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LMR 600 Gordon

676 bytes added, 14:26, 4 October 2019
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==LMR 600 Gordon in service==
Although the 2-10-0 design was intended for overseas use, ‘Gordon’ only saw wartime service in Great Britain. Post-War, Gordon was mainly confined to the Longmoor Military Railway where, numbered 600, it was used by the Royal Engineers as a driver-training engine. However in 1957 during the Suez crisis, it is known to have worked highly secret trains between Longmoor and Southampton.<ref>Information board in The Engine House</ref> It also worked special trains, such as the RCTS 'Longmoor Railtour' on 16 April 1966 from Woking onto the LMR, and onward to Staines.<ref name= "RM1019">The Railway Magazine, October 2019. pp. 40-46</ref>
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Gordon’s last major steam event was the final open day at Longmoor camp on 5 July 1969. A photo may be found on [https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/16194672386/in/album-72157648219525434/ Ernie's Railway Archive].The line closed om 31 October 1969, Gordon working the final train, from Oakhanger to Longmoor.<ref name="RM1019"/>
==LMR 600 Gordon in preservation==
[[File:Bridgnorth Ex-WD 2-10-0 at Severn Valley Railway Depot geograph-2756011-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Gordon on the SVR in 1972 (Wikimedia Commons)]]
[[File:Locomotive Parade, Rainhill 1980 - War Department 2-10-0 - geograph.org.uk - 1587503.jpg | thumb|300px|right|Gordon at Rainhill in 1980 (Wikimedia Commons)]]
 The Association of Railway Preservation Societies, through the Longmoor Trust, negotiated in 1970 a lease of part of the LMR, including an indefinite loan of Gordon. Subsequent objections caused the planning application to fail.<ref name="RM1019"/> Gordon was still the property of the British Army when the Longmoor Military Railway closed and was subsequently sold for non-military purposes. Following this closure, the Army asked the Tranport Trust if it could provide a suitable home for the locomotive.<ref name= "SB9">SVR Stock Book 9th edition</ref>. Gordon arrived on loan to the SVR on 20 September 1971 through the courtesy of the Army and the Transport Trust, accompanied by [[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR | three vintage carriages]].<ref>SVR News 21</ref>
After steam testing in January 1972, the locomotive entered service.<ref>SVR News 23</ref> In August [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#1975 | 1975]] it travelled to Shildon under its own power to attend the Rail 150 celebrations. Service continued with only a brief break for the boiler to be completely retubed during the summer of 1978.<ref>SVR News 48</ref> In [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1980-1989#1980 | 1980]] Gordon travelled in light steam to Bold Colliery from where it participated in the locomotive parade at Rocket 150 at Rainhill.
After a period out of service, Gordon re-entered service on 8 December 1990, the day being marked by a severe blizzard.<ref>SVR News 98</ref> On 4 September 1993, Gordon took over an incoming railtour with the VSOE Pullman train at Kidderminster, when Prince Michael of Kent travelled on the footplate. The locomotive was also used for a series of specials with TV entertainer Roy Castle on 25 March 1994.<ref name= "SB9"/> Service continued until 1998, although in the SVR News locomotive notes for spring 1999 Jan Chojnacki reported that "''I have it on good authority that a sweepstake is being organised for the next failure''".<ref>SVR News 129</ref> The words proved prophetic, as shortly thereafter a fractured small tube causing significant damage in the firebox.<ref>SVR News 130</ref>
Gordon has not seen service on the SVR since 1999. It was one of the original locomotives to go on display in [[The Engine House]] at Highley from opening in March 2008. On Friday 25 July 2008, Gordon was formally handed over from the National Army Museum to the SVR in a ceremony at the Engine House, where it remains on display.<ref>SVR News 164</ref> where it remains on display. <ref>SVR given Gordon, Heritage Railway Magazine, Issue 115, 4 September – 1 October 2008</ref> Gordon is owned by [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC | SVR(H)]].
Due to its size and weight, Gordon is restricted to 5mph over Victoria Bridge.<ref>General Appendix to Working Timetables and Rules and Regulations, Section O6(a)</ref>
 
Mileage recorded by Gordon as reported in SVR News was as follows:
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