6023 CONFIRMED FOR SEVERN VALLEY AND GWSR GALAS
‘KEII’ joins LNER guest engines on Kidderminster-Bridgnorth line, and debuts on ‘GlosWarks’.
Two of Britain’s premier Great Western preserved lines will host No. 6023 King Edward II this year, as the BR blue ‘King’ has been confirmed for both the Severn Valley and Gloucestershire Warwickshire railways’ forthcoming galas. The Collett 4-6-0 joins what is already a packed line-up at the SVR’s ‘Spring Steam Gala’ on March 16-18, where it will appear alongside previously announced ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado, ‘B1’ No. 1264 – which will be making its debut in LNER lined black at the event (see SR476) – ‘B12’ No. 8572 and Haydock Foundry 0-6-0WT Bellerophon. BR ‘4MT’ No. 80072, which has been on loan to the SVR over the Christmas period, will also be in attendance, as well as members of the SVR’s home fleet. ‘KEII’s’ confirmation comes after the Great Western Society, which owns the four-cylinder locomotive, announced that it would not pursue its aims of taking No. 6023 onto the main line during the remainder of its current boiler ticket (see SR476). King Edward II has also been confirmed as the first guest engine for the GWSR’s May 26-28 ‘Cotswold Festival of Steam’. The ‘King’ will be making its preservation debut on the Cheltenham-Broadway line at the event, and it is believed the only time a ‘60XX’ has previously graced the ‘Honeybourne Line’ was during a positioning move for No. 6000 King George V in the mid-1970s. Although two further guest engines are expected to be announced nearer the time, the ‘King’ will be in good company at the event, as the GWSR will be able to field four of its own Swindonbuilt engines – ‘28XX’ No. 2807, ‘42XX’ No. 4270, ‘Manor’ No. 7820 Dinmore Manor and ‘Modified Hall’ No. 7903 Foremarke Hall – as well as resident ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. The 2ft gauge North Gloucestershire Railway will
also be in operation during the three-day gala.