GWR 6000 Class 6000 King George V
Encyclopedia
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) 6000 Class
GWR 6000 Class
The Great Western Railway 6000 Class or King is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed for express passenger work. With the exception of one Pacific , they were the largest locomotives the GWR built. They were named after kings of the United Kingdom and of England, beginning with the reigning...
King George V is a preserved British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
.
The locomotive was the first of the "King" Class, and was built in June 1927. It was shipped to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in August 1927 to feature in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
's centenary celebrations. During the celebrations it was presented with a bell and a plaque, and these are carried to this day. This led to it being affectionately known as "The Bell".
The bell carries the inscription:
Locomotive King George V by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company in commemoration of its centenary celebration Sept 24th - Oct 15th 1927 |
After returning from the US it was allocated to Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common is an area of London between Harlesden and Acton known for its railway depots, particularly Old Oak Common TMD. Further south lies an open area, Wormwood Scrubs Park, and Wormwood Scrubs prison...
, but was moved to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in 1950. It was subsequently allocated to Old Oak Common again in 1959, to be withdrawn by the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
in December 1962 after covering 1910424 miles (3,074,521.8 km).
The locomotive was officially preserved, being restored to main line running order and based at Bulmer's Railway Centre in Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
and in 1971 became the very first steam engine to break the mainline steam ban that had been in place since 1969. Its restoration to main line service and subsequent operation is often credited with opening the door for the return of steam to the main lines of the UK. After years of running a costly overhaul was declined since other members of the class ("King Edward I"
GWR 6000 Class 6024 King Edward I
Great Western Railway 6000 Class 6024 King Edward I is a preserved steam locomotive.The locomotive was built at GWR's Swindon Works in June 1930. For most of its working life it was allocated to Plymouth Laira MPD. Transferred to Old Oak Common MPD, London, in March 1959, and finally to Cardiff...
and "King Edward II"
GWR 6000 Class 6023 King Edward II
Great Western Railway 6000 Class 6023 King Edward II is a preserved steam locomotive.The locomotive was built at GWR's Swindon works in June 1930. For most of its working life it was allocated to Newton Abbott and Laira . It was withdrawn from Cardiff in June 1962, and was sent to Swindon for...
) had been restored for operation. These have had their original chimneys, cabs and safety valve bonnets cut down to allow running on the modern railway, with its much deeper ballast and consequently reduced clearance under bridges. No. 6000 is now displayed in its original condition with full-height fittings. In 2008 no. 6000 moved from the Swindon 'Steam' Railway Museum
Swindon Steam Railway Museum
STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway, also known as Swindon Steam Railway Museum, is located at the site of the old railway works in Swindon, England – Wiltshire's 'railway town'...
, where it had been displayed for several years, to the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
in a swap with BR standard class 9F 92220 "Evening Star"
BR standard class 9F 92220 Evening Star
British Railways Standard Class 9F number 92220 Evening Star, is a preserved British steam locomotive completed in 1960. It was the last steam locomotive to be built by British Railways. It holds the distinction of being the only British main line steam locomotive ear-marked for preservation from...
.