Bass locomotive and Director’s Coach seek a safer home in Staffordshire

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-11 15:55 3 min read

A woman and a man standing in front of a vintage steam engine train.

By the Demo Duck editorial team | Source published 11 August 2026

Two survivors of Burton-upon-Trent’s brewing past need a new home. The Bass Saddle Tank Locomotive No. 9 and the Director’s Coach were both built in 1901, but the facilities required to care for them have not been available since the National Brewery Centre closed in 2022.

Staffordshire County Council says the large, complex vehicles are now deteriorating and require ongoing preservation. A proposed transfer to a nationally accredited museum in Staffordshire could protect them and eventually return them to public display.

Built for barrels and brewery visitors

The locomotive and coach performed very different jobs for the Bass brewing company. Saddle Tank Locomotive No. 9 transported heavy barrels of ale and ingredients around the Burton brewery. The Director’s Coach carried visitors on tours of the site.

Together, they illustrate how rail transport supported both the industrial operation and public presentation of one of Burton’s breweries. The vehicles have belonged to Staffordshire County Council’s Archives and Heritage Service since 1978. They were subsequently placed on long-term loan and displayed at the National Brewery Centre.

Why the vehicles are deteriorating

The National Brewery Centre’s closure in 2022 left the site without the specialist facilities needed to care for objects of this size and complexity. The council has not detailed the damage or specified the restoration work required, but says both vehicles are deteriorating because they need continuing care and preservation.

Bass locomotive and Director’s Coach seek a safer home in Staffordshire

Their size makes this more than a conventional museum-storage decision. Any future custodian must be able to accommodate, conserve and ultimately display two substantial railway vehicles.

A transfer is being considered

The council is considering transferring ownership to another nationally accredited museum within Staffordshire. No receiving museum has yet been named, and the proposal remains under consideration.

Hayley Coles, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for communities and culture, said the aim was to keep the objects in Staffordshire and secure appropriate care. Eligible museums are being invited to submit expressions of interest, although the council’s statement did not provide a deadline or timetable for selecting a new home.

There is precedent for moving large objects from the former brewing collection. The M&B Beaver motorised delivery dray was transferred to the Black Country Museum, while the WaterWitch Fire Engine is now held by the West Midlands Fire Service Heritage Community Group. Both have been restored, according to the council.

The next confirmed step is the search for an eligible accredited museum. If a suitable transfer is agreed, the locomotive and coach could be preserved and placed on public display again; where and when that might happen remain undecided.

Source: Staffordshire County Council Newsroom

Context & actions About this article

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This report is based on Staffordshire County Council’s statement published on 11 August 2026, with unresolved details identified clearly.

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