No.3 'Mighty Atom' / 'Prince of Wales'

S.M.R. No.3 was a Bassett-Lowke Class 10 Atlantic built in 1908, making this the oldest of the Sutton locos. When built, this locomotive was named 'Mighty Atom'. In 1909 the locomotive went to France and was renamed 'Ville de Nancy', however she returned in 1910 and the original name and number were restored. In 1919, the S.M.R. sold 'Atom' to the Southport Railway. While at Southport, 'Atom' was renamed again, this time becoming 'Prince of Wales'. After several years service at Southport, 'Prince of Wales' was sold to a railway at Yarmouth, where she ran from 1929 until 1938 when the S.M.R. purchased the locomotive and took it back to it's original home at Sutton. This time keeping the 'Prince of Wales' name, she served at Sutton until 1953 before being withdrawn, and placed into long term storage.

Three views of this locomotive, the first shows it shortly after delivery from Bassett-Lowke in it's original guise as 'Mighty Atom'. The second view shows it rebuilt, and now sporting smoke deflectors while at the (Great) Yarmouth Railway in it's 'Prince of Wales' guise. The final view shows the locomotive after it's final rebuild, it had been rebuilt so much from the original that no-one at Sutton knew it's true identitiy of 'Mighty Atom' until long after the S.M.R. had closed! - © John Tidmarsh Collection