Steam locomotive owners based at Shillingstone station have appointed a new locomotive liaison officer to take over the responsibility of coordinating the overhaul and maintenance of their two locomotives.

Project 62, which owns locomotives numbered 30075 and 30076 based at the North Dorset Railway Trust’s station at Shillingstone, have appointed James Frigot to oversee the work on their two United States Army Transportation Corps World War 11 designed locomotives but which were built in Europe in the 1960s.

Virtually from the day he was born, James has been interested in railways, being taken to places like the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway and Pecorama from a very young age, and he was almost doomed to develop a love for steam locomotives and in general industrial heritage.

Dorset born, he has lived in Broadstone most of his life and also has an interest in the old Somerset and Dorset line that closed in 1966 and ran down through Shillingstone to his home town, so he is delighted to have this link.

James first started volunteering with Project 62 in late 2015 after he had left school and decided that he wanted to carry out an engineering apprenticeship and felt that working with the group’s engines would give him good experience with locomotives and equipment.

He is now employed at the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company gaining experience in a job he absolutely loves to do and he will be working with tank engine 30075 and its sister 30076 in his spare time and advising Project 62 volunteers on the rebuild of 30075 which is currently underway.

The rolling chassis (bottom end) of 30075 is currently at Shillingstone station waiting the return of the locomotives boiler from Vincent Engineering at Henstridge in Somerset where it is being overhauled. Once reunited the locomotive will be re-assembled and it is hoped it may be returned to working order later this year. Other volunteers from Project 62 are currently cleaning and painting parts ready for the re-assembly work and they normally meet at the station on Wednesdays and weekends. Restoration of the Group’s other locomotive, 30076 will not commence until all work has been completed on 30075.

Further information about Project 62 can be found at www.project62.co.uk and details of the North Dorset Railway Trust and the work at Shillingstone station are available at www.shillingstone-railway-project.org.uk