In 1990 Brell Ewart and Brian Radford were very busy delving into research for their book which was published in 1991 (it does not seem that long ago)-6203 PRINCESS MARGARET ROSE-the first production Stanier Pacific.

Part of the research involved contacting as many photographers as possible to check out if they had taken or acquired any photos of 6203. As a result many contacts were made.

One of the people contacted was Neville Knight from the North West who telephoned Brell with a most amazing piece of information. What followed was an investigation of which Sherlock Holmes would have been proud, with the eventual outcome that two 21-inch locomotives arrived at Swanwick in February 1991.

In 1930 Scarborough Council decided that a miniature railway would be a major visitor attraction and they asked for quotations from Bassett Lowke of Northampton, Baguley of Burton-on-Trent and Hudswell Clarke of Leeds. Baguley suggested internal combustion engines or steam in 20inch gauge, while Hudswell Clarke of Leeds, the successful bidder, proposed diesel engines with a steam outline-also in 20in guage.

Hudswell Clarke told Scarborough Council that, by adopting diesel traction, they estimated that the fuel used by the 30bhp diesel engine in a normal working day would be around three gallons, which was equivalent to a few pence in those days. It was also stated that the use of diesel power would avoid having to clean the boiler and problems in finding fuel supplies. Hudswell Clarke were well known for their narrow guage locomotives which still operate today in many parts of the world; this was a new venture but it was to be the start of the building of several similar types of locomotive.

The first locomotive was delivered in May 1931 with works number D565. It was a one third scale of an LNER outline Pacific carrying the name NEPTUNE and the year of build 1931. The power unit was a water cooled, 2 cylinder Dorman Diesel engine of 26bhp at 1800rpm, (the one in 6203 is 32bhp at 1000rpm), mounted in the firebox space. Cooling water for the engine was carried in the tender. Power was transmitted through a Vickers-Coates torque converter and shaft drive to a final reduction gearbox on the leading coupled axle.

The transmission was unique at the time. The converter produced a torque multiplication of 3 to 1 and the fluid was cooled in a radiator, assisted by a belt driven fan. This system of transmission dispensed with gear changing which made the locomotive very simple to drive. Operation was by forward or reverse and speed was controlled by a throttle lever similar to a regulator handle in a real steam locomotive. A five gallon fuel tank was located near the engine in the firebox space and the locomotive was equipped with Westing-house Air Brakes and a manual hand brake.

In 1932 a second locomotive was delivered named TITAN (Works No D573). With the new design having now been established, other operators became interested and in 1932 another 20 inch gauge miniature railway was openened at Golden Acre Park, Leeds. Two locomotives were supplied, again by Hudswell Clarke. The first was of similar mechanical arrangements but was a 4-6-4T freelance and was named ROBIN HOOD. In 1933 a further loco-motive was supplied which was identical to the Scarborough ones and this one was named MAY THOMPSON. During the winters at this time, the 4-6-4T used to stand on exhibition at Leeds Station. The park closed in 1949 and the locomotives were sent to Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

In 1934 the railway at Blackpool Pleasure Beach was opened with a gauge of 21 inches. The reason for the increase of 1 inch is unknown. New Hudswell Clarke locomotives were built for that line in 1933, MARY LOUISE which once again was identical to the Scarborough locomotives and CAROL JEAN which was another freelance 4-6-4T like ROBIN HOOD. In 1935 Hudswell Clarke produced a Princess Class 4-6-2 locomotive named CAROL JEAN II which can now be seen as PRINCESS ROYAL. In 1953 a line was opened at More-cambe, using the track and rolling stock from Golden Acre Park and operated by the same organisation as the Blackpool line. Later the park changed hands and the stock went back to Blackpool.

In 1938 the Empire Exhibition was held in Glasgow and the amusement park was provided by Butlins, who ran two 21 inch gauge locomotives around the perimeter. The two locomotives were supplied by Hudswell Clarke and were named PRINCESS ELIZABETH and PRINCESS MARGARET ROSE. PRINCESS ELIZABETH was painted in maroon with SKEGNESS SPECIAL painted on its smokebox and PRINCESS MARGARET ROSE was in NE green and was called the CLACTON EXPRESS.

After the exhibition closed, railway tracks were laid at Clacton and Skegness which were the first Butlins Holiday Camps. The table lists the locomotives with their works numbers and year of manufacture.

Following the Empire exhibition of 1938, 6201 Princess Elizabeth was sent to the first Butlins camp which had opened in 1936 at Skegness. Later the engine was moved to Minehead and then to Pwllheli where it remained until at least 1971. In 1975 the line at Pwllheli was regauged to 2ft and an American built steam outline diesel locomotive was used. The line has since closed.

Number 6203 Princess Margaret Rose went to Clacton-on-Sea, then to Ayr and again finished its days at Pwllheli, by which time it had been renamed Queen Elizabeth, a thin steel nameplate being applied over the original brass one.

Butlins Holiday Camp at Pen-y-Chain near Pwllheli was unusual in that the line was used to transport visitors between the camp and the beach, approximately 2 miles away; in other camps lines were just one more attraction for holiday makers within the camp.