Captain Tom Moore has again been thanked for his fundraising efforts with the naming of a GB Railfreight Class 66 locomotive.
A 129-tonne Class 66, No. 66731 (which has already been unveiled with the message “Thank You NHS”) will be named ‘Captain Tom Moore' The nameplate will have the added detail of ‘A true British inspiration''. The nameplates being produced by Procast.
The naming took place to coincide with Captain Moore's 100th birthday (Thursday 30 April).
Credit: GB Railfreight
Captain Tom Moore, who has a Great Western Railway Class 800 IET named after him already, has raised over £29m for the NHS.
GBRf is playing a crucial role in the UK's COVID-19 response. They are helping to keep essential services running to make sure medicine and shop shelves are stocked across the country.
What did the officials say?
John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:
“Happy birthday Captain Tom! On behalf of myself and the whole team at GB Railfreight I wanted to offer a big ‘thank you' for what is fantastic fundraising that you've carried out. We are in awe of your efforts to raise money for frontline NHS workers. We thought we were good at raising money but what you've achieved for the National Health Service is quite simply fantastic.
“Last week we unveiled one of our of our freight locos in honour of all the critical workers at the NHS, painted in their livery. It was a way of offering our thanks particularly for your efforts, and to wish you a very happy birthday. We are very proud to name this loco after you, Captain Tom.
“After today it will be pulling crucial rail freight throughout the country helping to keep the NHS going, helping to get food on people's tables and also helping to kick start the country's economy as we go forward. Thank you again Captain Tom and I'm very proud that your name will be carried on our locomotive.”
Lifelong rail enthusiast Neil Booth, Director of Railwayana Auctions UK Ltd, said:
“I was inspired by the sheer tenacity and conviction of the fundraising task for the NHS that Captain Tom Moore had set himself and thought that it would be a wonderful idea to name a locomotive in his honour on his 100th birthday. Once we had his family's permission to do so, we very quickly had the nameplates cast, had Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chairman of Network Rail and John Smith, Managing Director of GBRf on board along with his management team and staff who have bent over backwards in providing a more than suitable locomotive to be honoured in this way. I just can't thank everyone enough for their sterling efforts in making this happen within just seven days.”
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What does your comment have to do with this article?
Having “Captain Tom Moore” on a Class 66 locomotive is a wonderful thing to pay tribute to a legend former officer who he is celebrating his 100th birthday today. Perhaps changing it to “Colonel Tom Moore”. But what a fitting tribute to a wonderful hero.
Happy birthday Captain Thomas “Tom” Moore.
You will have to make a new one! Now COLONEL Tom Moore!!!
So as 800825 is also Captain Tom Moore, and yesterday he was elevated to Colonel, will one or both be changed to reflect that? Are there any other instances of two locomotives or sets having the same name?