The Hunslet Connection
Many visitors to the Statfold Barn Railway are aware that there is a connection with the Hunslet Engine Company, so some clarification of that relationship may be helpful.
In his capacity as Chairman of LH Group Holdings, a major specialist engineering business based at Graycar near Burton-upon-Trent, Graham Lee negotiated the purchase of Andrew Barclay and the Hunslet Engine Company from the Telfos Group in 2004. Both businesses were acquired as successful going concerns, not just for their historic names as has sometimes been erroneously reported.
As well as exceptional engineering and design expertise and facilities, the Hunslet Engine Company has a huge parts business supplying spares for locomotives that have been exported all over the world. The company maintains a worldwide presence through a network of agents in 32 countries.
It continues to build new locomotives, such as the recent contract for a specialised locomotive for working the coke ovens at a steelworks in Korea.
With further investment from the LH Group and collaboration agreements with other manufacturers the Hunslet Engine Company has an extremely bright future. It is also worth observing that the acquisition of Hunslet by the LH Group means that this famous British company is once again in family ownership, just as it was when it was founded by John Towlerton Leather at Jack Lane in Leeds in 1864.
Graham retired from the day to day running of the LH Group business in 2004. He now looks after the heritage and preservation connections arising from the Hunslet Engine Company’s business. The ‘Hunslet Steam’ name has been introduced to enable enthusiasts and museums around the world to distinguish the heritage aspects of Hunslet from the modern commercial operations described above.
The engineering works at Statfold Barn Farm are privately owned by Graham. Here he and his staff are engaged in restoring heritage locomotives and rolling stock for use on the Statfold Barn Railway and for external customers.
Graham and his team are committed to restoring all the locomotives and rolling stock in the collection to working condition for future generations to enjoy. Statfold is not a place for static exhibits!
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