Minehead Mogul - 9351 on the West Somerset Railway - 25/08/22

A brief period of time was spent at Minehead Station, on the West Somerset Railway, during the afternoon of the 25th August. The main subject in this video is GWR 9300 2-6-0 Mogul No. 9351, which is seen moving off shed and coupling up to the coaching stock in Platform 1, in readiness to haul a train to Bishops Lydeard. This is followed by the on time departure, as the Mogul heads the final service of the day from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard.

9351 is a unique locomotive, as it was originally built as GWR Large Prairie No. 5193, which was outshopped in 1934. The loco was withdrawn from traffic in June 1962, arriving at Barry Scrapyard a few months later, in September. After spending 17 years in South Wales, the Prairie was purchased by the 5193 fund and moved to Steamport at Southport in 1979. The closure of Steamport saw 5193 move again, this time to the West Somerset Railway, in 1998. Plans were announced in 2000 to convert 5193 into a 2-6-0 tender locomotive - a 9300 Class Mogul. With the extra coal and water capacity, this would provide the WSR with extra motive power flexibility. This was also the more viable option, as the side tanks, rear frame and bunker on 5193 were in very poor condition. In fact, the work to convert the Large Prairie into a Mogul was less than the work that would've been required if they had decided to restore it in original form!

In September 2004, the newly-converted Mogul was launched into traffic, as 9351. The loco spent several years as a WSR stalwart, before being withdrawn from service in 2015, following the expiration of the boiler ticket. Following an overhaul, the loco returned to steam in 2019.

Certainly, a unique preservation story.

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