But I don't mind this one.
Some of you will be aware of the recent completion of a ' new build ' steam locomotive, Tornado.
Well, the same thing is happening in various parts of the country.
My own interest is in one being built from scratch at Llangollen. Patriot class 4-6-0 ' The Unknown Warrior ' has had its mainframes delivered and has put out an appeal to it's society members for donations to start making the wheelsets.......expensive lark, the driving wheels will be £60K and the crankaxle alone £18K.
The Patriots were a nominal rebuild of an earlier engine and were intended for express passenger use on the West Coast line for the LMS. The engine named Patriot was a war memorial engine in memory of the fallen employees of the L&NWR.
There were, surprisingly, only two other companies who had such memorials, Valour and Remembrance. Both as a result of the Great War. None were preserved.
The Unknown Warrior is being built with sponsorship from the British Legion and will be the National War Memorial locomotive. Completion is being hoped for by 2018, the 100th anniversary of the Armistice.
The majority of the class were named after regiments, resorts in the North West and other places in the area. One was called British Legion. These engines were regulars on ' my ' line when I was a kid........regulars I remember well were ' Old Contemptables ' and ' Giggleswick '
Do you remember them, Oily ?
Now, where's me chequebook ? I can afford a couple of nuts and bolts !
Ted
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I wish a 7ft gauge had been preserved. What monsters they must have been.
JH
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There is a replica....I think it's North Star...running at Didcot Great Western railway Centre, I think.
Ted
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Something else to pay out for. - Tooslow
