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By Anthony Coulls on

New faces at York and Shildon

There are some new faces around the turntable at York - two returnees and a new guest

Green Arrow and Evening Star are back at the National Railway Museum, while North British Railway “Maude” is on a three-year holiday from the Scottish Railway Preservation Society. In a reciprocal move, the Duke of Sutherland’s saloon has made the journey north to Bo’ness – and will be joined by the Midland Compound in the Spring, with Cornwall then moving to the Severn Valley Railway’s Engine House museum from Shildon. Musical locomotives indeed! There are more moves in the pipeline – news of them when they happen.

Evening Star gets a clean after being positioned around the turntable. Green Arrow in the background returned about three weeks previously.
Evening Star gets a clean after being positioned around the turntable. Green Arrow in the background returned about three weeks previously.
new-faces2
Class J36 “Maude” has been cleaned by teams of staff under the direction of Stathis, and was awaiting a shunt onto the turntable for display when I photographed it.

 

In addition, Richard Pearson brought back the replicas of Sans Pareil and the sectioned Rocket from Nuremberg, where they were celebrating 175 years of German Railways. It’s a return home for the replica of Hackworth’s machine, but a first visit to Shildon for the 1934 built Stephenson replica.

The replicas of Sans Pareil and Rocket get used to being back on English rails at Shildon. Rocket will soon be joined by appropriate carriages.
The replicas of Sans Pareil and Rocket get used to being back on English rails at Shildon. Rocket will soon be joined by appropriate carriages.

During October, Shildon was joined by “Juno”, a wonderfully original Hunslet Austerity loco on loan from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. Built in 1958, it only worked commercially until 1969 when preserved, then ran into the early 1970s before spending most of the next four decades stored undercover. As an “as withdrawn” machine, it will be placed in NRM+ instead of our own Austerity, which would have taken too long to restore in house. The latter is now under assessment for overhaul at the Flour Mill in the Forest of Dean.

Juno caught outside during a shunt at Shildon in November,
Juno caught outside during a shunt at Shildon in November,

Finally, the North East has been particularly hit by the snow and ice, resulting in a couple of days’ closure at Shildon and a few difficult days at York. My pictures show a little relief in amongst the struggles, along with the return of a large part of a certain iconic member of the collection.

Matt and Danny using the 02 shunter as a snowlough in the car park in York in readiness for a delivery...
Matt and Danny using the 02 shunter as a snowplough in the car park in York in readiness for a delivery…
...being Flying Scotsman
…being Flying Scotsman
Meanwhile, in the South Yard, the class 108 does its best impression of a Christmas cake – very seasonal.
Meanwhile, in the South Yard, the class 108 does its best impression of a Christmas cake – very seasonal.
Up at Shildon, someone appears to have hidden the rails.
Up at Shildon, someone appears to have hidden the rails.
Finally – a taster of the Crab in the last stages of its transformation into a Crimson Lake masterpiece at the hands of Phil Anderson.
Finally – a taster of the Crab in the last stages of its transformation into a Crimson Lake masterpiece at the hands of Phil Anderson.

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