Crewe: The Gathering

Last weekend Crewe Works hosted an event called "The Gathering".

More than sixty preserved locomotives were present, brought in from all over the country, representing steam, diesel and electric. Star attendees included The Flying Scotsman, a pair of Stanier pacifics, "Olten Hall" still in Hogwarts livery (which was giving rides), a Woodhead line EM2 and the sole surviving Metrovick Co-Bo, which was displayed suspended from the workshop's overhead crane. The representative of the group restoring this veteran told me that getting it's first bogie lift for 40 years was the condition of it's attendance.

One fenced off corner contained crash-damaged rolling stock, including the burned-out class 143 railbus which caught fire near Bristol a few months back, fortunately without fatalities. Rather more disturbing was the misshapen carraige covered in tarpaulins, which I realised must have been the wrecked restraunt car from the Hatfield derailment four years ago.

I didn't take many photographs of the day, partly because the weather was dull for much of the day, and partly because my camera batteries ran out shortly after it did brighten up.

It makes me feel old to realise that this locomotive has now been a museum piece for 28 years. I remember waiting at Slough on a cold February morning way back in 1977 to see the passing of the last "Western", an enthusiast special hauled by this very locomotive, D1023 "Western Fusilier". The Warship class locomotive on the right has been preserved even longer, since 1972.

Star "Kettle" was the unique No 71000 "Duke of Gloucester". It's BR career was even shorter than that of the Warships, lasting just eight years from 1954 to 1962. It then spent as many years languising in Barry scrapyard in south Wales, before being preserved and restored to main line working order.

Believe it or not, all three of these locomotives are now preserved. The A4 Pacific "Union of South Africa" was preserved when the two electrics in the foreground were built.

There was also a small display for road vehicles, including a couple of Scammell Mechanical Horses. These strange-looking vehicles with three-wheeled tractor units used to be a common sight around railway goods depots.