Empress was originally acquired by the NCB for use at Measham Colliery after use there it was transferred to Cadly Hill.
Empress was purchased from Cadly Hill Colliery in 1987. The C.E.G.B. offered the use of the old locomotive shed at Rye House Power Station, Hoddesdon, Herts. It was here that the restoration work on Empress was completed in May 1989, after which she was moved to Mangapps Farm Railway Museum at Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex where she is regularly steamed.
Empress was taken out of service in the Autumn 2000 for major overhaul.
| Type | 0-6-0 |
| Gauge | 4' 8.5" |
| Cylinders | 16" x 24" |
| Wheels Diameter | 3' 6.5" |
| Wheelbase | 10' 6" |
| Tank Capacity | 1000 gals |
| Bunker Capacity | 67.5 Cu ft |
| Heating Surface - Tubes | 713 sq ft |
| - Firebox | 79.5 sq ft |
| - Total | 792.5 sq ft |
| Grate Area | 15 sq ft |
| Working Pressure | 180 lbs/in2 |
| Boiler Feed 2 Injectors | No. 7mm |
| Tractive Effort @ 85% Boiler Pressure | 22,118 lbs |
| Total Weight in Working Order | 41.5 tons |
Locomotive Report December 2010
Empress has been the main focus of attention this season . The smokebox has been repaired with a new front sheet fitted and repairs carried out around the chimney area. The flat pack ashpan was assembled in Enfield then transported in the back of my Renault Espace to Mangapps. It was a tight fit in the car !!! The various replacement sections for the boiler have been purchased and carefully prepared ready for welding. Fitting the crown sheet was going to be extremely hard work due to the weight and the problems of getting 2 people in the firebox to lift it. So an electric engine hoist was used with the cable passed through a crown stay hole and shackled to the sheet. Despite the Heath Robinson appearance of the set up it worked very well and saved a lot of time and energy.
One of the plates to be fitted inside the firebox required forming into a U shape to match the foundation so we built a jig from scrap metal and using a large heating gun formed it into the right shape.
The side plates have been drilled ready for the foundation ring rivets and stays. The crown sheet has been drilled for the crown stays and John has made 2 fusible plug fittings to be welded in. Some side stays have been removed from the left hand side sheet due to worn stay heads on the fireside. These and the stays for the replacement sections have been supplied ready for fitment once the plates have been welded in. The areas of grooving above the foundation ring have been needle gunned & shot blasted ready for welding repairs. It is hoped to have the boiler finished during 2011 and possibly the engine running again.