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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 [[:Category:Rolling stock associated with the Longmoor Military Railway|Longmoor Military Railway No. ]] where, numbered 600 'Gordon' , it was built in 1943 at used by the North British Locomotive Company’s Hyde Park Works in Glasgow Royal Engineers as works number 25437a driver-training engine. The locomotiveHowever in 1957 during the Suez crisis, which it is named after General known to have worked highly secret trains between Longmoor and Southampton.<ref>Information board in The Engine House</ref>  <gallery mode=packed heights=150px style="text-align:left">File:Gordon of Khartoum, is Longmoor 1949.jpg | Gordon in 1949 (Wikimedia Commons)</gallery> Gordon made a World War 2 ‘Austerity’ brief appearance as an express passenger locomotive designed by Rin the Children's Film Foundation film "Runaway Railway", filmed at the Longmoor Military Railway in 1965.<ref>[https://www.reelstreets. Acom/films/runaway-railway-childrens-film-foundation/ reelstreets. Riddlescom]</ref> Gordon also worked special trains, such as the RCTS 'Longmoor Railtour' on 16 April 1966 from Woking onto the LMR, and was the second of 150 such locomotives builtonward to Staines.<ref name= "RM1019">The Railway Magazine, October 2019. It was originally numbered WD 73651 for the War Departmentpp.40-46</ref>

Gordon's last major steam event was the final open day at Longmoor camp on 5 July 1969. The standard War Department line closed on 31 October 1969, Gordon working the final train, from Oakhanger to Longmoor<ref name="RM1019"/>. ==LMR 600 Gordon in preservation==[[Whyte notation | File:Bridgnorth Ex-WD 2-810-0at Severn Valley Railway Depot geograph-2756011-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Gordon on the SVR in 1972 (Wikimedia Commons)]] freight locomotive was a simplified version of the LMS 8F. The [[Whyte notation | 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)]] design was introduced to give  The Association of Railway Preservation Societies, through the Longmoor Trust, negotiated in 1970 a reduced axle loadinglease of part of the LMR, mainly intended 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 overseas use where track quality non-military purposes. Following this closure, the Army asked the Tranport Trust if it could be worse than provide a suitable home for the UKlocomotive. To enable <ref name= "SB9">SVR Stock Book 9th edition</ref> Gordon arrived on loan to the locomotive to negotiate sharp curves, SVR on 20 September 1971 through the courtesy of the 2-10-0’s centre driving wheels are flangeless whilst Army and the next pairs have reduced flanges (a feature continued in Transport Trust, accompanied by [[Carriages formerly resident on the BR Standard 9F)SVR | three vintage carriages]].<ref>SVR News 21</ref>

Although of After steam testing in January 1972, the 2locomotive entered service.<ref>SVR News 23</ref> In August [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-10-0 design intended 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 overseas use, ‘Gordon’ only saw wartime service in the UKboiler to be completely retubed during the summer of 1978. Post<ref>SVR News 48</ref> In [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1980-War, 1989#1980 | 1980]] Gordon was mainly confined travelled in light steam to the Longmoor Military Railway Bold Colliery from where, numbered 600, it was used as by participated in the locomotive parade at [[Rocket 150]] at Rainhill. Gordon is one of only two steam locomotives on the Royal Engineers as a driverSVR (along with [[SR 34027 Taw Valley|34027 Taw Valley]]) which are equipped to work with air-training enginebraked rolling stock. However This facility was occasionally used in preservation, including in May 1982 when Gordon worked an incoming train of 19 wagons delivering 1,800 concrete sleepers.<ref>SVR News 64</ref>.<gallery>File:LMR_600_20151122.jpg|Westinghouse air pump for working air-braked rolling stock</gallery>  Having seen action in 1957 during each of the Suez crisisyears 1972 to 1984, it is known Gordon’s boiler succumbed to have worked highly secretive trains between Longmoor broken stays and thin firebox plates and Southamptonthe locomotive was withdrawn from service at the end of that year, in the words of Chief Engineer [[Alun Rees]] "''much to the relief of many of the footplate crews''".<ref> SVR News 74</ref>

==LMR 600 After a period out of service, Gordon in preservation==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 still also used for a series of specials with TV entertainer Roy Castle on Saturday 25 March 1995.<ref group="note">A caption in SVR News 114 Spring 1995 p.6. states "Saturday 25 March 1994". Given the property 1995 date of publication, and that 25 March was a Saturday in 1995 but a Friday in 1994, the British Army when running date is assumed to be 1995. Stock Book 9 also mentions 1994, possibly based on that caption.</ref> Service continued until 1998, although in the SVR News locomotive notes for spring 1999 Jan Chojnacki reported that "''I have it arrived 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 September 1971 the firebox.<ref>SVR News 130</ref>  Gordon has not seen service on loan from The Transport Trustthe SVR since 1999. It remained Army property until 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 when, by then the last steam locomotive owned by Gordon was formally handed over from the National Army, it was donated Museum to the SVRin a ceremony at the Engine House, where it remains on display. It <ref>SVR News 164</ref><ref>SVR given Gordon, Heritage Railway Magazine, Issue 115, 4 September – 1 October 2008</ref> Gordon is now 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:

Gordon saw regular use in the early days of the SVR. In August {| class="wikitable"|-! <b>Year</b> !! style="text-align:right;" | <b>Mileage</b> |-| 1972 || style="text-align:right;" | 315|-| 1973 || style="text-align:right;" | 670|-| 1974 || style="text-align:right;" | 1,405|-| 1975 it travelled to Shildon under its own power to attend the Rail 150 celebrations|| style="text-align:right;" | 1, and in 020|-| 1976 || style="text-align:right;" | 1,870|-| 1977 || style="text-align:right;" | 1,720|-| 1978 || style="text-align:right;" | 435|-| 1979 || style="text-align:right;" | 630|-| 1980 it participated in the locomotive parade at Rocket 150 at Rainhill.|| style="text-align:right;" | 1,710|-| 1981 || style="text-align:right;" | 1,060|-| 1982 || style="text-align:right;" | 1,745|-| 1983 || style="text-align:right;" | 1,266|-| 1984 || style="text-align:right;" | 1,206|-| 1990 || style="text-align:right;" | 829|-| 1991 || style="text-align:right;" | 3,835|-| 1992 || style="text-align:right;" | 1,870|-| 1993 || style="text-align:right;" | 2,340|-| 1994 || style="text-align:right;" | 4,031|-| 1995 || style="text-align:right;" | 5,262|-| 1996 || style="text-align:right;" | 2,832|-| 1997 || style="text-align:right;" | 3,104|-| 1998 || style="text-align:right;" | 3,889|-| 1999 || style="text-align:right;" | 62|-| <b>Total</b> || style="text-align:right;" | 43,106|}

[[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979]]<br>[[SVR-based locomotives visiting other events]] ==References==<references /> ==Notes==<references group="note"/> ==Links==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD_Austerity_2-10-0 WD Austerity 2-10-0 on Wikipedia] {{SteamNavbox}} [[Category:Featured articles]][[Category: Rolling stock owned by SVR(H)]][[Category:Rolling stock associated with the Longmoor Military Railway]]