The farmlands of Cornwall are well known for the production of… Clotted Cream. And very bad for the health of tourists it is too 😉 Cornwall has much else to share – beautiful scenery, maritime heritage and mining, come to mind. But one thing Cornwall could not be claimed to be is a prairie so why the title?
A visit to the Bodmin and Wenford railway will answer that question – the 45xx Prairie tank working the passenger services in the dying days of the tourist season. So, why Prairie? In America steam locomotives of a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement were referred to as prairies in much the same way as 2-6-0’s were referred to as Mogul’s in Europe. The names stuck. So a 45xx of the old Great Western Railway is a Prairie Tank and much loved by GWR enthusiasts. 5552 on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway is a classic example of the type 🙂
Our day out at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway gave us the the chance to sample one of these engines in its home environment and the atmosphere was great. Please see the photos and enjoy…




