The forlorn hulk, minus
many of its parts that was 71000 in 1975, presented a daunting
task to the small group of volunteers who took on the restoration.
Having outside cylinders removed, sectioned and displayed
at the Science Museum London must have done little for morale
in those early days. Against the odds, and in the sparse conditions
typical of the pioneering days of preservation, the Duke
was brought back to life at the Great Central Railway's
Loughborough base.
After retyring and
fitting of AWS at Crewe Works and a further period of restoration
at Didcot Railway Centre, the Duke was ready
for the mainline. Performances in the early 1990s won applause
and admiration from many quarters, confirming the faith invested
in such an ambitious project. A 3,000hp Phoenix
had arisen from the ashes with a boiler producing 30% more
steam than it ever did in BR days.
In addition to being
a very reliable mainline performer, the Duke
set new records both on some of its old stamping grounds and
on new territory. 1991 saw 71000 take the so-called Blue-Riband
for the fastest ascent to Ais Gill on the Settle and Carlisle
Railway; the 15 miles of 1 in 100 gradient were taken with
steam to spare, the engine blowing off at the safety valves
as it breasted the summit.
In1995, 71000 competed
against 46229 Duchess of Hamilton and 60007 Sir
Nigel Gresley to become overall winner of the Shap
Trials. Later in that year, the Duke set the fastest
recorded climb of Camden Bank by steam, attaining 41 mph with
the equivalent of 13 coaches being pulled. Interestingly,
the Duke might have recorded, in its BR days, one of the slowest
times for climbing Camden. On that occasion, it was pulling
17 coaches with the banker coming off at the end of the platform
upon departure from Euston!
After lengthy and meticulous
overhaul, made possible through substantial funding from the Heritage
Lottery Fund, the Duke steamed again in March
2004 at its home base, the East Lancashire Railway.
The
fifty years between the date newly built 71000 Duke of Gloucester
first emerged from Crewe works to August 2004 when it left the
same works fully restored, marks a unique chapter in the history
of British steam locomotive development. A story surrounded
by myth and speculation throughout its brief period of mainline
service until withdrawal from British Railways in 1962. In preservation,
the story of 71000 Duke of Gloucester is one of truly
heroic achievement against the odds to produce a machine answering
many of the questions posed regarding its original design and,
above all, performance.
71000's claim
to uniqueness comes from not only being the sole Class 8 Pacific
locomotive designed and built by British Railways, but also,
from designer R.A. Riddles choosing to equip the locomotive
with Caprotti valve gear. This feature alone sets the Duke
on a different platform to that of other preserved Pacific
locomotives found in the UK. Also, whilst the Duke
shares many features common to the Class 7 Britannias
and other BR Standard designs, 71000 is considerably
more than just an enlarged Britannia.
The request from Riddles
to design and build a Class 8 locomotive came after the tragic
Harrow train crash in 1952 where LMR Pacific Princess Anne
was destroyed. Replacement, 71000, emerged from Crewe works
in 1954 to take its place alongside Stanier
Pacifics working heavy express trains between Euston and Scotland.
Allocated to Crewe North (5A) motive power depot, and frequently
rostered for the Mid-Day Scot, 71000 was expected
to accelerate 500 ton trains over the demanding gradients
of Shap and Grayrigg. Day to day performances and those produced
during locomotive trials were mixed. It is claimed that, stories
abound of engine crews preferring their established Duchess
Pacifics to the new and comparatively novel Caprotti Duke. However it should also be noted that, to this
day, enginemen can be found who encountered little by way
of the struggles that went into forming the Duke's reputation
in BR days. A more balanced insight comes from E.S. Cox's
1966 work - British Railways Standard Steam Locomotives,
which highlighted 71000's problem with steam production. With this one feature rectified, this engine could
have been a world beater.
It is around this claim
that much of the locomotive's development in preservation
has been, and should be, considered. Assessing whether the
original design for the Duke could have delivered
the promise its designer intended is a difficult task. Comparisons
between 71000, sole member of a class, and the more numerous
Stanier, Gresley, Bullied
and Thompson Pacifics, leaves the former at
a disadvantage. As the prototype for a whole class of locomotives,
71000 suffered from limited desire to develop the machine
into the intended ultimate design for British steam locomotives.
Also, dieselisation and BR modernisation plans in the 1950s
consigned steam locomotive development to the pages of history
long before the Duke's withdrawal from service
in 1962.
When in the 1960s,
national treasures such as Flying Scostman faced
the prospect of the cutters torch, 71000's despatch
to Barry scrapyard was probably not out of the ordinary; what
followed definitely was.
A bizarre mix up resulting
in 71000 being sent initially to the wrong scrapyard
(Cashmore's in Newport where it may well have ended its life
instead of Woodham Bros. Barry) together with the tenacity
of a small group of volunteers saw the start of what must
be regarded as one of the most remarkable, and even impossible,
of restoration projects ever witnessed by the preservation
movement.
Boiler test at Buckley Wells shed, Bury, 24th May 2002. Photo: A Meakin
71000 Duke of Gloucester arrives at East
Lancashire Railway's Bolton Street station Bury on.13th
March 2004. The locomotive ran in green primer throughout
the test period prior to final painting at Bombardier's
Crewe Works.
Following repainting
at Bombardier's Crewe Works, 71000 entered mainline
service again in August 2004, some fifty years after leaving
for service with British Railways. During the period of extensive
restoration, modifications were made to the locomotive (e.g.
cams - see Caprotti
Section) and tender. A major
investment decision for mainline running was the development
and installation of a coal pusher. Whilst a recent new addition
to equipment, the coal pusher brings 71000 closer to the original
features sported by the locomotive in BR days.
Duke of Gloucester
inside the erecting shop Bombardier Works Crewe after final
painting in August 2004. The new coal pusher is clearly visible
in this rare view of the locomotive. Photo: Courtesy of Bombardier Transportation
Operating on a modern
network, where many routes are electrified through overhead
wires, makes equipment such as a coal pusher an essential
fitting. Also, rigorous safety standards demand higher equipment
specifications to those applicable in the days of steam. In
particular, extensive refurbishment of the locomotive's
electrical system featured as a major part of the recent overhaul
to comply with TPWS (Train Protection Warning System) requirements.
It is likely that further upgrades will take place to meet
imminent requirements that mainline steam locomotives are
fitted with black box safety recording equipment.
Prior to entering mainline
service again, the Duke successfully completed light
and loaded test runs during August 2004. The locomotive is
pictured below with the loaded test train at Preston on August
23rd 2004.
Loaded test run. 71000 Duke
of Gloucester ready to depart Preston on August 23rd
2004. Photo: A Meakin
Following successful proving on these runs,
the Duke returned to mainline revenue earning service
on August 30th 2004 hauling a North Wales Coast Express
from Crewe to Holyhead. In the following months of running
in, the Duke returned with impressive performances
to its old stamping grounds of Shap, Settle and Carlisle.
Towards the end of 2004, the Duke
became an established and reliable performer on Southern routes
covered by Steam Dreams Cathedrals
Express.
71000 Duke of Gloucester
waits at Battersea with a Cathedrals Express in December 2004. Photo: A Meakin
The 71000 Steam Locomotive Trust Limited is
dedicated to the task of bringing this unique locomotive to
the widest possible audience throughout the UK. Without wide
support from so many in the British steam locomotive preservation
movement the Phoenix might never have risen
again from the ashes. The next few years will surely see this
ultimate development of the British steam locomotive reveal
its world beating potential: a fitting tribute to all who
contributed and never lost faith in the 'Impossible
Dream'.