ìEvening Starî and the Twilight of Steam
The 9F Class represented the last in a series of successful BR Standard Classes designed by R. A. Riddles and his team. The final locomotive was withdrawn 50 years ago in 1968, the end of the steam era and one we would like to commemorate with this wonderful 5î gauge live steam model. The reason for choosing ìEvening Starî as our limited edition commemorative is selfevident. Not only were the 9Fís the final steam locomotives built for British Railways, but they were amongst the last types to be withdrawn. Moreover ìEvening Starî is itself singled out as a very special engine in its own right because it was the final steam locomotive to be built for BR. It was decided that such a significant event could not pass without fanfare and the engine was given the evocative name ìEvening Starî in a ceremony at Swindon Works in March 1960. Unlike the rest of the Class, that had all been out-shopped in un-lined black livery, Evening Star was turned out in the old Swindon tradition of fully lined B.R. passenger green livery with copper capped chimney.