11 Nov 1986
Duke Recommissioned by HRH Duke of Gloucester
2 Oct 1995
Tops Shap at 51mph
Outperformed Duchess of Hamilton and Sir Nigel Gresley, 53mph average. Record speed and power output over both Grayrigg and Shap.
2 Oct 1995
Nov 1996
Retires for Heavy Overhaul
Railtrack withdraws Resco’s temporary extension to the boiler ticket, which expired earlier in 1996
Apr 1997
HMF Award
HMF awards the Trust £233,800 for rebuilding and updating the locomotive and to further development work on the valve gear shelved 35 years before.
Jan 2004
Completion of 1st Heavy Overall
First heavy overall in preservation at Ian Riley Engineering, ELR
Jan 2004
15 Aug 2012
Failed at Eastleigh
Cambox issue – Taken to Crewe for second heavy overhaul in preservation
First Overhaul in Preservation
With £233,800 awarded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund to the then Trust in April 1997 for overhauling and updating The Duke and most importantly, to further develop the Caprotti valve gear which was shelved 35 years earlier The Duke’s future looked secure.
The work was carried out by Ian Riley Engineering of Bury at their then base of Buckley Wells on the East Lancashire Railway. The overhaul took 8 years with The Duke moving under his own power within the confines of Buckley Wells on Saturday 24 January 2004. Exactly 4 weeks later on 28 February 2004 The Duke ran to Rawtenstall in tandem with another locomotive. The Duke then moved in April 2004 to Crewe for painting.
On Monday 23 August 2004 The Duke underwent a light engine test run on the West Coast Main Line and 2 days later a loaded test run around the Carnforth-Hellifield-Blackburn loop. Both tests were successfully completed and after some minor fettling The Duke stretched his legs on the North Wales Coast Express (Crewe-Holyhead-Crewe) on Monday 30 August 2004.
The Duke was based on the East Lancashire Railway but ventured out onto the mainline on numerous charters around the national network. There are 3 mainline jaunts worthy of mention. Firstly, on Saturday 3 September 2005 The Duke hauled an excursion from Carnforth over Shap to Carlisle then on to Settle returning to Crewe. The Duke averaged 60 mph over 4.2 miles of 1 in 75 and crested Shap at 53 mph. The second run worthy of note was on Bank Holiday Monday 28 May 2007 on a Bristol-Plymouth-Bristol run when he ran through Dainton Tunnel on the return leg at 44 mph which is an all-time record for steam. And lastly, on Saturday 28 July 2012 The Duke double-headed with 60163 Tornado on the Tamar Devonian excursion.
Two weeks later The Duke was failed at Eastleigh with cam box issues which heralded the onset of his second overhaul in preservation.
A New Era Beckons
The Duke’s failure at Eastleigh on Wednesday 15 August 2012 was unexpected and sadly precipitated the locomotive’s withdrawal from traffic for overhaul. As explained in the new Trust’s Chronology (see 2012 and 2013) the 71000 (Duke of Gloucester) Steam Locomotive Trust had, for some time, been experiencing difficulties in both the financing and the management of the Trust. The Trust Board wrote to the owners of The Duke, 71000 Steam Locomotive Limited, the upshot of which was that the owners wanted to help but insisted on changes to the relationship between the Trust and themselves. The best way to achieve this was to form a new Trust (BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust) in the autumn of 2013 taking the assets of the original Trust and receiving a 50 year lease of The Duke. Information about the new Trust is elsewhere on this website.
The Duke in the meantime had been taken to London & North Western Railway Heritage Co. Ltd. at Crewe (the locomotive’s spiritual home) for overhaul when funds and workshop space permitted. In August 2015 LNWR Heritage informed the new Trust that they would be unable to overhaul The Duke in the foreseeable future. By mid-October 2015 The Duke had been moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works where the overhaul would commence before the year end.
Apr 1997
HMF Award
HMF awards the Trust £233,800 for rebuilding and updating the locomotive and to further development work on the valve gear shelved 35 years before.
Jan 2004
Completion of 1st Heavy Overall
First heavy overall in preservation at Ian Riley Engineering, ELR
Jan 2004
15 Aug 2012
Failed at Eastleigh
Cambox issue – Taken to Crewe for second heavy overhaul in preservation
Oct 2015
Moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works
Heavy overhaul continues with mechanical improvements being made as final modifications to complete The Impossible Dream. Expected completion date September 2021
Oct 2015