in a reasonable time some covered accommodation would be needed. By a stroke of good fortune in 1987 we were offered a place in the redundant Swindon Works Weighbridge by the new owners, Tarmac Properties Ltd. By this time we had already purchased 257 Squadron from Barry, (for a rainy day once Port Line had been completed) and Autumn 1987 saw the nearly complete Port Line and the rusting hulk that was 257 Squadron moved to Swindon Works.
The following Easter a group of Tarmac directors who were visiting the site were shown the virtually complete Port Line. One of them inquired about the rusting hulk in the corner of the yard and was somewhat surprised to hear that Port Line had been in the same state when it was purchased. The outcome of this chance meeting was an offer by Tarmac of an interest free loan to enable us to restore 257 Squadron in 2 years in order for it to take part in the Battle of Britain celebrations in September 1990.
In order to safeguard the loan we were required to form a limited company. In the event we formed three limited companies, one for each of our locomotives. (We had purchased BR Standard Tank No. 80104 from the Swanage Railway by this time!)
A number of other restoration projects have joined Southern Locomotives over the last few years. These include the Southern Pacific Rescue Group, owners of 34028, Eddystone, the Southern Steam Trust, owners of 80078 and the Manston Locomotive Project.
Once the loan had been repaid to Tarmac it was decided to ease the administrative burden and to merge the various companies to form a single company, Southern Locomotives.
During 1994 and 1995 discussions were held with the Southern Pacific Rescue Group who were restoring West Country class, No 34028, Eddystone, at Sellindge in Kent. The SPRG agreed to become part of Southern Locomotives in 1995. The same year saw two other restoration projects also becoming part of Southern Locomotives, these being BR Standard Tank, No. 80078 and Merchant Navy Class, No. 35022, Holland America Line. The company bought No. 34010, Sidmouth, a rebuilt West Country class pacific from the North York Moors Railway and two other locomotive restoration projects have joined the company. They are an Austerity 0-6-0 saddletank which has not been restored although it had been kept in good condition by the Kent & East Sussex Railway and another unrebuilt Battle of Britain class locomotive, No. 34070, Manston. The most recent aquisition has been another Bullied Pacific, 34053 Sir Keith Park, originally intended as a source of spares but thanks to the generosity of a shareholder and the importance of the role of Sir Keith Park in the Battle of Britain, this locomotive has now become a restoration project in its own right.
Now that we have sold 35027 Port Line along with sister locomotive 35022 Holland America Line to the same purchaser, we now own eight locomotives, four of which have been restored. The fifth, 34070 Manston is currently in Herston Works, whilst our Austerity is currently at Sellindge in Kent. Both 34010, Sidmouth and 34053, Sir Keith Park, have moved to Dorset for restoration.
The restorations have been financed almost exclusively by share capital and it is probably fair to say that Port Line was one of the first groups to finance the restoration of a locomotive by issuing shares. The scheme allowed for shares to be purchased by monthly payments as well as by a single payment.
The shareholder scheme also had the welcome bonus in that it produced a large number of willing volunteers who turned up on site regularly to provide the essential labour needed for locomotive restoration.
There are approximately 1100 shareholders who have purchased shares in some or all of the company's locomotives and the company has a policy that a share purchase is allocated to the particular locomotive nominated by the purchaser.
The shareholders are all part owners of the locomotives and we have ensured that whenever possible any shareholder is able to have a ride on their locomotive. We have found that all the preserved railways that we have been involved with have co-operated fully with this and footplate crews have always made their visitors welcome.
The company also produces a colour magazine, Southern Pacific, which keeps the members informed about the locomotives, restoration progress and any events that are taking place.
Southern Locomotives Limited is a registered company, No.2479435. The Company has a board of directors who are responsible to the shareholders for the day to day management of the company. In order to ensure that the individual locomotive groups have an input into the company, the board of directors includes a representative from each of the locomotive groups. There are six other directors elected by the shareholders which include such offices as company secretary, finance director and engineering director.
In common with any other company, the board hold regular meetings and there is an annual general meeting which is usually held at or near a railway site where one of our locomotives is operating. We usually try to organise a social event to follow the AGM as it not only encourages members to attend the meeting but it also gives members a chance to meet one another.