‘NUMBER NINE’ TO STAR IN NYMR’S SEASON-OPENER
John Cameron’s ‘A4’ No. 60009 Union of South Africa will be the star of the show at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s seasonopening event next spring.
Following in the footsteps of Flying Scotsman, Royal Scot and Tornado, which have performed the same role in previous years, the Gresley ‘Pacific’ will help kick-start the line’s operating season in an event which has taken the place of the traditional spring steam gala.
NYMR General Manager Chris Price told Steam Railway that ‘Number Nine’ was likely to run on March 30-April 7, but that the dates were still being finalised. He was also quick to refute reports elsewhere in the railway press that No. 60009 would be stored at the NYMR for up to a year after its boiler ticket expires in July, saying: “It is complete and utter rubbish.
“The first we heard about this was when it appeared in print. Where would we put it? The reason we let the ‘K4’ [No. 61994 The Great Marquess, also owned by John Cameron] go is because we couldn’t look after it, so where would we put a dead ‘A4’? It’s just conjecture.”
Union of South Africa is the third LNER-designed ‘Pacific’ to open the NYMR’s main running season, and follows Nos. 60163 and 60103, which starred in similar events in 2018 and 2016 respectively, as well as Stanier ‘7P’ No. 46100 Royal Scot, which headed the 2017 curtain-raiser.
It will be the first time ‘Number Nine’ has worked over the ‘Moors’ since 2008, when it starred alongside classmates Nos. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley and 60019 Bittern, and the visit will likely be the ‘A4’s’ last visit to a preserved railway before its withdrawal in July.
The locomotive will eventually be displayed alongside the ‘K4’ and BR Mk 1 support coach at Mr Cameron’s proposed visitor centre and museum on his farm near Balbuthie, Fife.