VoER 168 Series

The Vale of Eyre Railway 168 Series (later Class B3) was a group of eleven 0-4-2WT tank locomotives built for suburban passenger duties on the VoER. They were built for the VoER by Messrs Neilson & Co. of Glasgow, Scotland between 1867 and 1868.   The first of the class emerged from Neilson's Works in early 1867 and arrived on the VoER by May that year, they initially had weak hand brakes and wooden brake blocks but from 1874 they were fitted with Air Brakes after   Withdrawal & Sale:
Starting in 1903, the 168 Series began to be gradually withdrawn as they had been vastly superceeded by newer tank engines on branchlines and suburban lines. The first to be withdrawn was №14 which was scrapped at the VoER's Wroxall Works in 1903, the last to be withdrawn was №401 in 1911. Seven locomotives were sold, three went straight into further use on industrial and light railways whereas four were sold to D. A. Frye, Lowton. While here only two ever left his yard, though one was to be used as a source of spare parts. It is unknown which locomotives left and which were scrapped as parts were swapped between engines to create operational locomotives that were able to be sold though it is thought that №171 was the engine that survived at Colliery after sale by Frye until early 1928.  

Number:	Sale Date:	Buyer:	Details:	Scrap Date:
99	12/1903	D. A. Frye		?
168	03/1904		Retrofitted with dumb buffers for use with chaldron waggons, given the name "Amina" though not successful at the colliery.	02/1916
8	10/1905	D. A. Frye	Only D. A. Frye sale with a confirmed identity, unknown buyer and scrap date.	? (pres. before 1925)
122	08/1907		Sold	06/1921
171	11/1909	D. A. Frye		? (pres. 04/1928)
202	11/1909	D. A. Frye		?
33	02/1911