Dinorwic Quarry No.6 'Irish Mail'

The locomotive known as "Irish Mail" is an 0-4-0 saddle tank, built in 1903 by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds, under works number 803 for the Dinorwic Slate Quarry in Wales as the engine No. 6 in their fleet. It was named after a racehorse belonging to the quarry owners, and was one of the few quarry locomotives built with a cab. 
It ceased work on the Australia Level at Dinorwic in 1959 and many of its parts were removed for use on other engines. In 1969, due to the closure of the Dinorwic Slate Quarry, there was an auction of equipment and it was sold off to the West Lancashire Light Railway at Hesketh Bank as a rolling chassis. The incomplete locomotive consisted of only frames, cylinders and wheels. It was described by the auctioneer as "requiring enthusiastic work to restore it to working order". 
Work on restoring what was left of "Irish Mail" went well for a time but was stalled due to missing major components such as the boiler. Things started to improve when word spread that an enthusiast who had purchased a similar locomotive from Dinorwic Quarries was in the process of dismantling a second locomotive for spares. Unfortunately it was discovered that the second locomotive was in fact located at the top level of Dinorwic Quarries. However the owner was prepared to sell the remains of the locomotive which included a boiler at a nominal sum, provided the members of West Lancashire Light Railway undertook the process of removing it from the top of the quarry themselves.
Being unable to locate any other suitable boilers, they were left with no alternative but to purchase the locomotive's remains and attempt to transport them to Hesketh Bank. The locomotive was formerly named 'Alice' and was considered by most enthusiasts to be in an un-retrievable position, high on the notorious "Dinorwic Mountain" in the quarry, the top of which half had been derelict for some years.
However the Group persevered with their task and in five and a half months through the summer of 1972 they managed to move the locomotive into a position where it could be collected by a lorry, and so on the 23rd of November in 1972, the remains of 'Alice' were finally delivered to Hesketh Bank.
The boiler was examined and it was found that although the outer shell was sound, the boiler was in need of a new inner firebox and so work commenced on what is quite a major job for a steam locomotive, and for the group, the removal and fitting of a new inner firebox. In order to finance this work to be carried out the Railway disposed of the frames of "Alice" to the Bala Lake Railway.
After almost ten years, the Railway finally saw steam operating over its tracks for the first time in 1980, with the completion of "Irish Mail's" overhaul thanks to the parts salvaged from "Alice".
The locomotive entered service at Hesketh Bank in 1981 with it's ownership now belonging to the West Lancashire Locomotive Trust.
"Irish Mail" still resides at West Lancashire Light Railway in steam to this day and occasionally visits other railways including the Ffestiniog Railway and the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR).
== Gallery ==
File:2880px-Irish Mail Nameplate.jpg|IRISH MAIL's Nameplate
File:1993092.jpg|Irish Mail with a load of wood for a nearby steam powered saw at Hunslet Hundred Gala, May 1993
File:1920px-Irish Mail Hunslet 125.jpg|Hunslets Irish Mail and Maid Marian at Hunslet 125 Gala
File:Hunslet Irish Mail(West Lancs Light Railway).jpg|Irish Mail seen at the West Lancashire Light Railway
File:Hunslet Irish Mail 2(West Lancs Light Railway).jpg
File:Hunslet Irish Mail 3(Hesketh West Lancs Light Railway).jpg
File:Hunslet Irish Mail 2(WHRP).jpg|Irish Mail @ Welsh Highland Railway Portmadoc station during a visit in August 2005 looking rather smart and nicely lined out Photo courtsey of Graham Symms
File:Locomotive, Irish Mail at WLLR -3.jpg
File:181.jpg|Irish Mail and Lady Joan at the sheds
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