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The locomotive was the second of the class, built at the North British Locomotive Company's Hyde Park Works in Glasgow as works number 25437. It entered service in December 1943 as War Department No. 3651. During 1944 it was renumbered 73651 following an instruction to increase the WD numbers by 70,000.<ref name=Rowledge16/> Although the majority of the 2-10-0 class were shipped overseas, 73651 only saw wartime service in Great Britain.
Post-War, the locomotive was mainly confined to the [[:Category:Rolling stock associated with the Longmoor Military Railway|Longmoor Military Railway]] where it was used by the Royal Engineers as a driver-training engine and for other general duties. It was given the Army number 600 in 1956<ref>[[Bibliography#Other References|Rowledge (1987)]] p. 49.</ref> and was named after the Royal Engineers' famous General, Charles Gordon ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_George_Gordon|General Gordon of Khartoum]). <ref group="note">An earlier carrier of that name was [[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas#2000-2009|Taff Vale Railway 0-6-2T No 85]], which visited the SVR in 2003.</ref> During the 'Suez crisis' in the same year, Gordon was reputed to have worked highly secret overnight trains carrying Government materials between Longmoor and Southampton Docks, crewed by the Army and accompanied by a BR pilotman.<ref>[[Bibliography#Other References|Rowledge (1987)]] p. 52.</ref>
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The LMR was home to a number of other steam locomotives, but by the 1960s Gordon was the last remaining in service. It made a brief appearance as an express passenger locomotive in the Children's Film Foundation film "Runaway Railway", filmed at the LMR in 1965.<ref>[https://www.reelstreets.com/films/runaway-railway-childrens-film-foundation/ reelstreets.com]</ref> It was a popular attraction at enthusiasts' events and on both 16 and 30 April 1966 worked RCTS excursions on BR metals from Woking to Liss and continuing later to Staines, the first occasion being photographed by Tim Stephens of the [[Master Neverers Association]].<ref>Never Again Volume 9, MNA Publications, p. 212.</ref><ref name= "RM1019">The Railway Magazine, October 2019. pp. 40-46</ref>
Gordon's last major steam event was the final open day at Longmoor camp on 5 July 1969. The line closed on 31 October 1969, Gordon working the final train from Oakhanger to Longmoor.<ref name="RM1019"/> LMR had its own fitters school. 600 was retubed in Longmoor shed in 1963.<ref>[https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/9/longmoor.htm Farmer, Keith, The Industrial Railway Record, 1963]</ref> Steam locomotives also reached Eastleigh for repairs.
==LMR 600 Gordon in preservation==
