The celebrated ‘King’ class locomotive is due to arrive at the National Railway Museum later this week and will take pride of place in the Museum’s Great Hall. The arrival of No.6000 King George V is part of an exchange between the NRM and Swindon STEAM Museum which has swapped the ‘King’ class locomotive for Evening Star.
The transportation of the 135 tonne locomotive along the 250 mile route from Swindon to the NRM in York is undoubtedly the most challenging aspect of the exchange. The majority of the journey will be made by road with the locomotive being transported by a large articulated lorry, but due to the low bridges on York’s Leeman Road, the locomotive must make the final 2 miles of her journey to the National Railway Museum by rail. However, in order to get under the 25,000 volt overhead lines, No.6000’s cab, safety valve bonnet, casting and chimney must be removed. Once this has been done, King George V can be safely taken the final 2 miles of her journey to her new home in the NRM’s Great Hall.
No.6000 King George V was the first ‘King’ class locomotive and was completed in 1927. A few short weeks after her completion, she was shipped to America to participate in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad centenary celebrations. No.6000 led the parade each day of the North American tour where her famous green livery, sleek appearance and smooth performance impressed all who witnessed her. American locomotives of the day were much bigger and relatively plain therefore it is no surprise that the locomotive attracted so much attention. To mark the occasion the locomotive was presented with a brass bell and plaque which she still carries today. This led to No.6000 King George V being affectionately named ‘The Bell’.
After returning to the UK, No.6000 covered just less than 2 million miles before being withdrawn in December 1962. Unusually the locomotive escaped the indignity of relegation to menial jobs and was officially preserved and restored to mainline running order based at Bulmer’s Railway Centre in Hereford. Her restoration to mainline service and subsequent operation is often credited for opening the door for the return of steam to the mainline of the UK which includes the restoration of two other members of the ‘King’ class - King Edward I and King Edward II.
Helen Ashby, Head of Knowledge and Collections at the NRM, said:
Thirty ‘King’ class locomotives were produced between 1927 and 1930, however only three have been fully restored to be enjoyed by the public today. So we’re very excited to have one of these magnificent locomotives on display at the National Railway Museum. We’re certain our visitors will be just as thrilled to see her in our Great Hall as we are.”
No.6000 King George V – The Facts!
* Designed by: Charles Collett
* Build Date: 1927-1930
* Length: 68ft 2in
* Weight: 135 tons 14 cwt
* Fuel Capacity: 6 tons
* Water Capacity: 4000 gallons -- www.nrm.org.uk
