City of Truro

City of Truro

Im Didcot National Railway Centre / Oxfordshire

out of the box

Diese für Dampflokfreunde traurige Nachricht verkündeten die Macher des Didcot National Railway Centers am 18. Februar 2013

Sad news today that City of Truro, one of the GWR's true celebrity locomotives, is to be withdrawn from active service by the National Railway Museum. The NRM's press release explains:

The locomotive failed when being prepared to haul steam rides during the half term holidays at the York museum. After a boiler tube was reported as leaking and initial repairs proved unsuccessful, the workshop team carried out hydraulic testing to 50 psi and this confirmed there is a hole in the wall of a tube.
The National Railway Museum curatorial and workshop team examined a number of options including a retube to enable the locomotive to be certificated to operate for a further two years, but regretfully came to the decision that it was in the best interests of the locomotive as a National Collection artefact that it be withdrawn from operation now.
Senior Curator of Railway Vehicles Anthony Coulls explained:
“At present the locomotive is in good mechanical and cosmetic condition and can be withdrawn and conserved for display with minimal investment. A further two years of operation would certainly result in the need for repainting and additional mechanical work, particularly as the tyres are thin and that additionally its tender tank is in poor condition.
"It is a very elderly iconic locomotive and we must remember its place at the heart of the National Collection and our obligation to preserve it for the long term benefit of the public. Therefore, we have agreed that we should withdraw it with dignity now and put together a carefully thought out conservation management plan to make it ready for public display."

Our photo shows City of Truro at Didcot's GWR 175 celebrations in May 2010 with vintage carriages 1941 and 416. City of Truro was based at Didcot engine shed from 1957 to 1961, after she returned to active service in preservation the first time around.