Correctional Officer Training and Education: New South Yorks chief starts four months early

North Yorks chief to return to force, while West Yorks chief super makes move south….
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For two weeks, between 3&17 July 2013, as part of the nationwide Mallard 75 celebrations, the National Railway Museum at York gathered all six surviving LNER Gresley A4 Pacifics around the turntable in the Great Hall.
The event was a great success, with record visitors (nearly 15,000) coming through the doors in one day.

I visited the event on the morning of the second saturday, 13 July 2013, when the crowds were still out in force to make their records of this historic railway event.

In this video, we look at all six locomotives around the turntable starting with the three BR-liveried examples. First in the line-up was No.60007 “Sir Nigel Gresley”, built in 1937 as LNER No.4498, and named in honour of the chief mechanical engineer who designed the entire class as it was the 100th Gresley pacific to be constructed. It is also the 21st A4 to be built.

Next is No.60008 “Dwight D. Eisenhower”, one of the two locomotives to have been repatriated from North America at the end of 2012, for restoration in time for this event, being turned out in a more authentic shade of BR Brunswick Green than that carried before. The loco emerged from Doncaster works in September 1937 as No.4496 “Golden Shuttle” as one of three engines named after the Yorkshire wool trade for the “West Riding Limited” express from King’s Cross to Leeds and Bradford.
In 1944, during the Second World War, it was renamed after the then current US president “Dwight D. Eisenhower”, and lasted in service until 1963. The following year it was donated to the National Railroad Museum in Wisconsin and shipped across the Atlantic.

No.60009 “Union of South Africa” (LNER No.4488), currently a popular perofrmer on the main line, is next to be seen. This was the first of five locomotives named after British Commonwealth countries for the “Coronation” express between London and Edinburgh, the full length of the East Coast Main Line.
It carries a springbok on one side of the boiler (not seen in this video), fitted in 1954, by a South African newspaper proprietor. Although oit was always based at sheds North of the Border, in October 1964 No.9 became the last steam engine out of King’s Cross on a revenue earning passenger service.
After being preserved by enthusiast John Cameron, it returned to the main line in 1973 and has been popular ever since.

In Garter Blue livery, on the centre road, is the third A4 currently in steam, No.4464 “Bittern”. This engine emerged from Doncaster in 1938, in this guise as one of the many A4s named after birds. On 3 September 1966 (as No.60019) it became the final A4 pacific in BR service when it was withdrawn. It ran briefly in the early 1970s in LNER Garter Blue as No.19, but later had a habit of being repainted to represent different locomotives, firstly the forerunner No.2509 “Silver Link” and more recently No.4492 “Dominion of New Zealand”. In recent years it has also run non-stop from London to York with two tenders, and on 29 June this year became the first steam locomotive to break the normally imposed 75mph speed limit for steam on the ECML, topping 92.5mph, a preservation record.

No.4489 “Dominion of Canada” (built 1937) is the second of the two locomotives to be repatriated to take part for this event, and like No.60009 was named after a Commonwealth country for the “Coronation” express. This locomotive was donated to the Canadian Railway Museum (now ExpoRail) Canada after withdrawal in May 1965.
It remained in store for over 40 years, ending up in shabby condition, still with its BR brunswick green livery and number, 60010.
After its return to the UK last year, the locomotive has had significant cosmetic restoration work done to return it to original 1930s condition, including a re-paint into Garter Blue with stainless steel letters and numbering, and the re-fitting of a single chimney, and a Canadian Pacific bell and whistle.

The starts of the show were no doubt the record-holder itself, No.4468 “Mallard” which through most of the day recieved the most attention. It is this locomotive that broke the world speed record for steam, reaching 126mph on Stoke Bank between Grantham and Peterborough, 75 years ago, on 3 July 1938. The record still stands today. It was chosen as it was had only been in service 5 months, and had been built from new with modifications such as a larger double chimney (compared to the single chimney now fitted to No.4489) and a Kylchap exhaust. It was withdrawn in 1963, and has only run under its own steam for 2 years in preservation between 1986 and 1988. It is also the newest A4 to be preserved, being the 28th built.

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