Newstead

No.1589 Newstead was built in 1929 by the Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds.

It worked at the Woolley Colliery in Yorkshire until 1972 when it was withdrawn. It was purchased for preservation by Malcolm Saul, and after being stored for a little while was given an overhaul. In the early 1990s, it was driven along a short piece of track at Suffolk Steam. Later, Malcolm rented some land from a convent in Hertfordshire where he built a shed and stored Newstead inside. Trees were planted outside the shed and Newstead was believed to have been scrapped.

Malcolm died in 2015, and Newstead was discovered in the shed.

In 2016, Newstead’s new owners extracted it from the shed and restored it over a period of 9 years - returning to steam in 2025.

Usually based at the North Norfolk Railway, Newstead will be staying at AVR until early Spring 2027. It’s planned to operate over the Christmas period 2026 and through February half term in 2027 before returning to Norfolk.