Peter Beet
Encyclopedia
Peter Beet was an English
doctor
, notable for his pioneering work in the preservation of steam locomotive
s.
in the Lake District
, close to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
West Coast Main Line
, he was educated in Harrogate
, close to the London and North Eastern Railway
East Coast Main Line
. He attended medical school in Leeds
, where on the weekends he would visit Tebay
and its engine shed, with staff letting him clean out locomptives. After graduation he became a general practitioner
in Morecambe
, Lancashire, in 1964.
branch line, chairing the Lakeside Railway Estates Company. Although the plan was backed by transport minister Barbara Castle
, the need to widen the A590 road
and the resultant loss of a railway bridge over the River Leven
, meant that the complete vision was unsuccessful, but the company saved 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to create the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
from 1973.
Still looking to preserve mainline locomotives, Beet was instrumental in saving 23. Realising that there would be a need for maintenance and servicing, in 1968 he successfully acquired a lease on the LMS 10(A) shed at Carnforth
, creating the attraction of Steamtown
from 1968, funded by industrialist and fellow steam enthusiast Sir William McAlpine, 6th Baronet
. Originally planned to be the maintenance base for the L&HR, it became the base for some of the first private mainline preserved trains, operating from Carnforth to Sellafield
and York
. The venture closed as a public access visitor attraction in 1997, some years after the preserved site was taken over by businessman David Smith to become the base for his West Coast Railway Company
.
After the Severn Valley Railway
decided to sell their LMS Jubilee Class
5690 Leander
, Beet bought the locomotive and had it restored at the East Lancashire Railway
. Still owned by his family, it is now operated by WCRC from Carnforth.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, notable for his pioneering work in the preservation of steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s.
Early years and education
Raised in KendalKendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, close to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
, he was educated in Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
, close to the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
. He attended medical school in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, where on the weekends he would visit Tebay
Tebay
Tebay is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, within the traditional borders of Westmorland. It lies in the upper Lune Valley, at the head of the Lune Gorge. The parish of Tebay had a population of 728 recorded in the 2001 census,...
and its engine shed, with staff letting him clean out locomptives. After graduation he became a general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
in Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
, Lancashire, in 1964.
Preservation work
Beet first tried to save the Sir William Stanier designed LMS Coronation Class No.46243 City of Lancaster, but was unsuccessful. He then tried to save the FurnessFurness
Furness is a peninsula in south Cumbria, England. At its widest extent, it is considered to cover the whole of North Lonsdale, that part of the Lonsdale hundred that is an exclave of the historic county of Lancashire, lying to the north of Morecambe Bay....
branch line, chairing the Lakeside Railway Estates Company. Although the plan was backed by transport minister Barbara Castle
Barbara Castle
Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn , PC, GCOT was a British Labour Party politician....
, the need to widen the A590 road
A590 road
The A590 is a trunk road in southern Cumbria, in the north-west of England. It runs north-east to south-west from M6 junction 36, through the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness to terminate at Vickerstown on Walney Island. The road is a mixture of dual carriageway and single carriageway,...
and the resultant loss of a railway bridge over the River Leven
River Leven
River Leven could refer to one of the following:* River Leven, Cumbria , England* River Leven, Dunbartonshire, Scotland* River Leven, Fife, Scotland* River Leven, Argyllshire, Scotland at Kinlochleven...
, meant that the complete vision was unsuccessful, but the company saved 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to create the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway is a heritage railway in Cumbria, England.-Location:The L&HR runs from Haverthwaite at the southern end of the line via Newby Bridge to Lakeside at the southern end of Windermere...
from 1973.
Still looking to preserve mainline locomotives, Beet was instrumental in saving 23. Realising that there would be a need for maintenance and servicing, in 1968 he successfully acquired a lease on the LMS 10(A) shed at Carnforth
Carnforth
- References :...
, creating the attraction of Steamtown
Steamtown (Carnforth)
This was a visitor attraction open to the public on the site of the old 10A locomotive depot, wagon works and west side sidings at Carnforth in Lancashire...
from 1968, funded by industrialist and fellow steam enthusiast Sir William McAlpine, 6th Baronet
Sir William McAlpine, 6th Baronet
Sir William Hepburn McAlpine, 6th Baronet , is a British millionaire businessman, a former director of the construction company Sir Robert McAlpine.-Biography:...
. Originally planned to be the maintenance base for the L&HR, it became the base for some of the first private mainline preserved trains, operating from Carnforth to Sellafield
Sellafield
Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
and York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. The venture closed as a public access visitor attraction in 1997, some years after the preserved site was taken over by businessman David Smith to become the base for his West Coast Railway Company
West Coast Railway Company
West Coast Railways, also known as West Coast Railway Company, is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire, on the site of the old Steamtown heritage depot...
.
After the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
decided to sell their LMS Jubilee Class
LMS Jubilee Class
The London Midland and Scottish Railway Jubilee Class is a class of steam locomotive designed for mainline passenger work. 191 locomotives were built between 1934 and 1936...
5690 Leander
LMS Jubilee Class 5690 Leander
London Midland and Scottish Railway Jubilee Class No. 5690 Leander is a preserved British steam locomotive.- Overview :...
, Beet bought the locomotive and had it restored at the East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
. Still owned by his family, it is now operated by WCRC from Carnforth.