Iconic locomotive Sir Nigel Gresley to steam through Leicester
Locomotive enthusiasts will be able to see the 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley pass through Leicester Railway Station[1] this morning as it makes its way to Cambridgeshire. The train, which was the first in the UK to reach 100mph while carrying passengers on a scheduled journey, will pass through Leicestershire as it makes its way to the Nene Valley Railway.
The train, named after the designer of the 4-6-2 ‘Pacific’ steam locomotive, is a sister of the famous Mallard, and has been given a brand new livery to replace its Wartime Black paint with British Railways Blue. The Sir Nigel Gresley will depart from its base in Crewe at 9.45am, before heading through Stafford at 10.16am and onto Nuneaton for 10.58am, CoventryLive reports[2].
From there, it will head to Leicester, passing through at around 11.25am, before going through Melton[3] at 12.44pm, Oakham[4] at 12.57pm, Peterborough at 1.36pm, and then onto Orton Mere on the Nene Valley Railway for 1.40pm. These are approximate times and subject to change, but it will provide local train spotters with a window to see a historic steam train in action going through the county.
The loco is one of many designed by its namesake, who lived in Netherseal near Ashby, and was considered one of the greatest of all time at his craft. Among his engines are the famous Flying Scotsman and the Mallard.
An A4 class, the same as the Mallard, the Sir Nigel Gresley was built for the LNER in 1937. It ran commercially until 1966, but was preserved and restored as a heritage locomotive the following year.
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References
- ^ Leicester Railway Station (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ CoventryLive reports (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ Melton (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Oakham (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ sign up to our newsletters here. (data.reachplc.com)