Community playground reopens with tribute to legendary locomotive Jessie

Splott Park playground in Cardiff has officially reopened following a transformation that blends inclusive play with a nod to local history.

The newly redeveloped play area now features a puzzles and games-themed zone with accessible equipment and natural play spaces, creating a fun and welcoming environment for children of all ages and abilities.

Among the new features is a toddler train, complete with trucks, station, and tracks — all inspired by the beloved Jessie the Steam Train, which once stood proudly in the park.

Jessie, a 0-6-0 saddle tank steam engine built in 1937, served at the East Moors Cardiff steelworks until 1965, when the site transitioned to diesel power. Rather than being scrapped, Jessie was cosmetically restored and gifted to the city as a memorial to the steam era. It became a cherished fixture in Splott Park playground until 1980, when it was sold to a private owner.

The playground redevelopment has been delivered as part of the Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Scheme programme, shaped by extensive community consultation and input from local ward members, and with funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

Pupils from nearby Baden Powell Primary School were among the first to enjoy the upgraded space, trying out the new slide and climbing mound, wheelchair-accessible roundabout, climbing frame, swings, and seesaw.

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Cllr Jennifer Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, said: “This upgrade has revitalised the park. The new playground is a vibrant and inclusive environment for children of all ages and abilities to enjoy, and the tribute to Jessie the Train adds a lovely historical touch that connects the past with the present.”

The incredible story of Jessie

Jessie was the second engine of a class of 16 locomotives, built between 1937 and 1953. All worked in the steelworks at East Moors Cardiff, Ebbw Vale and Scunthorpe Jessie was built in 1937 and withdrawn from service in 1965. Its work at East Moors involved “hauling ladle wagons of slag to the shore or pushing wagons of molten iron ore between the blast furnaces and the melting shop”.

Upon withdrawal, Jessie was cosmetically restored and presented to the Cardiff Council, which decided to place it in Splott Park, not far from the steelworks, where there was already an adventure corner with a tarmac roller and a lorry. Jessie’s chimney stack and furnace were sealed to prevent children climbing in and getting trapped inside. The presentation, by the managing director of the Guest Keen Iron and Steel Company (as the steelworks was then known), took place in January 1965.

Jessie slowly became rusty in the salty environment and also suffered vandalism, including the loss of whistle and dome cover. By the late 1970s Jessie’s condition was considered dangerous and the Council decided to seek tenders for its removal. The successful tender was from Mike Pearce who had previously worked for the Guest Keen Iron and Steel Company and had maintained Jessie when the engine was in service. The Council approved the sale on December 19th 1979 and the transaction was completed on December 21st The purchase price was £2,255.

Jessie left Splott Park on Monday 18th February 1980 and arrived at Norchard in the Forest of Dean on Tuesday 19th. After transfer to the Llangollen Railway. in 1998 the restoration was completed and the engine was first steamed in December 2003. Jessie entered service on the Llangollen Railway in 2004.

More recently Jessie was converted to serve as Thomas the Tank Engine at Llangollen where the locomotive spent many happy years on tour around the UK and Europe.

Happily, she’s now returned home to Wales and has also been returned to her original livery where she is currently in use on the Blaenavon Heritage Railway, where a new generation of children get to enjoy this historic locomotive.

(Source)