In 1996, the Rutland Railway Museum became the first society in Britain to receive Lottery money to restore a standard gauge steam locomotive to working order.
"Singapore" was built in 1936 by Hawthorne Leslie & Co in Newcastle upon Tyne, as works No 3865, for the Royal Navy. Delivered new to Singapore Dockyards that year it became Yard No 440 and was used for shunting supplies to and from the arriving ships.
With the fall of Singapore in February 1942 the locomotive, along with many allied service men, became captured by the Japanese and was used by them to work the docks. However during the battle of Singapore the locomotive sustained several bullet holes in the boiler and cylinders which are still clearly visible today.
After the war the dockyards at Singapore were closed and the locomotive was returned to Britain, Bolted down in the bottom of a wooden hulled ship (HMS Scewer). It arrived back in Britain after a six month journey and was put into service in Chatham dockyards by the Royal Navy. It was here that it was given the name "SINGAPORE" in memory of the service men who died during the battle.
After finishing service for the Navy, the locomotive was sold into preservation in 1972 and after going to several other sites, it arrived at the Rutland Railway Museum.
A lottery application was made in May 1995 in order to restore the locomotive back to working condition, in memory of all the service men who lost their lives in the far east.
In December 1995 it was confirmed that the grant of £42,250 would be awarded to the museum to account for 75% of the project cost.
Work started in May 1996 and the locomotive was stripped to the last nut and bolt by Rutland Railway Museum volunteers. The frames and saddle were sent to Parker plant in Leicester for shot blasting and on returning volunteers repainted them. The Wheels were sent for turning and the boiler work was contracted out to Chatham steam restoration, but all other work was carried out by museum volunteers. One of the coupling rods was replaced due to it being bent at some time, fortunately a spare had been purchased for the locomotive at an earlier time. Several members worked together to produce four new axle barings, the old ones being cracked and not worth repairing. These items would have been expensive to buy and so the old ones were melted down and re-cast and machined.
After two years "SINGAPORE" was put back into service. A special rededication/naming ceremony was held on July 19th 1998, with a reunion of the far eastern prisoners of war and the locomotive at Cottesmore. After the ceremony "SINGAPORE" was posed for photos with some of the Volunteers who help to keep the museum running.
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