🚂 USATC 6046: A Hardworking Steam Survivor in the Staffordshire Countryside 🚂
Today, I filmed USATC 6046 powering through the Churnet Valley Railway, cutting through the stunning Staffordshire landscape and the post-industrial remains of Froghall. A true spectacle of steam and history!
Built in 1945 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 6046 was originally sent to France for railway transport. Later, it found a long working life in Hungary, where it became MAV 411.144, operating on industrial lines before eventually being withdrawn.
After narrowly escaping being scrapped due to an administrative error, 6046 was brought to the UK, where it was restored at the Churnet Valley Railway (CVR). Since steaming again in 2012, it has been a reliable performer, running on heritage lines across the country, including the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) and West Somerset Railway.
In 2017, it made history by running alongside its classmate 5197, the first time two of these locomotives had worked together in Britain for over 70 years. More recently, in December 2024, it hauled the first passenger train on the Churnet Valley extension to Leek, adding another milestone to its incredible journey.
🎥 Watch the video to see this powerful loco in action! Full steam ahead! 🚂
Watch my full video here on YouTube
If you’d love to ride on this historic railway, you can! Book your journey and find out more here:
🔗 https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/
https://linktr.ee/theredhairedstokie