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Description

Memories of 1950s holidays on the 'Cornish Riviera' rekindled as Didcot-based 'King' No. 6023 'King Edward II' climbs away from Goodrington Sands during a working visit to the Dartmouth Steam Railway on 24th September 2018.

Dartmouth is located in Devon, England, United Kingdom. You can see all these pretty colourful little changing huts for those going from casual clothing to those who want to go in the beach or the River Dart or the south sea itself of the English Channel.

'King Edward II' built in 1930 at Swindon Works. Working its whole career from either Newtown Abott or Laira (Plymouth), withdrawn from service in 1962 and then coupled up to its twin 6024 'King Edward I'. They were left together as a couple, and were about to go to scrap BUT then given one last job to be towed as dead weight over a bridge as a loading test.

This actually saved both locomotives as it meant that they were towed to Woodham Brothers Scrapyard in Barry, Wales, rather than down to Swindon where they would securely be cut apart.

Twin 6024 left in 1974 and into preservation. 6023 had to wait at Barry Scrapyard with its broken wheels until 1985 to be rescued by Messrs Harveys of Bristol.

1990, given to the Great Western Society whom then spent the next twenty years overhauling the King class locomotive. 6023 moving under its own power and into service again in 2011.

During that term of operation as well as working at the Didcot Railway Centre, King Edward II also visited and had stints working at the Great Central Railway, Severn Valley Railway, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway [see above photograph]

He last ran in 2020 and so now on static display.

Description

Memories of 1950s holidays on the 'Cornish Riviera' rekindled as Didcot-based 'King' No. 6023 'King Edward II' climbs away from Goodrington Sands during a working visit to the Dartmouth Steam Railway on 24th September 2018.

Dartmouth is located in Devon, England, United Kingdom. You can see all these pretty colourful little changing huts for those going from casual clothing to those who want to go in the beach or the River Dart or the south sea itself of the English Channel.

'King Edward II' built in 1930 at Swindon Works. Working its whole career from either Newtown Abott or Laira (Plymouth), withdrawn from service in 1962 and then coupled up to its twin 6024 'King Edward I'. They were left together as a couple, and were about to go to scrap BUT then given one last job to be towed as dead weight over a bridge as a loading test.

This actually saved both locomotives as it meant that they were towed to Woodham Brothers Scrapyard in Barry, Wales, rather than down to Swindon where they would securely be cut apart.

Twin 6024 left in 1974 and into preservation. 6023 had to wait at Barry Scrapyard with its broken wheels until 1985 to be rescued by Messrs Harveys of Bristol.

1990, given to the Great Western Society whom then spent the next twenty years overhauling the King class locomotive. 6023 moving under its own power and into service again in 2011.

During that term of operation as well as working at the Didcot Railway Centre, King Edward II also visited and had stints working at the Great Central Railway, Severn Valley Railway, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway [see above photograph]

He last ran in 2020 and so now on static display.