Prince George steam locomotive goes on display at Crewe Heritage Centre

The part-built replica of a London and North Western Railway George The Fifth Class has gone on public display at Crewe Heritage Centre.

The replica is being built by the LNWR George The Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust. It is to be named Prince George by the kind permission of Kensington Palace and will carry the number 2013.

Construction of the replica is to the standards necessary for it to be able to operate on main lines as well as heritage railways.

In the years leading up to the First World War trains were becoming heavier and travelling faster. As a result, Charles Bowen-Cooke designed the George The Fifth Class, and 90 were built between 1910 and 1915. The class was named after King George V who came to the throne in 1910.

Despite their relatively small size, the George the Fifth class developed a reputation for sustained high power output on heavy and fast trains. The last one was withdrawn in 1948.

The part-built replica of Prince George left the works of the Trust's contractor Keyte Smith Ltd. at Kirkby-in Ashfield in Nottinghamshire on a low loader for travel to Crewe Heritage Centre on a journey of a couple of hours, where it was manoeuvred into the Main Hall.

It is now the centrepiece of the Crewe Works area, where it is part of a Forging History exhibition that is celebrating the 180 years since Crewe Works was established. The exhibition is being run in association with Crewe Town Council. Further information about the Crewe Heritage Centre can be found on its website at crewehc.co.uk/home

The original locomotives were built by the London and North Western Railway in the former number 9 Erecting Shop at the west end of the Works, which now part of a housing estate.

The LNWR George The Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust's engineer started his working life in Crewe Works in 1961, so both he and the Trust are delighted that the locomotive has gone on display at Crewe. Funds for building the replica come entirely from voluntary donations, and further information about the trust can be found on their website at newprincegeorgesteam.org.uk