Lesmac Swift 4 Seater Trolley (LMS013) & Trailer (LMT012)
“Two Railways’ Scrap can be another Group’s Treasure”
Press Release: 24 Jan 2022
Over the last 6-7 years, The Rail Trolley Trust has built up a network of contacts and fellow trolley enthusiasts, who work together for the benefit of rail trolleys, across the UK and overseas.
In late 2019, I received a message from one of our contacts (Ian Stanworth), advising that the railway he volunteered at (Strathspey Railway), were disposing of a Lesmac Swift Trolley & Trailer, due to its Honda engine had been lost in a fire earlier that year. He asked if it was available, whether the Trust would be interested in taking it on.
The Trust were of course interested, but at the time storage was an issue, but we agreed we would look for a solution so that we could take both vehicles on. However, before we had even had time to think about it, the pandemic hit and pretty much shut everything down for us, for most of 2020 and 2021.
In late 2021, the Trust was looking at another project in Scotland (there will be an announcement about this soon) and we realised, we had an opportunity to combine the collection for that project, with the collection of the Lesmac Trolley & Trailer. Our contact at Strathspey spoke to the Strathspey Railway Company and they agreed that the Trolley & Trailer would be donated to The Rail Trolley Trust.
On 17th December 2021, Iain Fitzpatrick, one of our supporters, collected both vehicles from Boat of Garten, delivering them to Tanat Valley Light Railway on 21st December 2021, to join The Rail Trolley Trust - Shropshire Collection.
In early 2022, we contacted Lesmac (Fasteners) Ltd (the manufacturers of the Trolley & Trailer), who kindly supplied the Trust with all the relevant technical paperwork for the vehicles. They advised us, that they still held spares but unfortunately, that didn’t include engines.
However, in mid-January 2022, I was contacted by another one of our supporters (Clive Fitzjohn), checking whether we were still needed an engine and drive gear. I confirmed that we did still require them, and he advised that the railway he volunteered at (Spa Valley Railway) had these items, removed from a Lesmac Swift, which they had previously scrapped.
In the space of an hour, one evening in January and thanks to a group email, the Wealden Railway Company Ltd. (Spa Valley Railway) agreed to donate the items to The Rail Trolley Trust.
Clive has very kindly arranged for them to be transported to one of our team (Mark Hambly) in the Midlands, who will then get them overhauled / serviced by a local company. Once complete, they will be taken to TVLR, in order to be fitted to our Swift 4 Seater Trolley. Once returned to service, it will work alongside a privately owned Swift 4 Seater LMS014, which is also based at the TVLR.
The Trust would like to thank the Strathspey Railway Company & Spa Valley Railway for their generous donations to the Trust. Also, many thanks to Ian Stanworth, Iain Fitzpatrick, Clive Fitzjohn & Mark Hambly, as without them, this simply would not have happened.
Jonathan Flood
Chair – The Rail Trolley Trust
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Created: 11 Feb 2022
Modified: 2 Nov 2022