PRESS RELEASE - IMMEDIATE

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1 Registered Charity No Registered Office: Lloyds Bank Chambers, Hustlergate, Bradford, BD1 1UQ Registered in England: Company No , A Company Limited by Guarantee VAT No. GB th February 2014 PRESS RELEASE - IMMEDIATE ONCE IN A BLUE MOON Don t miss this preservation first, the spectacle of three British Railways express blue main line steam locomotives together in one place at Didcot Railway Centre this Spring In a preservation first, famous new steam locomotive Peppercorn class A Tornado will join forces with the illustrious ex GWR King 6023 King Edward II and sublime Gresley class A Sir Nigel Gresley in an all British Railways 1949 express blue line up at Didcot Railway Centre on Saturday 5 th and Sunday 6 th April Mark Allatt, Chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity that built and now operates Tornado, said: The salivating prospect of seeing not two but three main line express locomotives present in one place and in the same stunning blue livery has been on the wish list of many enthusiasts for decades. This dream will soon become a reality and we are very pleased that Tornado will be joined by such illustrious company. Nigel Wilson, Chairman of The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Preservation Trust which owns and operates No , said: has carried BR Blue livery for the last 20 years but this must be the first time since the 1950s that three locomotives in this livery have been seen together let

2 alone in steam, SNGLPT is very pleased to be part of the event. Richard Croucher, Chairman of the Great Western Society, said: After a considerable amount of quiet discussion behind the scenes, we are very pleased to be able to announce the appearance of a trio of blue express locomotives at Didcot Railway Centre when King Edward II plays host to Sir Nigel Gresley and Tornado over the first weekend of April. This is a line up which we have been hoping to achieve ever since 6023 entered traffic and will be a unique opportunity to see these locomotives together. Event highlights include: All 3 locos will operate at some point on the main demonstration line with double and even triple heading at certain times. Times when the 3 locos are lined up outside of the shed for photo purposes Additional train service operating on our branch line (currently planned for our GWR 1930 s diesel railcar) Souvenir leaflet to all visitors detailing the 3 locos with some historical background on why the colour blue was chosen by BR Early opening for general photos of the locos lined up at the shed being prepared for work Additional photo charters planned (separate and additional charges will apply) Event details are not 100% confirmed and are subject to change, so for latest information about this unique event and to book advance tickets, please visit All subject to availability. 2

3 In addition to her visit to Didcot Railway Centre, Tornado will also be visiting the Swanage Railway on 12 th and 13 th July, the Bluebell Railway 28 th July to 3 rd August, the North Norfolk Railway 29 th to 31 st August and Nene Valley Railway 13 th and 14 th September. Of the three main line certified locomotives, Tornado and Sir Nigel Grelsey are currently operating on the National Network. Tornado s first rail tour of 2014 will be The White Rose from London Kings Cross to York and return on 12 th April. Tickets are available for this train from ticket agents Pathfinder Tours on / or by visiting Details of Sir Nigel Gresley s 2014 programme can be found at - ENDS - Notes Tornado The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, a registered charity, built Peppercorn class A1 Pacific Tornado, named after the RAF aircraft, at its Darlington Locomotive Works. Fitted with additional water capacity and the latest railway safety electronics, Tornado is fully equipped for today s main line railway. The class A1s were designed by Arthur H Peppercorn for the London & North Eastern Railway and 49 were built in 1948/49 by British Railways. However, all were scrapped following the dieselisation of the railways. After 18 years of planning, construction and fundraising the 3 million locomotive was completed in 2008 and named Tornado by TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in Funds to build Tornado were raised through deeds of covenant, sponsorship 3

4 (principal sponsor William Cook Cast Products Limited), loans and a bond issue. The Trust is raising money to keep Tornado operating on Britain s main line and heritage railways. For details of how to help or where to travel behind Tornado visit Sir Nigel Gresley 4498 or Sir Nigel Gresley has been a celebrity locomotive since it was named after its designer at Marylebone in Its illustrious career saw it at the head of a press train for the re-launch of the Flying Scotsman service in 1938, and hauling the Royal Train in 1956 with Her Majesty the Queen on board. The undoubted climax however, was when it set the official post-war speed record for steam traction of 112 mph on 23 rd May The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Preservation Trust was formed in 1964 and purchased from British Railways in 1966, returning it to mainline operation after a full overhaul at Crewe in The locomotive has remained active on the mainline and heritage lines across the UK ever since. The organisation became a registered charity in Today the Trust has a vibrant and growing membership. For further details visit King Edward II The restoration of 6023 has been one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by railway preservationists so far. It involved casting a new set of driving wheels to replace those damaged during the loco s time at Barry scrapyard, and returning her to the original single chimney form. The single chimney is arguably more aesthetically pleasing than the double chimney with which the Kings were rebuilt in the late 1950s. It also permits the restored loco to be historically accurate when painted in the BR blue livery of the early 1950s, or the GWR green of the late 1940s. For many years 6023 was considered a no-hoper by preservationists because of the damage to the wheels. However, she was purchased from Barry scrapyard in the early 1980s by the Barry Steam Locomotive Action Group and then taken under the wing of Harveys of Bristol. She returned to the city in 1985, during celebrations of the Great Western Railway s 150 th anniversary. Restoration work was carried out for a few years in a siding at Bristol Temple Meads station, before the Great Western Society bought the loco in 1990 and moved her to Didcot. The work at Didcot carried on for a further 21 years, with a team of loyal volunteers supported financially by donations from Great Western Society members. The restoration to blue livery was completed in Work is now progressing to fit Network Rail s cab signalling equipment for a 4

5 return to main line running. Didcot Railway Centre The Great Western Society took up residence in Didcot engine shed at the end of 1967, and has been developing it into Didcot Railway Centre ever since. At an early stage the society took a strategic decision to make Didcot an exclusively GWR collection. This now includes 28 locomotives of GWR pedigree, plus a steam railmotor, a diesel railcar, and a gas turbine loco. There are 48 GWR carriages and 55 GWR goods wagons. The engine shed and coal stage, built in 1932, provide an authentic railway backdrop for locomotive displays. The parallel tracks have become famous for photographic line ups, with the coal stage embankment becoming a grandstand. Beyond the engine shed the railway centre has been developed in a softer landscape, with many trees planted and a picnic area where visitors can watch the trains go by. Stations have been created using GWR buildings brought from other locations on the system. These include two signal boxes. The transfer shed, built in 1864 when standard gauge tracks from the north met the broad gauge at Didcot, is now the centre of the broad gauge railway which houses the replicas of the 1840 Fire Fly and the 1847 Iron Duke, plus two broad gauge carriages. The railway centre is currently developing a former shunting yard alongside the engine shed. This includes a steam railmotor shed based on the one built by the GWR at Southall. It brings the total of track under cover to nearly three quarters of a mile, protecting the railway centre s collection. Another project in this area is an extension of the Museum and Archive to provide a conservation store and library that will be available to researchers. A further area for interpretation and education is the Science, Learning and Railways carriages, popular with younger visitors, and the original air raid shelter from 1940 restored with an audio representation of a bombing raid. Didcot Railway Centre is in a location completely surrounded by Network Rail tracks, providing a succession of the most modern trains going past, as a contrast with the steam-era exhibits going back to We are alongside Didcot Parkway station, about half way between London and Bristol on Brunel s original GWR main line. The station is one of the busiest on the system, and we are very proud of the ease of access to the railway centre by public transport which adds to our credentials as an environmentally-friendly tourist attraction. 5

6 For more information please visit: Sir Nigel Gresley at Didcot Railway Centre in May 2009 Tornado at Didcot Railway Centre in November

7 King Edward II at Didcot Railway Centre in August