Another View of Duke of Gloucester

As the previous article states much development work has been done by the preservation societies and of course the 'Duke' was just one more, work on the Caprotti valves in preservation curing it's poor steaming qualities. Details of the work on the Caprotti valve cam's and timing  can be veiwed  at http://www.71000trust.com/caprotti.html. Such a hurried demise of steam was of course a great mistake. Look at the price of oil today and the fact that we live on a island made largely of coal. This picture of the Loco in Woodhams scrap yard at Barry and next in all it's preseved glory now.

The forlorn hulk, minus many of its parts that was 71000 in 1975, presented a daunting task to the small group of volunteers who took on the restoration. Having outside cylinders removed, sectioned and displayed at the Science Museum London must have done little for morale in those early days. Against the odds, and in the sparse conditions typical of the pioneering days of preservation, the Duke was brought back to life at the Great Central Railway's Loughborough base.

After retyring and fitting of AWS at Crewe Works and a further period of restoration at Didcot Railway Centre, the Duke was ready for the mainline. Performances in the early 1990s won applause and admiration from many quarters, confirming the faith invested in such an ambitious project. A 3,000hp Phoenix had arisen from the ashes with a boiler producing 30% more steam than it ever did in BR days.

In addition to being a very reliable mainline performer, the Duke set new records both on some of its old stamping grounds and on new territory. 1991 saw 71000 take the so-called Blue-Riband for the fastest ascent to Ais Gill on the Settle and Carlisle Railway; the 15 miles of 1 in 100 gradient were taken with steam to spare, the engine blowing off at the safety valves as it breasted the summit.

In 1995, 71000 competed against 46229 Duchess of Hamilton and 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley to become overall winner of the Shap Trials. Later in that year, the Duke set the fastest recorded climb of Camden Bank by steam, attaining 41 mph with the equivalent of 13 coaches being pulled. Interestingly, the Duke might have recorded, in its BR days, one of the slowest times for climbing Camden. On that occasion, it was pulling 17 coaches with the banker coming off at the end of the platform upon departure from Euston!

After lengthy and meticulous overhaul, made possible through substantial funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Duke steamed again in March 2004.

I am grateful to 71000 Steam Locomotive Trust Limited for some of the details I have used here.