B&MR Usk photo

[PGG0132]

I have found a couple of other pictures of Usk.

No1 – Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway by William H. Smith – Kidderminster Railway Museum - p88. Usk is in similar condition to that shown in the photo posted by “Pembrokelad” Graham and is attributed “courtesy Judith Meredith” The caption reads:-

Sharp, Stewart & Co 2-4-0 Number 9 ‘Usk’, together with sister engine ‘Wye’ was transferred to Brecon in 1865 to be used by Thomas Savin for Hereford, Hay and Brecon trains. Savin was the contractor to the Brecon and Merthyr Railway and Cambrian Railways as well as the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway and worked trains on all those systems until his failure in 1866. Most of his locomotives were acquired from either Sharp, Stewart & Co or Manning Wardle, often in his own name rather than the railway company on whose metals they were to work. When Savin failed, the Cambrian Railways claimed many of the locomotives where theirs, including ‘Usk’ and ‘Wye’, but those two locomotives were taken into Brecon and Merthyr Railway stock. Jack Davis is on the tender.

The crew in this picture appear to be the same as Graham’s image, even to the wearing of slightly different colour jackets. Jack Davis would be the man standing top right, his fireman top left.

No2 – Brecon and Merthyr Railway, D.S.M.Barrie – Oakwood – p64 accredited to Locomotive Publishing Co. Opposite side of loco and tender with different crew.

[andrewnummelin]

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No2 – Brecon and Merthyr Railway, D.S.M.Barrie – Oakwood – p64 accredited to Locomotive Publishing Co. Opposite side of loco and tender with different crew.

Interesting that the quality of this version is much better than that published in the Locomotive Magazine, presumably because it has not been retouched to remove the background; but unfortunately most of the tender is not shown.
The "original" should be in the NRM so they may be able to supply a much better quality copy of the whole image.