'Sian' was built by Guest Engineering & Maintenance Co Ltd at their works in Stourbridge, West Midlands in 1963.
The 2-4-2 outside frame, freelance design steam locomotive was designed by Ernest W. Twining (in 1951) and delivered to the Fairbourne Railway in 1964.
During its reseidency at Fairbourne, 'Sian' visted the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (in 1976) for their Centenary celebrations, the Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition (1978), the Ravenglass again in 1981 for their Preservation Society 21st Anniversary and then onto the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway for their end of (1981) season gala.
Following the sale of the Fairbourne Railway to the Ellerton family, 'Sian' was rebuilt in 1984 to resemble an American style and renamed 'Sydney' & given the number 362 (the Fairbourne Railway phone number).
In 1985 Sian/Sydney was sold to Littlecote House, Hungerford, Wiltshire where it ran in the American guise until 1990 when the Littlecote House railway ceased operations.
1991 Sian/Sydney was sold to the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk and in 1992 it was altered into a more conventional outline and painted maroon, although it was not to the original design, the loco was renamed 'Sian'.
1994 sold to a consortium of Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway volunteers (who became the Sian Owners Group) even though it remained at Bure Valley for the 1994 season.
1995 - 1997, 'Sian' is hired out to the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway to raise money for the repairs and overhauls the locomotive needed. By start of 1997 season, after two winters of hard graft by the Sian Owners Group, she was looking much more like the engine Ernest W. Twining had designed.
1998 and 'Sian' is again on the move, this time to the Kirklees Light Railway, near Huddersfield for part of the season until badly leaking tubes meant the planned for major overhaul had to be brought forward and 'Sian' was taken back to Ravenglass for the work to start. It took 18 months for the major overhaul to be completed and for all faults to be fixed.
2000 and the rebuilt 'Sian' was steamed and hauled trains at Ravenglass from Easter to the May Day weekend. 'Sian' then went to the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway for a brief visit before being moved to the Windmill Farm Railway, Southport.
2001 and 'Sian' again visited the Ravenglass for the Easter to end of May Day weekend period & then again onto the R,H&DR and also to Cleethorpes again for Spring Bank Holiday. After that little tour 'Sian' went back to Windmill Farm.
2002 and 'Sian' again visited the R,H&DR for a gala and in 2005 'Sian' went back to the Bure Valley for another gala event.
Apart from gala trips out, Windmill Farm is now home to 'Sian', where she lives with all the other ex-Fairbourne Railway 15-inch gauge vehicles.
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