Clayton built large numbers of locomotives for civil engineering contractors,mainly battery electrics, of which this is an example. It was new to a Birmingham-based J.J.Gallagher & Co Ltd, a tunnelling contractor. Gallagher used it on contracts including St Chads Outfall sewer, Birmingham (1975), Walsall Flood Relief Scheme (3/80 to 12/81) and the Black Country Trunk Sewer, Hamstead to Ray Hall, 12/81 20 some time in 1982. Doubtless there were other jobs which have escaped recording. In between the contracts, the loco would have resided at Gallagher’s Armoury Close depot in Birmingham.
By 1/96, the loco had been sold on to Tunnel Steels at Swansea; in that month, it moved to Hunslet Loco Hire of Killamarsh, near Chesterfield, who named it Lady Anne. In 1997, the loco was hired to Northern Tunnelling who used it on a contract near Port Glasgow in Scotland. The loco may have been used on a contract in Hong Kong, but this has yet to be confirmed.
On 27/5/2003, the loco moved on to RMS Locotec, and then on 9/8/2003 it joined the MRT fleet. It was put on display at Apedale on 9/7/2004. An unusual feature of this loco is that it is designed to be easily changed between 18” and 24” gauge – the two most common gauges used on tunnel construction contracts. On 27/10/2012, the loco was set to 24” gauge, having previously been set to 18” gauge and on display in the Apedale Heritage Centre.
”Lady Anne” partway through regauging, the rear set 2” the front 1’6”
Moseley Railway Trust Fleet List 