Caledonian Railway 294 Class loco No. 340

Caledonian Railway 294 #340 worked around Kilmarnoch and Port Patrick, as well as around Motherwell for a while before being transferred to Esthwaite harbour, before being purchased for private use on the Esthwaite Harbour and Light Railway line. When the line was closed down, the engine was sold with other engines to Mr. Phoenix for service on the Weardale and Teesdale Line. After arrival, the engine was deemed a blue flag. The engine was removed to Darlington for overhaul. The he returned to service on a mail train from Darlington Bank Top after the loco assigned to the train had failed with a hot box

in 1964, 340 saw himself involved in the Haggerleases Runaway train, while he had been waiting for a clear signal to proceed behind #605, on a stopping passenger train. 340 was on an empty wagon train and was standing at the junction a mile up from West Auckland Station. The cause of the incident was that the unfitted coal wagons, loaded, didn't have their hand brakes firmly locked. He was hauled to the works for repairs to the loco's front end, seeing him back in service.

In 1966, 340 was used on a passenger train. The normal engine for the train, an ex LNER A5 4-6-2T was in the shed, with a sticking vacuum brake system. The train was worked from Bank Top to Durham, where it was shunted and 340 was uncoupled and turned on the turntable and sent back on an empty train brought in by another LNER A5 tank engine.

From there, 340 basically went back into the wings, working the usual workings for the line-flighty trains (Small and fast goods and passenger trains) and the odd banking turn over Stainmore bank, The bank from West Auckland and the Gainford Bank. The engine wears the Caledonian Railway Goods Black.