Secret steam locomotive hidden for almost 60 years goes on display

A “secret” steam railway locomotive hidden from view for almost 60 years has now been put on public display in Aberystwyth.

Sotillos No.7 is a remarkable survival story and, incredibly, its condition today is essentially the same as the day it hauled its last train and its fire was dropped.

Sotillos, a powerful 0-6-2 tank engine, was built by Borsig of Berlin in 1906 for use on the demanding narrow gauge mining railways of Spain. For decades, it hauled hundreds of tonnes each day but, in 1967, the line that it was working on – the Sabero Railway – closed.

Industry had changed so Sotillos and another seven engines based at the line were destined for the scrap heap.

By unlikely chance, in a scenario worthy of a Thomas the Tank Engine book, a wealthy British railway enthusiast named Peter Rampton had recently visited and taken an interest in Sotillos and its shedmates.

When Peter learned of the line’s closure, he immediately made an offer to buy not just Sotillos, but the entire Sabero Railway fleet. With the deal done and scrapman avoided, Peter had them all transported by ship and lorry to his farm in Surrey, for safe-keeping.

The railway’s management, delighted with the sale, threw in the four-wheel wooden President’s Saloon balcony inspection car too, as a goodwill gesture.

On arrival in Surrey in 1969, Sotillos and the other Sabero Railway locos were shunted into the farm’s huge complex of barns for long-term storage and each covered in a thick layer of oil for protection.

But Peter didn’t stop there. Over the next three decades, he travelled the world, hunting down more “engines at risk” to join his growing collection.

Incredibly, more than 50 historic locomotives were eventually acquired, mostly stashed away in secret, alongside Sotillos in various barns, lean-tos and workshops on the farm.

Few people were allowed to visit the farm and see behind the barn doors. With many valuable metal parts – either for scrap or for collectors – on each loco, security was kept tight for decades.

This accumulation of engines and Peter’s desire for secrecy became legendary amongst railway enthusiasts, leading it to become known colloquially as “Collection X”.

Peter died in 2019, but he had planned ahead. Once he had done his part in saving them, now he passed the proverbial baton to others. So gradually, these reminders of past industrial magnificence and engineering brilliance have been brought out into public view.

Whilst some of the engines have been sent to new custodians, each of whom has their own restoration plan, Sotillos and 31 others, over several years, have been brought to the Vale of Rheidol Railway in Aberystwyth. Large storage sheds and a museum building have been constructed in anticipation.

Plans for the next chapter of Collection X’s story are currently being developed but, with display space available, the Vale of Rheidol Railway team has chosen a selection of the locomotives to put on public view.

Some, like the Ruston Proctor petrol shunter of 1915, have been restored to as-new condition. Others have been steamed and do occasionally run.

But Sotillos has until now sat at the back of a storage shed still covered in thick oil. With Borsig being an unusual make of loco in the UK and its hefty appearance being rather characterful, it appealed to many of the engineering team.

During May and June, Sotillos was hauled to the railway’s workshops for a thorough clean and de-grease over a week of hard graft. Emerging briefly into proper sunshine for the first time in over 50 years, Sotillos No.7 has now taken pride of place in the museum.

Llŷr ap Iolo,  Vale of Rheidol Railway chief executive, said: “Peter Rampton’s legacy to us – and the wider world – was unprecedented in terms of its scale and heritage value.

“He saw his role as just a rescuer of engines: he wanted others to work out what to do with them, once he had done his bit. We’re so pleased to have had the opportunity to not just work on this fascinating piece of historic engineering, but also now share it with the world at long last.”

Tim Dunn, the railway’s head of collection development, added: “Sotillos is truly an extraordinary survivor: a piece of industrial equipment that should have ceased to exist a lifetime ago. But, because of Peter’s passion, his foresight and dedication to preservation, we now have something that people thought had been lost.

“By itself this unrestored engine is a fascinating time capsule, but what’s thrilling is that there are another two dozen further hidden locos, each with their own amazing stories to tell too. We’re only just assessing them now and realising their full, true potential. Watch this space!”

To mark Sotillos’ 120th birthday, the loco is displayed amongst many other free-to-view train-shaped treasures at the railway’s museum in Aberystwyth.