Photo:
H C Casserley - Our Beattie at Wadebridge 23rd May 1935

This modest publication by the Quainton Railway Society commemorates the centenary of a fascinating steam locomotive which is one of the most prized possessions of the Society at their depot at Quainton. At first glance it is quite a humble little engine but it has a remarkable history which is told in these pages. The engine is known to all its friends as the Beattie well tank because Joseph Beattie was the designer. He was a famous locomotive engineer born in 1804, the year when the first steam railway engine was demonstrated near Abercynon in South Wales. It is called a well tank because the water is stored in tanks between the frames of the engine instead of inside or saddle tanks.

The simple introduction to our subject will we trust, be of interest to readers who have come to Quainton without a background knowledge of The Beattie. Briefly, No. 3314 was built in Manchester in June 1874, at the Gorton Works of Messrs Beyer, Peacock & Co. Ltd. for the London and South Western Railway and was numbered 314. It was one of a standard class of eighty five engines constructed between 1863 and 1875 for use on the Company's London suburban and country branch services. At the end of the 19th century only three Beattie well tanks were left and these continued in service for more than 60 years in the 20th century. The miraculous survival of these veterans is explained in this book.

In December 1962, Nos 298, 314 and 329, which in 1948 had become British Railways Nos 30587, 30585 and 30586 at nationalisation, were withdrawn. The Quainton Railway Society have become the proud owners of No. 314 and they have carefully restored the centenarian to a sound mechanical condition so it can be seen in steam by enthusiasts and visitors now and in the future.

Reference:
The Centenary of the Beattie Well Tank at Quainton, Quainton Railway Society, 1974

Notes:
The text in this Quainton Railway Society publication was written in 1974 and so does not reflect events in the 40+ years since publication. The text and photographs are repeated verbatim from the original publication, with only a few minor grammar changes but some clarifying notes are added as deemed necessary. The photos from the original publication are provided as scans in this internet version of this long out of print publication.