Duchess of Buccleuch

The Duchess of Buccleuch was built by David Woolfenden, beginning in the late 1940s/early 1950s and completed in time for the opening of the track in 1960.

During the 1960s, this locomotive held the club record for several years, for the most hours pulling passengers.

Former Rochdale MP, Cyril Smith, is among David Woolfenden's many passengers.

David Woolfenden's niece, Margaret Sutcliffe, inherited the Duchess of Buccleuch in the early 1970s and her sons, Michael and Andrew, expressed an interest in the hobby. They were taught to drive, until the family moved away from the area, by John Whitworth, who spent many hours in David Woolfenden's workshop.

After many years trying in vain to find somebody to carry out repair work, the family decided to donate the Duchess of Buccleuch to her home club (RSMEE), where she would be refurbished and returned to steaming condition.

In June 2001, their son Andrew took the Duchess to the track and donated her to RSMEE, after which it would take more than a year's hard work by David Kinsella to return her to full steaming condition. David Kinsella also spent many hours in David Woolfenden's workshop as a youth.

Unknown to the rest of his family, Andrew Sutcliffe joined RSMEE and learnt to drive locomotives. In September 2002, he then surprised his parents by taking them to the track.

Photographs of the Duchess of Buccleuch may be seen by clicking here.