Most websites about individual engines are either because they were famous or are today preserved.

5028 was “Unsung” and is long gone, but she was well liked by the Great Western footplate men who drove and fired her. She worked mainly in the Newton Abbot & Laira Areas.


The following pages trace her story from “Birth” in 1934 to her untimely “Death” in 1960.


David Rouse - Newton Abbot Fireman.

5028 spent 80 percent of her life, about 19 years, based at Newton Abbot in Devon.

David, a Cleaner and then a Fireman talks of his experiences of 5028.

Visited David Rouse (and his wife Laura) at their home in Williton, Somerset on 10th May 2003.  Their old cottage is an “Aladdin’s Cave” of hundreds/thousands of Railway things:- books, magazines, photographs, postcards (3000), pictures, timetables, files of information, models.

Coincidentally David,  was born in 1934 , the same year that 5028 was built!  He worked for B.R. at Newton Abbot (N.A) from 2nd January 1950 until 1957. (through his mid teens & early twenties.)  Initially he was a cleaner for a year and then a fireman on local trains,
mainly between N.A & Exeter, N.A & Plymouth, and on the Kingswear line, of which he has fond memories.

He wasn’t in the job long enough to progress to Top Link jobs, leaving in 1957 to go to the Festiniog Railway as a driver.  Left Festiniog in the early 1960’s to do a variety of other jobs.
David was instrumental in saving no 3205, now on the South Devon Railway.  He raised £1550, which was a considerable amount at that time.

When the West Somerset Railway was saved for preservation in 1976 he became a driver  there and

Footnote 2013:  Sadly David & his wife are no longer with us.

Read some transcriptions from the Diaries of when David worked on 5028>>>>>

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