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Secret steam locomotives revealed – Inside Collection X with Tim Dunn!

Green Signals

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In the 1960s and 70s, the legendary Peter Rampton amassed a remarkable collection of steam locomotives and artefacts from around the world.

He brought them back to his farm in Surrey, had a few open days in the 1970s and then pretty much locked the doors to the barns to keep the secrets within safe and hidden from view.

Now, in the barn find of the century for narrow gauge railway enthusiasts, Collection X as it became known is starting to be shown to the public again. Tim Dunn - TV personality, railway historian and now Head of Collection Development at the Vale of Rheidol railway gives us an exclusive and personal tour and shows us some of the very special locomotives that comprise Collection X.

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Credits:
Presenters - Nigel Harris (@railnigel on X) & Richard Bowker CBE (@SRichardBowker). General Manager: Stef Foster (@stefatrail)

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20 Comments

@SkarloeyStudios 1 day ago

Not quite sure why everyone seems to be getting caught up over correcting Tim in the comments, he did a brilliant job especially considering that it was a live walk and talk. Very much appreciated a more comprehensive look into the collection!

@TerenceAllen-p7e 8 days ago

Wow, I must have been living under a rock, I have traveled on the line and never knew about that collection being stored there, as an enthusiast since the 60s and now President of one of the oldest MRC's in the country, I thank you for being the custodions of this fabulous collection

@bishwat70 11 days ago

Tim is reliably enthusiastic, but this video shows his passion for the Vale of Rheidol so clearly and entertainingly

@philbartlett7898 11 days ago

Amazing !!!!
I went to school in Tywyn in the mid 1970s and remember seeingJubilee 1897 absolutely gleaming in the museum. Good to see she is still safe and in loving hands

@stamrly418 11 days ago

If there is a red line on the enthusiasm gauge Tim will be on and over it for 110% of the time… just beyond the scale. Well done for the history and creative dreams Collection X has created.

@andyknott8148 4 days ago

The IOW coach stunning.

@TheWoodlandDreamer 4 days ago

Tim may be a big enthusiast, but in my opinion, very few top a certain Reverend. Love seeing such old and wonderful Gals and Gents being kept around, wether put back to steam, made into museum pieces, or simply carriers of donor parts. It's nice to see them taken care of. I just hope at some point that blueprints start surfacing. Would be lovely to see a new E2 roll from a workshop, a new CoBo honk in the countryside, a fresh J70 ringing along. It's also oddly beautiful to see engines from other parts of the world restored to steaming and regauged and running through the English, Welsh, Scottish, or Irish countryside.

@brettj2643 11 days ago

What a remarkable collection ! A superb broadcast. Looking forward to your next one !

@joegrey9807 2 weeks ago

Excellent stuff. I'm not hugely into steam, but seeing the Pacific and the articulated ones restored will be amazing. And the BR blue looks surprisingly good.

@rogerswan4398 7 days ago

Brilliant film! Incredible collection

@andrevassili1039 7 days ago

Fantastic video of an amazing collection. It's lovely to see such enthusiasm.

@Tom-Lahaye 11 days ago

I'm gobsmacked. The greatest revelation to me was the Heisler engine. I immediately recognised it as this exact same engine is featured in the book 'The Great Steam Trek' by C.P. Lewis.
Picture 205 on page 167 shows it and the engine in the collection fits the picture in every detail, wasp stripes, steam pipes, cab, coal space, chimney and even the shape of the patch where no wasp stripes are present fits that of the name plates in the picture.
The caption describes it as belonging to the Renishaw Estate and the picture shows it pulling sugar cane trucks. It's also described as a two cylinder model which is probably correct as the two 'cylinders' where the steam feed pipes fit onto are the piston valves with the cylinder next to it. The picture is dated 1968 and short thereafter it would have been withdrawn from the roster. I don't have information of the life of this engine later on, so it could have had a life at Rustenburg after it's duty as a sugar cane locomotive.
Besides the Lawleys, of which one is operational at the Sandstone Estate in South Africa I spotted a NG/G13 and a NG15 in Peter's shed.

@MrJedimavis 9 days ago

Wilfred Mole of Sandstone Estates would surely jump at the opportunity of restoring 2 more Lawleys (he's already got 2 restored and working regularly on the farm).

@rossbuchanan7632 11 days ago

The man is spot on about the Lawleys.

@LKBRICKSAndMore 9 days ago

Wonderful video really nice seeing some of the collection. I love old railway history.

@WesleyHarcourtSTEAMandMORE 2 days ago (edited)

Please please please tell us all the buildings are fully sprinklered with a robust fire protection system, drawings scanned, and patterns 3D scanned with multiple digital copies stored in different locations...

@marionbloom1218 9 days ago

Prince of Wales in BR blue with the "arrows of indecision" on the side is a fine sight. Nowhere else can that be used authentically on a "kettle", which is one of the things that gives the VoR it's own special uniqueness. Pleased they decided to do it.