| Polar Bear | |
|---|---|
| Polar Bear at Amberley | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | William Gordon Bagnall |
| Builder | W.G. Bagnall & Co., Stafford |
| Serial number | 1781 |
| Build date | 1905 |
| Configuration | 2-4-0 |
| Boiler pressure | 150 psi (1.03 MPa) |
| Cylinders | Two |
| Cylinder size | 4.5" bore x 7.5" stroke |
| Top speed | 15 mph (24 km/h) |
| Tractive effort | 1290lbs |
| Locomotive brakes | Hand |
| Train brakes | Air |
| Career | Groudle Glen Railway |
| Withdrawn | 1962 |
| Restored | 1979–1982 |
| Disposition | Preserved at Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre |
Polar Bear is a Bagnall steam locomotive built in 1905 for the Groudle Glen Railway, to supplement the similar Sea Lion. The two Bagnalls were temporarily taken out of service in the 1920s when they were replaced by a pair of battery locomotives. These proved unsatisfactory, and Polar Bear and Sea Lion were returned to traffic. The railways was closed for the duration of World War II, and when the line reopened in the late 1940s only Polar Bear was returned to traffic. When the Groudle Glen Railway closed, Polar Bear passed to the Brockham Museum Trust. In 1982 it passed, with the rest of the Brockham collection, to the Amberley Museum Railway, where it is currently used on passenger services in rotation with the other steam engines located there. It's boiler certificate expired at the end of 2010; a complete retube is expected to be required before she returns to traffic. Since being based at Amberley, Polar Bear has returned to the Groudle Glen on three occasions to visit.
As of March 2011, Polar Bear has been stripped down for overhaul. The boiler has been moved to Chatham for overhaul, with mechanical work being undertaken in-house at Amberley. It is hoped Polar Bear will be back in traffic for the 2012 season.