Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon is pleased to confirm that steam locomotive BR Standard Class 2MT No. 78018 will be attending the museum’s Autumn Steam Gala event on Saturday September 16 & Sunday September 17, 2017. Built at Darlington North Road Works in 1953, 78018 entered traffic on March 3 1954 at West Auckland Shed. This was soon followed by a move to Kirkby Stephen, working trains from Tebay to Barnard Castle on the Stainmore Railway. It was while on this line that 78018 became famous by getting stuck in a snow drift during February 1955. Its subsequent rescue was recorded in the British Transport Film “Snowdrift at Bleath Gill”, which can be viewed in the museum’s Collection Building.
The locomotive was withdrawn on November 12 1966, before spending 11 years at Barry scrapyard. The locomotive is now owned by the Darlington Railway Preservation Society (DRPS), who spent more than 30 years restoring as much of the engine as they could, whilst importantly at the same time collecting together the vast majority of the brass fittings for the engine, which had been removed from the engine before they took ownership. Loughborough Standards Locomotive Group (LSLG) had already restored sister engine 78019, and following agreement with the DRPS, 78018 moved to the Great Central Railway, home of LSLG, for completion. 78018 returned to traffic in Autumn 2016. Visitors to the Autumn Steam Gala at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon will have the opportunity to see 78018 in light steam on the events apron and enjoy cab access to this famous locomotive.
The event will feature additional locomotives on outdoor display, plus steam train rides behind Furness Railway No. 20, the oldest standard gauge locomotive still working in the UK. There will also be a host of information stands by heritage railways plus trade stalls to browse. Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon is open from 10am to 5pm daily, and admission is free of charge. For more information, please call the museum team on 01388 777999. Please note that there is a charge for train rides.
