Many visitors at Easter will have missed a regular performer at Quainton. Your editor was particularly sorry to discover Cunarder's absence because the engine had nostalgic associations with his youth at Southampton when the attractive little saddle tank worked hard on the Docks contract in the 'thirties.

Cunarder is owned by the 1708 Locomotive Preservation Trust Limited whose directors are Brian Ashby, John Payn, Graham Mimms, Dave Britton, P Treadaway and R Higgins and these enthusiasts are preparing their two locomotives for display at the Centenary Railway Exhibition to be held later this year at Luton station.

Cunarder left Quainton on 7th March for the Trust's private siding at Luton and it joined the Trust's other locomotive, LMS 0-6-0T, 1708, which came from storage at Derby the previous day. 1708 is a Midland Railway engine designed and built at Derby by S W Johnson in 1880.

At Luton the Trust have a good length of track and Cunarder has been in steam twice since its transfer from Bucks to Beds. The object of the movement from Quainton was to have the locomotives together to prepare them for the Centenary and to avoid too much time in travelling to the other sites. Perhaps one day we will have the pleasure of their company again at Quainton!

Notes:
The text in this Quainton Railway Society publication was written in 1976 and so does not reflect events in the 39+ 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 if deemed necessary. The photos from the original publication are provided as scans in this internet version of this long out of print publication.

Reference:
Cunarder Leaves Quainton - Quainton News No. 28 - Summer 1976