The Cherwell project

18/05/2020

Cherwell is currently owned and looked after the RHTS, the railway has been home for the loco since 2002. We would appreciate any donations to help keep the railway open until we can start hosting events again! You can donate to via any way shown below or to our go fund me, thank you!

19/11/2019

Thank you to Matthew William Armstrong for all your help so far and for recolouring this picture of cherwell in the 60’s

12/06/2019

Hello! We wanted to take a moment to welcome all new supporters of the cherwell project and thank you all for your support, there still isn’t much going on with cherwell while we sort out funding and overhaul 2168 edmundsons at rushden, due to requests we would like to share the history of cherwell:
31/12/1940: an order was placed by parkgates iron & steel LTD for 2 outside cylinder locomotives from bagnall locomotive works Staffordshire
Numbers 2654-2655

11/02/1942: 2654 is finished at a cost of £3,542 and is sold to Parkgates for £2,947 at a loss of £407 and is sent on the same day to charwelton quarry in WGB standard green livery and named cherwell, possibly after nearby farm or river.

01/1948: 2654 is sent to Byfield quarry via mainline.

07/1965 cherwell steams for the last time and is left to rot in field that used to be byfield quarry.

11/08/1966: Cherwell is donated to daventry town council and plinthed in the recreational ground, where she becomes an infamous daventry landmark.

2003: after falling short of health and safety standards cherwell is presented as an unsafe asset and the decision as to save or scrap the locomotive, the locomotive is bid for by 14 different groups and the bid is won by the RHTS, the loco is sent there, being the closest railway to her original place of work

2011: after minor work and overviews and assessments cherwell is started to be restored.

2014: after being put to one side cherwell is cosmetically restored and the discussion on the cherwell restoration is brought up.

2018: cosmetic restoration is finished and cherwell appears in daventry news paper and Northamptonshire telegraph under the title ‘local teenager restoring cherished daventry landmark’ as well as being mentioned on the radio and the railway magazine.

If you wish to contribute to the restoration of cherwell please visit www.gofundme.com/the-cherwell-project

GoFundMe: The most trusted free online fundraising platform. Start a successful crowdfunding campaign on the site with over $5 Billion Raised.

01/04/2019

We have decided at the Cherwell project that we will convert the loco in to a fire less engine under the new name Daventry and number 2656, this will include converting the saddle tank to hold pressure! Www.gofundme.com/the-Cherwell-project!

18/03/2019

Wow! Today on March 18th 2019 the Cherwell project has officially reached its 1 year anniversary we would like to thank each and every one of our loyal supporters for there help and kind donations throughout this time there are many things that we are proud to have accomplished first being; advertising the Cherwell project on bbc radio 1 with Martin Heath, and making it into the Northamptonshire telegraph and the railway magazine as well as unseen steam just to name a few, the funds towards the restoration of Cherwell currently stand at £279 in the GoFundMe account as well as a yet to be counted funds in various donation boxes located at rushden railway station! Once again I would like to thank all for your kind contributions. Let’s see if the second year can be even better than the last,
To donate please visit www.gofundme.com/the-Cherwell-project and for any questions on Cherwell please message Jordan Bailey :)

11/03/2019

We’re sad to have been informed of the passing of Pete dines, and avid steam enthusiast and a big supporter of the Cherwell project, always ready to get the dirty jobs done! You will be missed from all at rushden RIP

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Pete Dines. Pete was an enthusiastic member of the society always with a smile and infectious laugh. He also served as a committee member, but was best known as the driver of “Edmundsons” over the past 5 years. He also drove a vintage coach which took members on some memorable trips. He will be very sadly missed and condolences are passed on to his family from all at Rushden, Wellingborough and Higham Railway and Rushden Historical Transport Society.

31/12/2018

Thank you all for supporting the Cherwell project throughout 2018 I’d like to thank everyone who supported Cherwells restoration via there donations and other contributons, I hope all have a happy new year, we can’t wait to see what the new year will bring for the project and all that support it!

23/12/2018

Hi all, I don’t want to push but we really need more donations to get the Cherwell project off the ground, as I have said it would take 10000 people £10 to get the amount we need for Cherwell, as you might know we have have our GoFundMe page www.gofundme.com/the-Cherwell-project but I feel a key way to make the money we need is through regular donations, so would people be prepared to pay a regular donation of something like £10 a month if so then please vote, I shall start setting something up if people think it is a good idea! Thanks

We are raising money to fund the restoration of an 0-6-0 steam locomotive named Cherwell that is based at the rhts(Rushden historical Transport Society) this locomotive is a local legend, so help bring this fire breathing dragon back to life

25/07/2018

Hello everyone I have decided to change from using a page to a group on Facebook to promote the Cherwell project, it should be found at 2654 the Cherwell project