The Carmyllie Pilot, which made history during the golden age of steam, has moved under its own power for the first time since 1980.
The restored steam locomotive should return to service in early summer.
It marks the latest chapter of a story which began in 1950.
A story of blood, sweat and tears.
The Carmyllie Pilot – plain old 46464 back then – was built in Crewe for £8,932 and arrived at the Tay Bridge shed in Dundee in June 1950.
She worked the Carmyllie goods service between Elliot Junction and Redford.
Carmyllie Pilot hauled some of the last trains in Angus
The Carmyllie Pilot hauled the very last passenger train from Brechin to Forfar in 1952.
She was briefly allocated to Kittybrewster before pulling the final train to run over the Carmyllie branch line in 1965.
Her train consisted of just three vehicles collecting the remaining furnishings and fittings including the Carmyllie station clock.
The Carmyllie Pilot and her train slipped away without even a whistle.
The old lines fell silent.
She was finally withdrawn in August 1966 after only 16 years in service.
The steam era was over.
She was saved from scrap by railway enthusiast Ian Fraser from Arbroath.
He gifted her to Dundee Corporation for inclusion in a proposed transport museum but she was stored for several years in a shed in East Dock Street.
She was loaned to the Strathspey Railway where she hauled the first scheduled passenger train between Aviemore and Boat of Garten in July 1978.
The Carmyllie Pilot suffered accidental firebox damage in 1980 and was laid up.
She spent a decade gathering dust.
Carmyllie Pilot locomotive moved back to Brechin in 1989
Iain Smith first got involved with the Carmyllie Pilot in November 1989.
Mr Fraser regained ownership following termination of the loan agreement with the council.
She was moved from Aviemore to the Caledonian Railway in Brechin.
Mr Fraser died in 1992.
The Carmyllie Pilot Company Ltd was set up by Robin Taylor and fellow enthusiasts which included Mr Smith, John Yule, Max Maxwell and Ian Hopley in 2000.
They signed an ownership agreement with the Fraser family who continue to support them.
They spent the next 20 years dismantling, repairing and putting most of it back together under canvas at Bridge of Dun.
It was just a stone’s throw from her old stomping ground.
Mr Smith told me: “I have spent almost a third of my life with 46464.
“There were times around that period I thought we would never ever get there or I might never see her running.
“Back in the early days, Robin Taylor, on a visit to the US, brought back a fridge magnet from the Kennedy Space Centre with the Apollo 13 space capsule on it.
“The quotation below read: ‘Failure is not an option’.
“I knew we would have to complete her restoration.”
Work to restore the locomotive at Bridge of Dun included rebuilding the lower half of the tender and dismantling of the boiler before sending it off for repairs.
She returned to Aviemore in 2020 for the final push towards her completion.
The locomotive and tender were put back on its wheels.
The rebuild continued.
Carmyllie Pilot’s track return brought tears of joy
It was on April 11 2024 after many thousands of man-hours of effort the Carmyllie Pilot moved a short distance under her own power.
There were tears of joy as the steam engine returned to the tracks.
Mr Smith said: “I felt most humbled to be asked to light a fire in her for that first trial steaming as an almost complete locomotive.
“I was given the honour of moving her for the first time in 44 years.
“The thrill of her moving took a bit of effort.
“I eventually managed to wind the reverser into full forward gear and with volcanic eruptions of steam from the cylinders she moved.
“It was truly a very momentous event for us all.
“I’m not afraid to admit that the eyes did water up a bit.
“My thoughts also turned to all those have supported us and helped us over the last 24 years but were no longer with us to witness the momentous event.
“These included my father who passed away in May 2023.
“I’m sure they are all smiling now.”
Mr Smith said the joy was all the more euphoric for having battled some serious health issues over many years of working on the Carmyllie Pilot.
This culminated in a liver transplant in 2014 aged 50 from ulcerative colitis.
Tay Bridge past honoured
The Carmyllie Pilot successfully passed a final boiler inspection in April 2024.
Since then she has moved under her own power once again on the running line and conducted return trips between Aviemore and Boat of Garten.
She has now been moved over into the carriage and wagon workshop at Aviemore.
Painter Murray Duncan will finalise the restoration.
He will revert the locomotive back to its original British Rail black livery.
She will carry a Dundee Tay Bridge steam shed code number 62B.
She was based at the shed from new in July 1950 until her withdrawal in 1966.
Mr Smith said: “At present she has only covered around 100 miles or so running.
“Ideally we would wish to cover 200 to 300 miles.
“This will identify any further snags following such an extensive restoration.”
The team has extended their gratitude to Mr Fraser’s family and everyone at the Strathspey Railway for their enduring support and invaluable contribution.
What is the next stage of the journey for the Carmyllie Pilot?
“46464 will be based at Aviemore Shed,” said Mr Smith.
“We have an agreement in place with the Strathspey Railway to operate her over the line between Aviemore and Broomhill.
“We also hope to hire 46464 out for use on other preserved railways.
“This will generate funds to maintain her in running order.
“Under normal conditions we would hope to have at least 10 years of operation without any major repair work needing to be done.
“46464 is now 74 though so many things have to be factored in.
“But for now ‘Lang may her lum reek’ as Ian Fraser would have said.”
Conversation