Scheduled locomotive
Duke of Gloucester
71000
71000, Duke of Gloucester is a British Railways Standard Class 8P built at Crewe works in 1954.
Designed by Robert Riddles to work the heavy express trains between Euston and Scotland, Duke of Gloucester was a prototype for the BR Standard Class 8 express passenger locomotives but was the only one of the class ever to be built.
Previously, Riddle’s Britannia class 7 had been highly successful and the Standard Class 8 was intended to be an enlarged version of the Britannia class, with a three-cylinder layout instead of two worked by the more steam efficient Caprotti valve gear. However, certain design and construction errors meant the locomotive failed to achieve its expected performance in service and in 1962, after only 8 years of operation, Duke of Gloucester was withdrawn for scrap.
Sent to Barry scrapyard it languished until rescued by the Duke of Gloucester Steam Locomotive Trust in 1974. A thirteen year restoration project began, during which time the initial faults were corrected to transform the locomotive into the free steaming, powerful engine it was designed to be.
After being withdrawn from service 2012 the Duke has been through a long extensive overhaul before its return to hauling trips on the mainline in 2024.
Whilst this locomotive is rostered for the steam hauled sections of the trip listed, it cannot be guaranteed and may be substituted for a different engine.
