Prior to the 75th anniversary of the world record speed run by LNER A4 Pacific 4468 ‘Mallard’, I imagined there would be some kind of event to mark this achievement, possibly a return to steam and a celebratory rail tour. What the NRM actually devised was something few people can honestly have imagined and when it was announced two of Mallard’s sister locomotives long since exported from these shores would be reunited with the other four remaining GB based members of the class, I was very keen to be among the visitors to view the spectacle. Not since 1966 and the days of British Rail steam have so many A4’s been together in one location at the same time. Expecting the line up to be very popular (but I didn’t quite foresee the huge crowds who would turn up to share in the celebrations), I took advantage of booking an early doors photo pass which would allow crowd free photography before the museum opened for business at 10am on 4th July. In the event some of the thirty or so people who had booked the same ticket made it their first ambition to stand in front of the gathered locomotives from the get go. This I found a little frustrating. Surely the small group could have been managed in such a way that people were held back enabling clear shots of the line up prior to letting us roam amongst Mallard and her sisters? But with a little patience (that not everyone exhibited, it must be said) I think I managed to achieve what I set out to do. Although, that was a close thing as after two hours of happily snapping away, the SD card in my camera suddenly decided it didn’t want to be read and refused to allow my camera to play back the photos I had taken that morning, or let me to take any further shots. I was mildly annoyed to say the least. Attempts at copying the image files to CD via a couple of photographic outlets in York failed to rescue the photos and it wasn’t until I got home a few days later that I was able to transfer the majority of the images to my computer one by one with only around ten images deemed unrecoverable. I was pleased that most of the photographs I took survived – a sample of which can be found in the gallery below.
A selection of A4 video below, beginning with 60007 ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ going full pelt with The Shakesperian rail tour on 11th October 1997. This working, organised by Steamy Affairs, ran from Cleethorpes to Stratford-Upon-Avon, although I have no note as to where I filmed the train!
60009 ‘Union Of South Africa’ recently retired from active service following the discovery of a small crack on the driver’s side outer firebox wrapper near the foundation ring, and a perforated small tube. It was considered that repairs would be unviable because of the short time left on 60009’s boiler certificate – which is due to expire in April 2022 – and the intention of her owner, John Cameron, to retire the locomotive anyway. 60009 will like sister locomotives 60008 ‘Dwight D. Eisenhower’ and 60010 ‘Dominion Of Canada’ be placed on static display, although as yet her final resting place has yet to be confirmed. In happier times, the video below shows Number 9 working on the main line in 2019.
The last video selection for this entry features 60019 ‘Bittern’
This is a revised post previously uploaded elsewhere in 2013 – that seems a very long time ago now – thanks for reading.