The Great Central Railway has announced that they will be welcoming SR Battle of Britain No. 34072 257 Squadron to their line in 2022.
The Southern locomotive will be joining BR Standard 4 No. 80080, visiting courtesy of the Princess Royal Locomotive Trust, for the lines Winter Steam Gala, being held from Friday 28th until Sunday 30th January 2022.
34072 257 Squadron is visiting the Great Central Railway thanks to the Swanage Railway and Southern Locomotives Ltd.
An intensive timetable will be in operation on all three days of the gala, with both passenger and freight trains in operation.
The two visiting locomotives will join a pool of locomotives to operate trains. The pool includes BR 9F No. 92214 City of Leicester, LMS 8F No. 48305, BR Standard 5 No. 73156, GWR Hall No. 6990 Witherslack Hall, LMS Ivatt 2 No. 46521, BR Standard 2 No. 78018, and Hunslet J94 No. 68067.
Rover tickets for unlimited travel start from just £24 or an adult, with three day rover tickets available.
What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments below.
Gladly
(Ref 34072) I remember this, i think, from my Exmth jct times? As a cleaner i would clean it with a 50/50 mix of oil n parafin, then buff it up with cotton waste till it gleamed. As a passed cleaner i would be expected to get down to Exeter central in good time, (my Taxi would be a M/Navy or Maunsell,) or whatever i fancied realy! To meet this and move its tender coal forward quickly as i topped up its water for the North Devon part of its journey, or wherever? They were stubborn to move on night duty with low steam pressure, They would give a rumble and conceed eventualy, Then take off if not careful, Then it was cocks, steambrake, Handbrake seven turns quick as pos!!, You would need cocks if water was up out the glass, Or you could do serious damage!, I would turn for Salisbury or whatever, Bit scary for a 16 yr old on your own in the dark!, Id only just got my first motorbike!! The only consulation was i didnt have to oil the unconverteds underneaths on the pits. nostalgia.