Steam locomotive 34027 Taw Valley to wear purple livery for Queen's Jubilee

Steam locomotive 34027 Taw Valley to wear purple livery for Queen’s Jubilee

Southern West Country Class No. 34027 Taw Valley will be repainted into a new purple livery to commemorate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Severn Valley Railway has announced

Whilst only temporary, the repaint will co-incide with the renaming of the locomotive for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and for the Commonwealth Games, set to be held in Birmingham in 2022.

This isnt the first time that 34027 Taw Valley has appeared in an unusual livery, it was painted up to promote the Harry Potter books and the Hogwarts Express, though, film producers later chose 5972 Olton Hall for the films instead.

Taw Valley will be restored to its original name and livery later in 2022, when the locomotive will undergo scheduled maintenance for a valve and piston examination.

The new name will be put to a public vote on Monday 14th February, with the new name being cast onto authentic nameplates.

How 34027 Taw Valley might look in its purple livery. Jason Hood — Credit: SVR

“This is all about making the biggest impact possible,” said SVR chairman Mike Ball. “We’re putting a huge amount of effort into our celebrations for both The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the 2022 Commonwealth Games which are being held in Birmingham. We’re sure that the unusual appearance of the loco will prove a huge draw to visitors.”

Volunteers Richard Cresswell and Geoff Smith fly the flag for Ukraine at the SVR.

“The sight of a purple steam loco might not appeal to all heritage enthusiasts, but it’s certainly going to cause a stir amongst the visiting public, and we’re aiming to stimulate maximum interest in heritage rail amongst the widest possible audience this year.”

The SVR’s head of engineering Martin White gave details of how the transformation into purple will take place: “Taw Valley is booked in for its annual boiler exam in early February, and following its steam exam will enter the paint shop at Bridgnorth. We expect to have the repaint completed by early April.

“In all fairness, the loco was starting to look a little weather-beaten. With three years still to run on its boiler ticket, a smarten-up was a good idea to avoid further deterioration and enable maximum use of the loco.”

The loco’s owners are fully supportive of the temporary name and livery change. Speaking on behalf of his fellow owners, SVR director Phil Swallow said: “We’re delighted that Taw Valley is going to play such a prominent role at the SVR in 2022. The rename and repaint will be a very fitting and memorable way to celebrate two extremely important occasions this year. Ultimately, this is a hugely fun thing to do, and whilst it might upset some people, it will contribute significantly to our celebration of these important events and will attract many visitors to the SVR.”