North Western Profiles

Roster Page 6

(6) Percy 

                      Percy is an Andrew Barclay 14" 0-4-0st, designed and manufactured enmasse for use on the various industrial, and mainline railways as shunting locomotives. Percy would specially commissioned by the Hawcoat Quarry Co in 1923, as part of a plan laid in place by the Hawcoat council to reignite operations in the quarry, and boost the economy of the area. Following completion later in the year, Percy would be delivered to the line on the  15th of May , being immediately put to work shunting wagons around the Quary, and bringing them up to the mainline connection at barrow. However, 2 years after entering service, Percy, and  Hawcoat Quarry Co, would be bought out by the North Western during their plans to expand further into Barrow. Due to the NWR's need for a versatile 0-4-0st to work as both a station plot, and a branch line engine, Percy would see himself being transferred from his old home, to Vicarstown to help organize the yards. Whilst working in the yards, he would encounter Thomas for the first time, where the 2 would quickly form a firm friendship, and where he would first learn of the Ffarquhar Branchline and, no less than 2 month later, he would transfer to the Ffarquhar branch and act as the lines main goods engine, and the stations main shunter.  However, in mid 1926, it became clear that his fuel capacity would become an issue after a series of incident involving Percy running out of coal, or water, on sections of the line. This issue would've seen him taken off the branch, if not for a fast acting Sir Topham Hatt I proposing the idea of making a small tender for Percy out of an open wagon, which the railway board quickly approved. Followig the addition of his new tender, Percy was now free to travel up and down the line without issue, even taking to the rising parcel trains and double heading the early morning passenger service, (largely because of an arrangement he and Thomas had made so that Percy could enjoy the early morning environment, and Thomas could have some help/new company on his runs).  Throughout his service life Percy would go from initially wearing a matte black livery with orange lining, to wearing a light green with red stripes, a yellow number six painted on him, and the fitting of the special tender he would sport  to increase his range and capacity, he would initially be allocated to Vicarstown MPD, before settling down at Ffarquhar MPD.