A Rutland museum is appealing to the public to help it keep a historic steam engine with links to the county.

The standard gauge steam locomotive named "STAMFORD" currently resides, on loan, within the exhibition building at Rocks by Rail – the Living Ironstone Museum based near Cottesmore in Rutland.

Further details of the locomotive can be found here.

The museum says the locomotive is one of only a small handful of quarry steam locomotives that worked in the ironstone quarries in Rutland, having spent all of its working life at work on the mineral railways at Pilton Ironstone Quarries.

The locomotive's owners, the Bluebell Railway, have recently agreed to sell the locomotive to the Museum so that it can remain at the museum in Rutland, not far from the ironstone quarry in which it was once in daily use.

The Museum is now raising funds to buy the locomotive and start the long road ahead for its repair, re-assembly and conservation as a historic museum exhibit.

David Atkinson Chair of RbR Trustees said: "We are grateful to the Bluebell Railway for firstly securing the locomotive for preservation when Pilton ironstone quarry closed in 1969, secondly for allowing it to come on loan to the museum and thirdly for now offering the loco for sale to the museum so that it can remain on public display in its home county".

Mr Christopher Hunford, Chairman of the Bluebell Railway PLC Board commented: " As this small quarry loco did not fit in with our core objectives as a working heritage railway in southern England we are pleased to offer it to the volunteer run museum to safeguard its future in an appropriate location.

"Any donations made to the museum's Stamford Loco Appeal will thus benefit two railway heritage organisations and enable the Bluebell Railway to continue to invest in vital future railway infrastructure projects to safeguard its continued operation."

Rocks-by Rail would welcome any help and donations to further this project. Any donations by way of cheques should marked on the rear "Stamford Loco Appeal" and be made out to Rutland Railway Museum and sent to:

Mr A Salmon, RbR Treasurer, 4 Main Street, Stanford on Soar, Loughborough, LE12 5PY

For donors willing to donate as Gift Aid there is an RbR Gift Aid Form which is available via email from the Curator email: [email protected]

For donors wanting to make their gift by bank transfer please contact the Treasurer for these details on email [email protected]

Rocks by Rail - The Living Ironstone Museum, Cottesmore Iron Ore Mines Sidings, Ashwell Road, Cottesmore, Rutland LE15 7FF

Tel: 01572 868415

Rocks by Rail is the trading name of Rutland Railway Museum - Registered Charity No 1115462