Sir Rod Stewart joins L NE RB 17 No .61673 Spirit of Sand ring ham builder

ROCK star Sir Rod Stewart CBE has becomeapatronof the new- build group the B17Steam LocomotiveTrust.

A lifelong railway enthusiast, Rod has been creating his ownmodel railway layouts formany years.

As reported in issue 255, he donated £ 10,000 the Market Deeping Model Railway Club in Lincolnshire, 48 hours after four vodka- drinking teenagers broke into a sports hall where its annual exhibition had been set up and caused more than £ 80,000 deliberate damage on May 18 last year.

The trust is building a replica of LNER B17 4- 6- 0 No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham at the Llangollen Railway.

A statement fromthe trust said: “To have the support of a highprofile personality like Sir Rod is a great boost at this time!

It is possible that hemay have some personal memories of the B17s, as he spent his early years in London. Formany years he has lived in Essex and it is therefore great to have a local personality supporting a local engine.

“A number of the B17 class were named after football clubs and were known as ‘ Footballers’. Sir Rod is also a fan of the game and so his interest in these locomotives is even more appropriate.

“He lived three miles away from Highbury Stadium and was an Arsenal supporter in his early days, when playing for London Schoolboys. He is nowapassionate GlasgowCeltic Fan. Their football ground is within four miles of the North British Locomotive CompanyWorks in Glasgow, where the B17 designwas completed, and the first 10 locomotives were built in 1928.

“The trust is delighted to welcome Sir Rod as our patron and we look forward tomeeting him in the future to share a common interest in railways as we progress with Spirit of Sandringham.”