How a scrapyard unintentionally helped preserve steam locomotives - Barry Island Scrapyard 

Hey, you know what this place looks like? Looks like PUMPKIN HILL!

Scrapyards are often disliked by enthusiasts but this one is not one of them

As a kid, I visited this yard with my father a few times. I was always in awe of the size of these beasts. Saddened to see them rotting away. One loco I remember had written on it was 'hands off shep'. Being a fan of Blue Peter I could only think of John Noakes dog called Shep and it made no sense, until a few years ago, when to my absolute delight that very engine was televised running on the Artist David Shepherds preserved line. It was a Black Five.

Barry Island is key. Without that Scrapyard, several classes would be extinct. These classes are... GWR 4300 moguls GWR 2-8-0 tank engines (the GWR is the only one of the big four to have a tank engine with 8 driving wheels be preserved, all others were scrapped, despite efforts made by the Bluebell Railway to save a SR Z Class) GWR 7200 mikado tank engines GWR 2884 Class The GWR 4575 and 5101 Prairies The original Hall Class (With only a single 6959 modified Hall surviving) LSWR S15 Class SR Q Class SR U Class SR N Class LMS Stanier Class 5MT 2-6-0 (AKA: the Stanier Moguls) SR Rebuilt West Country Class (only a single unrebuilt example would survive.) MR 3835 Class (first to leave the scrapyard) S&DJR 7F Class All of the BR Standard Moguls (every Class 2 mogul and Class 4 mogul were saved from Barry) The one and only BR Standard Class 8. That said, some Classes did not make it out and are now extinct. 2 classes of Diesel and 2 classes of Steam. The BR Class 41, two of them went to Barry. One scrapped in a couple of years, but Ark Royal was denied preservation due to being too far gone. Ark Royal spent more time in that scrapyard than she spent working, about 9 years working, 12 on the scrap siding until it was torn apart in 1980. A BR Class 21 was there, no real effort was made to save it. Was cut up in 1980. The only other diesel at Barry was a Class 15, and that class has a single survivor. Barry had 3 GWR 5400 Panniers, all scrapped. This was during the early years where engines were being scrapped first. And a single GWR 3150 Prairie met its end there. No other 3150s survived. Also during the early years. Of the engines during this early period, GWR 5552, a GWR 4575 tank engine, is the sole survivor.

Dai Woodham may not have initially planned to ‘save’ locos but he ultimately gave every cooperation to people and organisations trying to save the locos. RIP Dai, the preservation world owes you an almost unquantifiable debt of gratitude.

In 1972 I worked for Butlins at Barry Island and it was the saddest sight ever coming in by train and seeing all those steam engines rusting away there. I'm so glad that so many were rescued.

As a teen, I used to visit that yard and climb over the locos. Glad most were saved. Many had unnecessary damage - flame-cut chunks from driving wheels, cut connecting rods, and the like.

I was at a conference in Newport around 1978, but had a free afternoon, so I looked up how easily I could get to Barry and went. I am SO glad that I did. What a sight. What a unique experience. And what an emotional place, seeing these once proud engines slowly rotting in the salt air. It was drizzly too, which added to the whole sad atmosphere of the place. I wandered slowly down the long lines of rusting hulks of these once much loved locos and then turned a corner, to be faced with the "Please....don't let me die" one, it's smoke box door, swinging slowly in the wind. I'm not afraid to say that did me in. In floods. Still makes me sad and have goosebumps even now. I left truly saddened, but glad that I had at least seen this incredible, iconic and unique place for myself. However, a few years ago I was at the Great Central Railway. I told this guy there about this and he said, "Come with me." He took me to the stabling yard. And there, resplendent and ready to haul the next train to Loughborough, was that very same engine. "We didn't let her die" he said proudly. I shook his hand and it made my day. Big respect to Dai Woodham. I admit it was purely a business decision, but a very fortunate one and having met him to gain permission to wander his scrap yard, the man was a true gentleman and a very honourable and respectful man. I'd say at least half or even more of today's UK heritage railways, owe their motive power to Dai and his business decision.

Steam engines: we're only soldiers,sir. We're meant to be expandable Barry Island Scrapyard: not to me

Seeing scrapped engines breaks my heart. Some engines didn't even work for 10 years.

Here I was watching this for the insight on this subject, and this man just brought me back to Pumpkin Hill on top of it. Ace work there.👍

I have fond memories of Dai Woodham's yard in Barry. Back in 1967 I had just started work in the area and was lodging in Barry. The docks were a great place to take the dog for a walk with no entry restrictions and also very quiet in the evenings. Wondering through the rows of engines I never thought that the majority of them would, one day, be running again. Then off to the lock to watch the Geest banana boat coming in from the Caribbean.

So it would seem Barry's main priority of scrapping was wagons. Good thing it was, otherwise the number of engines that were rescued from there wouldn't be here today.

The story of Barry Island Scrapyard actually inspired Christopher Awdry to write a book: Barry the Rescue Engine. However, this was around the time that Season 2 of the TV series was being made, and they needed to fulfil their condition of only having Awdry-written stories. Because of that, Barry’s book was (ironically) scrapped, and that’s how we got the lamo episode that was Better Late Than Never. Sometimes, I don’t know how I should feel about Britt Allcroft…

I still find it amazing how out of 297 engines sent there, 213 were saved. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong

Don’t forget, the ONLY LNER engine sent to Barry, B1 number 1264 was saved as well

As Kid I was fortunate enough to get taken there to see the 'old' engines, I guess now I'm doubly fortunate as I get to see some of them back in use as well

Two points not mentioned . When these steam enthusiasts went to the owner of Barry scrap yard and said they wanted to buy an engine . But did not have the money yet . But would have it in a few years . He agreed to keep them for them until they could pay . This was all by word of mouth never a formal contracted . He kept his word , some times it took several years before they had collected the money . The second point , if you ever see a photograph of steam engine with the number painted on it in white paint . It is a engine that was bought back from the scrap yard by British rail . The reason being the new diesel engines where much slower coming on stream then expected . So to make up the short fall old engines had to be brought back into service .

i remember going to Barry island as a kid late 60's, 70's and 80's and seeing the trains all lined up. As the years went by i would see the stock of trains getting smaller and smaller each year. Its lovely to see that most had been saved.

NOT only the Barry island scrapyard is the perfect place, there are some scrapyard that instead that they will focus on steam locomotive, they focused on anything like cars, busses or even boats, there are some of them in America and canada like the Barry island's scrapyard

One of my primary school substitutes talked to me about when he was younger he used to play around in the scrap yard when he found out that I had an interest in steam locomotives he was a nice teacher and after year 5 I never saw him again

We went to look at the yard in 1976, it was a sad sight seeing all of these rusty locos sitting there waiting for disposal, glad alot were saved

Used to go to Barry island as a kid in the 60's on summer trips organised by the Sunday school. Used to pass the yard on the way to the fair. It was always exciting to see steam engines.

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of taking a trip on board one of the restored carriages & locomotives here in Cape Town, South Africa. It was such a joy to re-live the romantic Era of travelling by steam engine. The locomotives that were brought to South Africa back in the day were no doubt manufactured in Britain. We traveled from Cape Town Harbour to Elgin & back again. The train trips are run by the Ceres Rail Company nowadays.

Whatever his intent was, if it wasn't for Dai Woodham and his scrapyard, the steam railway preservation scene (and the country as a whole) would be so much worse off. I think it's about time we had a steam loco named after him - "Dai Woodham"' or even one named "Barry scrapyard". That place is just as legendary. And both of those names would be an education for the younger, upcoming generation(s), who are not in the know.

The UK was very luck to have the Barry scrapyard. In NSW Australia almost no one got to buy locomotive that were being scraped it is just luck we have what we have left

That little “moral of the story” part at the end really got me. Cheers mate, cheers.

As someone who lives in Barry I live with a view of a lot of the sidings that those trains were on there's still a few bits left of coal wagons etc glad to see a bit of the history being explored

As a kid there was a train documentary I used to watch over and over, and there's a secene that must've been filmed here and the train with the sad face on it always upset me so much. Glad I can finally put a location to that memory :)

By the end of the Barry years, many that remained were in a frightful state, the salt air having claimed most of the cabs and light steel sheeting. However, much of the bones of these locos was intact. So although preservation was never going to be easy, the main structures were usually intact enough to make a go of it. Braunton comes to mind. All the light sheet steel/lagging gone and much of the drivetrain, but there was enough for the preservation groups to say yes, we can. We have the knowledge, we have the fitters, turners, laggers, coppersmiths, boilermakers/welders, painters, drivers, stokers et al. Furthermore they had the desire.... If not for the input and sheer will of the aforementioned, nothing would have come of the preservation movement, and there would certainly be no "new builds" either in-build or on paper if it hadn't been for the genesis of the movement, Dai Woodham himself, and thousands of enthusiasts with enough skills and gumption to see it through....

I just saw this and it brings a memory back to me. As a small child I remember an old train engine near the city hall in the north Idaho town I grew up in. For years school children went on field trips or had pictures taken on the old steam engine. Then the old sawmill went away the land was repurposed as a park. I went to a school reunion and took my Dad along to get him out of the house. We went by the park and I remembered seeing the train engine in a different spot. Dad told me the train was lucky that it wasn't scrapped. Dad was in a sort of partnership with the local junkyard in the early 1960's. The city contacted Dad and Joe asking to cut the engine up for scrap. Dad told me they penciled it out and it would have cost more to chop it up than it was worth so they turned the job down. Funny how things work out sometimes.

From what I've been able to pick up on, Thompson B1 no. 1264 was the only Ex-LNER locomotive to go to Barry Scrapyard, quite a shame as had more Gresley, Peppercorn, and even Thompson engines ended up there we could've had better LNER representation in the preservation era.

I love the poetry you often bring to your endings. It's phenomenal just how many engines were accidentally protected by a single scrapyard. Though I think we're more preservationally-minded now, I wonder how much history we're accidentally saving in a similar manner.

I’ve saved a few machinery from the scrap yard a few times as well as some whose previous owners couldn’t get em to move. This scrap yard is a freaking gold mine! There was one tractor that was too far gone… saved the engine then traded the tractor & its attachments for 2 other tractors. One was kinda rough then plucked the transmission, & engine then scrapped the rest.

These stories are always very interesting,Great Job!

I remember, back in the 1960s, requesting a purchase of a GW safety valve bonnet and being informed that all non ferrous that was easily removable had been stolen. When, in 1973, I was working on a loco reserved for purchase, we just drove in at a weekend without being questioned or seeing anyone official about. I saw some local chap removing a lavatory bowl from a horse box-he said that somebody would only put a hammer to it.

This makes me think of The Great Escape, including the 50 killed (the engines that couldn't be saved).

*A testament to British skill and respect for history - and I'm an American... We've managed to save a few steam gems in our country, but the Brits seem a bit more dedicated*

The most weirdly hopeful end to a story about scrapping old iron. That's perfect for a night like this.

I used to visit Didcot GW Society with my Father, who was an absolute NUT. Saw many great engines in steam and working..History of this Country’s engineering…..

I wish we had such a scrapyard in the Netherlands...

It’s nice to hear about rail enthusiasts uniting to save these beautiful machines from the cutter’s torch

i remember seeing these trains in 1974 on a day trip to Barry, I was 13 at the time an was fascinated to see them

So happy to see some preservation.

Spent my whole childhood playing in this Train graveyard, better than the fairground and better than any museum to me as a child. The place was Magical. I think there was over 200 trains there, not sure. Its great these trains were saved.

I was in Barry in 1975/76 for a number of months, one of 4 officers from BP who where looking after 6 'bird' class tankers which were laid up. Went exploring around Barry and saw this 'scapyard', more of a museum if you ask me. A sad sight to see all these fantastic machines rusting away.

I LOVE scrap yards. Especially the ones that let you walk around looking at stuff to buy. As a blacksmith, I have a couple of scrap yards where I look for special types of steel.

As an American I admire the British saving their history, be it farms, factories, ships, rail lines, housing, textile and historic monuments. Someday I'll bring my brother to Britian to visit the railroad museums. He is an "operator" or engineer in an American transit system.

Reminds me of Reading 2100 & 2101. After the Iron Horse Rambles program was canceled, these two went to a scrapyard in Baltimore (which I can't remember the name of) to be cut up, but were held for preservation, later heading to Ross Rowland's American Freedom Train project

Google Dai Woodham who ran the scrapyard in Barry. I read an interesting interview with him. Apparently the reason so many locomotives survived was because the cutters in the scrapyard found freight wagons easier to process. locomotives had the gas axe put through them only if there were a shortage of wagons to take care of and the cutters needed work. Woodham himself said it was never his intentention to help preservation groups but it was the way things worked

I can't see how the scrapyard was "broken into", as it was not gated or fenced and was accessible just by driving along the road. I and my fellow GWS members based at Caerphilly works spent many an hour preparing 5322 prior to its move by rail to Caerphilly (behind a 08 shunter), and 5051 prior to its move by rail to Didcot (behind a Hymek). Being on the riding crew with both locos was great fun, although 5051 was moved in winter with snow on the ground so it was very cold indeed. Luckily, the rear cab of the Hymek hauling us provided a warm relief.

When I was growing up in Bathurst NSW there was a lot of old steam locomotives parked in the yards. The chief Engineer for NSW Railways had them all cut up because he didn't want and of these locomotives to survive.

So while Britain doesn't have many surviving tanks, planes, or ships from the old days, they saved their transport history. Glad they love the old girls so much, locomotives are works of art.

Dad took us to this place whilst on a family holiday to butlins holiday camp in the early 70s.... We live in Crewe and all worked it the works there....

Despite how faintly it plays, I couldn't help but notice Punkin Hill playing in the back of this video

Have a similar site at Rockhill, PA. The East Broad Top railroad locomotives, cars, track, buildings, and equipment were bought by a scrapper way back. It's a reasonably complete narrow-gauge railroad that operates as a tourist spot. Last I knew they had partly reactivated the machine shop for part making purposes.

So if it weren't for procrastination in Barry scrapyard, we would've not gotten the most famous movie locomotive, the Hogwarts Express!

The world we all live in and love would be totally different today if it wasn't for how this panned out!

The Story of the Infamous Barry Island Scrapyard is the perfect video to start off the New Year! Welcome Back, Mate!

This is nice! I've always liked steam engines, modern trains are comfortable and all but lack the character of steam engines.

i remember visiting there in roughly 1980. Our school stayed at the Butlins on Barry Island and one of the day excursions was to the train scrapyard.

Incredible- more historic than the giant scrap aircraft yards out in the US deserts.

Even if some things are thrown away, we can always dig through the garbage and find a place for them. Just like old steamies and diesels.

During my travel to southern china,i was waken early morning by the distict sound of old coal fire steam engine ,it was amaze to see this old steam engine still being used

As an added bonus, in 1963, The Beeching Report advocated the wholesale closure of lines, many of them branch lines. Hey presto! a whole new Heritage Railway industry was born as restored steam locos now had somewhere to operate as BR's policy on steam on mainline railways was very "anti-" after 1968.

If you want to review a locomotive that was created by British Rail and only became a good design after being saved by railfans, then look no further than the BR Standard Class 8

Can't we all just appreciate how sweet the ending was!

i love how after the very educational video I found myself bumping to the pumpkin hill theme.

Barry deserves knighthood.👑

GRAMMAR! 3:16 - "have since ran again?" Maybe "have run again?" Thanks for sharing and the very best of luck!

I've never understood why people were so determined to get steam off the lines. They could have served well for many more years.

Yep I have heard of this place

You're blowing up my man, great job

This is true of electronic "graveyards". What is old now, becomes fun to collect, and use again!

The numbers on this are absolutely crazy!! Great video

aww one of the childhood play grounds for us barry island kids

However all the Diesels that came over to Barry were scrapped...but they were in such few numbers

Another great little story - keep it up!

Awesome story and nice little outro, happy new year and hope you're doing well!

Damn this is amazing

Finding spare parts amongst junk is often a good solution if the part is not produced anymore.

The Barry yard was a great place. I visited it a few times.

We use to have family holidays at Barry Island, and this was the highlight of the train journey down.

Scrap yards are often among the most interesting places for fans of the particular machines -- as an aviation fan the Boneyard in Tucson Arizona at Davis Monthan AFB has had thousands of retired AC but sadly, after a time, many of them are chopped up for scrap. Pretty much all the B-52G's I worked on are gone. How great it is that the Barry Island Scrapyard were able to keep many of the retired steam engines and, because the wagons were a priority the engine were mostly left as is.

Thank goodness you are feeling better!

I remember this well,a sight that always welcomed any visitors to Barrybados!!!

This is really awesome that they managed to save the larger portion! It's kinda similar we have in Russia - during USSR allot of engines were scrapped, as they were replaced by electric and diesel. However in modern Russia the steam engines that were still in line to be scrapped have been spared as "Backup storage" along with some diesels. They are virtually considered strategic backup, even tho many of them would need plenty of restoration work, before they can run again. The restored engines like "L"-class - ""Lebedyanka" are actually very powerful, that they are even allowed to shunt the freight trains from composition yard out of the city to the mainline! And those grandpas pull a decent length freight train! Also saw couple videos they managed to use two steam engines to pull 40 coal cars on the mainline! Think Steam engines should continue to be preserved in all countries. They are beautifl, historic, and can always come for the rescue in case you are out of electricity or diesel. Steam engine just need water- the rest they can run on anything that burns! Like in Cuba they use used car tires as fuel.

Went on a Dalescroft train spotter outing to Barry, great times. D601. Think it was 1972 👍

Superb little video there. Well structured, comprehensive and easily digestible. Good for learning.

I'm no expert at British steam but I've actually heard about this story once that this junkyard inadvertently saved many locomotives in that country, These steam engines also took American soldiers around Britain during World War II when the Army was staging for D Day in Normandy, The rail network in Europe was heavily used during the war years especially in 1944

These videos are always fascinating

Brilliant video Brilliant result

I remember seing all the old engine's on day trips to Barry Island when i was a kid

What a cool story! And so encouraging. How often do we have moments in our own lives that are dark, but when that season passes we see that it was for our ultimate best?

there is more of a spirt of preservation in Great Britain than in the US. right now touristlines and even mainline steam is be classified as :"dirty'

Welcome back Train of Thought.

This is off topic, but I love the music choices for your videos, and the fact that I can recognize many of them

Visited the yard in 1970 /1971 and there were many good trains there; climed over many. As you say could have one for the scrap metal worth. This was the prupose of the visit as a metallurgist looking at the value of extraction and processing of various metals and alloys.

The moral of the story - "Just because you are in a bad place now, doesn't mean it won't get better in future!"

Well done -- outstanding!