Imitation: the sincerest form of flattery
Witnessing a living ‘Saint’ is a surreal experience, and those who have already clapped eyes on the recreated engine may well share that sentiment.
Perhaps it’s because you are looking at something different, but also something very familiar, because so much of Maindy Hall lives within Lady of Legend.
Indeed, the re-use of other original material, like a former ‘Grange’ chimney and tender frames, means that No. 2999 feels a lot closer to a restoration than a new-build. If anything, it is a good thing that it is so believable – even before its ornate lining is applied – because that is surely what the dreamers of 45 years ago were striving for.
By that token, it also makes a delicious contrast with the ‘A1’. The ‘Saint’ being the conversion of a ‘Hall’ into a pivotal and hitherto extinct class, Tornado the physically unblemished, all-new
locomotive, which metamorphosed from being the dream to recreate the 50th Peppercorn ‘A1’ into being the ‘poster girl’ for the future of main line steam.
Tornado is unashamedly contemporary. Yet the ‘Saint’ is harder to define; is it a tweaked 90-year-old locomotive, or a new one? You could argue that it’s neither.
At first glance, the two are not dissimilar, in that they portray missing links from the steam age. But look closer, and on No. 2999 you’ll see signs of an original working life alongside the burnished brass and copper. Correspondingly, the temptation to construct a welded tender was resisted and a riveted one chosen in favour, even though the rivets were ground down, as per original GWR practice, and you wouldn’t even know they were there!
An all-welded boiler and air brakes immediately make Tornado something quite different under the skin. But it also betrays other features that make it just as much a locomotive of the 21st century as a ‘Pacific’ fresh from Darlington works 70 years ago. Witness the miles of wiring for the Global Positioning System (GPS), USB charging points for phones and other mobile devices, and modern lighting from front to back, and below the running plate.
The point is that there is no right or wrong approach; just differing circumstances. But both demonstrate a will and determination to deliver a dream, no matter how hard, or how long, it takes.
Tornado has already hit a number of highs (and yes, some difficult lows) since it emerged from its chrysalis in 2008.
Lady of Legend is just stepping out on its own journey, and there is plenty of history for it to live up to. You’d have to be the most ardent denigrator of Swindon not to warm to the thought of it at Bewdley station on the Severn Valley Railway, with a string of ‘Toplights’ in tow… We can’t wait.
●● I’d like to say a fond farewell to our longserving narrow gauge correspondent Peter Johnson who, after 24 years and over 300 issues, is taking a well-deserved retirement. I want to thank Peter for all his hard work over the years and congratulate him on his status as SR’s longest-serving contributor. We wish him well, although it certainly won’t be the last you’ve heard from him as he’ll still continue to write features for us, alongside his extensive series of published books.
It also doesn’t mean we’re retiring Narrow Gauge News, which remains a cornerstone of the magazine. Lifelong narrow gauge enthusiast and News & Features Writer Thomas Bright will be picking up from where Peter left off.