Finnish State Railways VR Class Tr1 No. 1077 Steam Locomotive, Suffolk - February 2023

[dansgas1000]

Introduction
I’ve had this one pinned for the best part of a year but for some reason, I just never got around to doing it until now. It’s certainly something a bit different, especially for East Anglia. Visited with @V50jake.

Information & History
Located at a business park a few miles from Sudbury, the locomotive was imported from Finland at some point during the late 80s. The VR Class Tr1 has a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement and was operated by Finnish State Railways when in use. It was constructed in 1953. Finland stopped using steam locomotives in the mid-1970s when moving to Diesel, thus the train went out of service. Between the period of the locomotives' end of service and import to the UK, it was in storage.

A couple of users on an online rail enthusiast forum state that the train was imported to the UK for a theme park attraction, but this plan never materialised. The site where the train is located had a few open days many moons ago and there's actually an old photo of it that I found on Flickr. It certainly looks a lot different now!

A lot of hyped-up media articles suggest that the locomotive is in a ‘secluded forest’ but this is simply not true.

The Explore
The visit was relaxed for the most part. There were some people working nearby but we were not spotted. I also got a soaked foot as I’m crap at jumping over streams…

Onto the photos, starting with some externals…

Climbing in:

Although it was really nice externally, the main highlight for me was the cab. Some nice decay and industrial goodness in here:

Some old tracks on the site:

Rounding off the report with the old truck and tractor on the site:

Thanks for looking.

 

[mockney reject]

Nice to see they have cut all the trees and shit down around this

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Nice to see they have cut all the trees and shit down around this

yeah Im guessing they r fed up with people going & will soon be moving or cutting it up for scrap!

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Nicely taken, it is a cool piece of machinery.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Nicely taken, it is a cool piece of machinery.

 

[Mikeymutt]

Nice pics mate. The cab is definatley really nice. You did not hang around with this one . Even after you two stitched me up

 

[Viktor]

I loved this one! Might have to plan another trip now they’ve cleared some of it and before the train disappears

 

[Calamity Jane]

Very nice. Really like the detailed shots here.

 

[westernsultan]

So i don't know who actually owns this locomotive now. Ir was one of several that came to the UK and the 2020 update is

792 painted blue used to be at Enfield Timber but now gone
794 Blumson Timber, River road Enfield Plinthed.
799 Hope Farm Sellinge Kent (2013) wreck

1008 Epping Ongar Railway wreck
1016 Private preserved, operational Near Windsor

1060 Fengate farm, weeting, norfolk. wreck, to be restored.
1077 at Bull lane industrial estate, Sudbury wreck

1103 Summercourt Scrapyard, Newquay, Cornwall ( being restored onsite)
1134 Hope Farm Sellinge Kent (2013) wreck
1144 Bressingham Museum being static restored
1151 restored in red, Enfield timber now thought to be in St Albans.
1157 Hope Farm Sellinge Kent (2013) wreck

and this is what it looked like when most were at Sudbury in 1989

https://flic.kr/p/YVEZC4

 

[mockney reject]

@westernsultan yeah its looks a little different to that now. I believe the same guy owns it and he's recently got a little over protective of it since it appeared in one of the newspapers as " the harry potter train"

 

[westernsultan]

@westernsultan yeah its looks a little different to that now. I believe the same guy owns it and he's recently got a little over protective of it since it appeared in one of the newspapers as " the harry potter train"

yes - those daft newspaper articles follow on from this from MSN in October last year

Ghostly abandoned 'Harry Potter' train found deep in Suffolk countryside
A ghostly abandoned train has been found deep in the Suffolk countryside. Urban explorer Steve Liddiard says he tracked it down after hearing rumours of a mysterious 'Harry Potter-style' engine hidden in woods. The 36-year-old from Swansea finally was able to locate the amazing vehicle completely hidden behind overgrowth. By day, Steve is a Senior Pathology Informatics officer in the NHS, but tracks down abandoned places as a hobby. He explains: "The steam train was one of my best finds, hidden in plain sight. "Locals seem to know of it, but a total mystery as to where it came from, some stories here and there, but it's a really strange one. "A lot of research and map scanning was in order to track it down. There's some bits I have found here and there about it. "It's now very well protected with thorn bushes and brambles, but enough is still visible to see the scale of it. "It's a Harry Potter Hogwarts-style train, but it's a bit of a mystery as to why it's there and sitting on real train tracks.

 

[KPUrban_]

@westernsultan yeah its looks a little different to that now. I believe the same guy owns it and he's recently got a little over protective of it since it appeared in one of the newspapers as " the harry potter train"

I've been told by someone, who was talking to an employee at the business park, that the owner of the train/land (can't remember which) has taken a bit of a dislike to the amount of drones sent up to take pictures of it. Apparently has or will shoot them down.

 

[mockney reject]

I've been told by someone, who was talking to an employee at the business park, that the owner of the train/land (can't remember which) has taken a bit of a dislike to the amount of drones sent up to take pictures of it. Apparently has or will shoot them down.

Yeah I’ve heard that too

He also has trip wires in the area around it to blank shotgun cartridges for what I’ve heard

 

[dansgas1000]

Nice to see they have cut all the trees and shit down around this

At first I just assumed the photos I saw were all in the summer, but it's interesting to see it's been cleared out a little.

Nicely taken, it is a cool piece of machinery.

Thank you mate, yep I really enjoyed this one, a bit of me!

Nice pics mate. The cab is definatley really nice. You did not hang around with this one . Even after you two stitched me up

Cheers mate, yeah the cab was the best bit for me although it is very nice externally as well. Haha not this again

I loved this one! Might have to plan another trip now they’ve cleared some of it and before the train disappears

Yes definitely worth another look!

Very nice. Really like the detailed shots here.

Thanks as always Jane.

 

[dansgas1000]

So i don't know who actually owns this locomotive now. Ir was one of several that came to the UK and the 2020 update is

792 painted blue used to be at Enfield Timber but now gone
794 Blumson Timber, River road Enfield Plinthed.
799 Hope Farm Sellinge Kent (2013) wreck

1008 Epping Ongar Railway wreck
1016 Private preserved, operational Near Windsor

1060 Fengate farm, weeting, norfolk. wreck, to be restored.
1077 at Bull lane industrial estate, Sudbury wreck

1103 Summercourt Scrapyard, Newquay, Cornwall ( being restored onsite)
1134 Hope Farm Sellinge Kent (2013) wreck
1144 Bressingham Museum being static restored
1151 restored in red, Enfield timber now thought to be in St Albans.
1157 Hope Farm Sellinge Kent (2013) wreck

and this is what it looked like when most were at Sudbury in 1989

https://flic.kr/p/YVEZC4

Very interesting, I did see a list similar to this online. I think I've seen 1060 on a local FB photography page, I know there is one around there in the middle of a field so I think it may be that one. I like how they all ended up in various places across the country. I'm pleased that some have been restored though.