MontImageMedia - In Memoriam
King Class locomotive King Edward II 6023.
The locomotive was built at GWR's Swindon Works, out-shopped in June 1930. For most of its working life it was allocated to Newton Abbott and Laira (Plymouth), working express passenger trains to and from Devon to London Paddington. Withdrawn from Cardiff in June 1962, it was sent to Swindon for breaking up. However, in light of the installation of a new bridge west of Bristol towards South Wales, it was coupled to its twin, 6024 King Edward I, and towed to the bridge for weight testing purposes. With both locomotives now closer to South Wales than Swindon, the decision was made to sell them to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry Island.
The locomotive re-entered passenger service on the Mid-Norfolk Railway on 4 June 2011, as part of a running-in programme leading to the engine's return to the main line. During the road journey to Dereham the locomotive lost its safety valve cover, with the Mid-Norfolk offering a cash reward for its safe return. The cover was restored to the locomotive by Sunday 5 June.
On return to Didcot, it was found that a number of copper firebox and boiler stays had broken, resulting in the need for a large amount of remedial work to the boiler. On 6 September 2012 the locomotive was moved to Loughborough on the Great Central Railway for firebox repairs, which were completed during early 2013. The locomotive then made a series of appearances on the Great Central Railway, for both testing and running-in purposes, but has since returned to Didcot where it is now being prepared to operate on the main line. In 2014, the GWS was given derogation by network rail to use a portable GSMR radio unit on 6023, Saving money and enabling the unit to be used on the GWS's locomotives yet to work on the mainline such as 2999 and 4079.
The locomotive has had to be reduced in height to comply with the current Network Rail loading gauge, and a shorter chimney was therefore made and fitted. This adversely affected draughting. A new design of blastpipe with four nozzles was designed and fitted in 2016 and early indications are that it has been effective. The other preserved "King" class locomotives have double chimneys and therefore it was not possible simply to use the same proven blastpipe and chimney arrangement.
King Class locomotive King Edward II 6023.
The locomotive was built at GWR's Swindon Works, out-shopped in June 1930. For most of its working life it was allocated to Newton Abbott and Laira (Plymouth), working express passenger trains to and from Devon to London Paddington. Withdrawn from Cardiff in June 1962, it was sent to Swindon for breaking up. However, in light of the installation of a new bridge west of Bristol towards South Wales, it was coupled to its twin, 6024 King Edward I, and towed to the bridge for weight testing purposes. With both locomotives now closer to South Wales than Swindon, the decision was made to sell them to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry Island.
The locomotive re-entered passenger service on the Mid-Norfolk Railway on 4 June 2011, as part of a running-in programme leading to the engine's return to the main line. During the road journey to Dereham the locomotive lost its safety valve cover, with the Mid-Norfolk offering a cash reward for its safe return. The cover was restored to the locomotive by Sunday 5 June.
On return to Didcot, it was found that a number of copper firebox and boiler stays had broken, resulting in the need for a large amount of remedial work to the boiler. On 6 September 2012 the locomotive was moved to Loughborough on the Great Central Railway for firebox repairs, which were completed during early 2013. The locomotive then made a series of appearances on the Great Central Railway, for both testing and running-in purposes, but has since returned to Didcot where it is now being prepared to operate on the main line. In 2014, the GWS was given derogation by network rail to use a portable GSMR radio unit on 6023, Saving money and enabling the unit to be used on the GWS's locomotives yet to work on the mainline such as 2999 and 4079.
The locomotive has had to be reduced in height to comply with the current Network Rail loading gauge, and a shorter chimney was therefore made and fitted. This adversely affected draughting. A new design of blastpipe with four nozzles was designed and fitted in 2016 and early indications are that it has been effective. The other preserved "King" class locomotives have double chimneys and therefore it was not possible simply to use the same proven blastpipe and chimney arrangement.