Peter the locomotive at Amberley Museum closer to makeover after massive donation

Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust (HNGRT) has presented the museum with a cheque of £2,500 after it decided to wind up its operations and transfer its assets to other organisations.

Les Munckton, chairman of trustees for HNGRT, presented the cheque to Valerie Mills, director of Amberley Museum.

The funds will be used to restore the museum’s Bagnall saddle tank locomotive, known as Peter.

Peter’s boiler is currently undergoing repairs at Andy Bennett’s works in Somerset.

Currently, more than half of the £40,000 expected to be needed for Peter’s boiler repairs and service has been raised.

The £2,500 will be matched pound for pound by an anonymous benefactor who has offered to match money raised before March 22, up to £5,000.

The museum has the potential to raise more than £12,000 with gift aid.

The locomotive was originally commissioned by the war office for the Canadian Forestry Corps in Longtown in Cumbria.

After several owners, he was purchased by the Cliffe Hill Granite Company in Leicestershire in 1922, where it is believed that Peter was named after the owner’s son.

Peter was acquired by the Narrow Gauge Railway Society in 1954 and was moved to Amberley in 1982.

Peter became operational at the museum in 1994 and has been a mainstay of our steam railway operation ever since.

To donate to the Peter fund, visit the JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/amberleymuseum/peter