Returning to Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for another weekend of photography with big moving steamy things, “Big Jim” & “Standard 2” providing the traction this weekend. “Big Jim” is a popular engine among photographers for its different and striking appearance, this is embellished by the Worth Valley surroundings.


No. 5820 “Big Jim” USATC S160 Class 2-8-0

Built as works number 8758 by the Lima company of America in 1945, No. 5820 was shipped to Britain and then almost immediately to France to help with the World War II war effort. After the war had ended, it went to Polish Railways where it was numbered Tr203.474 and allocated to Katowice shed.
During the 1970s, Polish steam was in decline while the British preservation movement was growing. No. 5820 was brought to Haworth in November 1977 and became known as ‘Big Jim’. It reverted to its USATC number the following summer and starred in ‘Yanks’.

No. 5820 was withdrawn from service in 1992. After a heavy overhaul, the locomotive returned to service in early 2014 in inauthentic BR unlined black livery as No. 95820 before reverting to its more authentic guise as USATC Grey No. 5820. Boiler ticket expires in 2023.


No. 78022 BR 2-6-0 Class 2MT

Built at Darlington Works in 1954 and was allocated to Millhouses Depot in Sheffield. Its final allocation was Lostock Hall in Preston, where it was withdrawn from British Rail service in February 1967. 78022 was purchased in 1975 and, following an extensive restoration, was returned to service in 1993. It proved to be a popular locomotive, capable of handling most of the Worth Valley’s trains. It was withdrawn for a ten-year overhaul at the end of 2000 and was moved to Oxenhope for display inside the museum.


The engine was moved back to Haworth in May 2014 for preparations for overhaul, which started in early 2015 following the completion of 75078. The boiler was lifted out of the frames in March 2015 and the wheels removed the following year. On 22 May, it passed its steam test, giving it a new 10-year boiler ticket which expires on the same day in 2028. In June, its boiler was lifted back onto its frames. The engine returned to traffic in November 2018 after 18 years out of service, Boiler ticket expires in 2028.