LNER Class A4 4488 Union of South Africa
Encyclopedia
60009 Union of South Africa is an LNER Class A4
steam locomotive
built in Doncaster in 1937. Originally named Osprey, it is one of six surviving Gresley
A4s and is presently undergoing an extensive overhaul.
in 1937 and originally numbered 4488, it was named after the then newly-formed Union of South Africa
. Although it had previously been allocated the name "Osprey" on 17 April 1937, when it came out of the paint shop on 29 June, it had been renamed. "Osprey" name plates were fitted to the locomotive during the 1980s and early 1990s due to the politics of the time. Its name has since reverted to Union of South Africa. The works number of Union of South Africa was 1853; the plaques are located in the cab itself and not on the exterior cab sides as is the usual practice.
newspaper proprietor. Only the one plaque was fitted on the left hand side of the locomotive. The position has changed on a couple of occasions: originally the plaque was on the boiler side, being moved to the cabsides in preservation. Recently, the plaque has reverted to the historically correct position. 60009 is fitted with an American, Crosby chime whistle in common with other members of its class.
. She gained a stainless steel number 9 during this repaint. 4 August 1949 saw 60009 applied with the experimental British Rail
ways dark blue livery (as 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley
is wearing currently in 2008). Finally on 2 October 1952, Union of South Africa was painted in British Railways brunswick green livery. She has worn this livery throughout preservation to date.
60009 has been fitted with 14 boilers during her career: 8951 (her boiler from new-build), 9129 (a new-build boiler fitted November 9, 1940), 8955 (from 4492 Dominion of New Zealand, January 13, 1945), 9128 (from 2512 Silver Fox, February 9, 1946), 8957 (from 4490 Empire of India, May 5, 1948), 9027 (from 60028 Walter K Whigham, August 4, 1949 - this boiler was renumbered 29279 on November 23, 1950), 29285 (from 60032 Gannet
, April 22, 1954), 29278 (from 60013 Dominion of New Zealand, November 18, 1958), 27965 (a new-build boiler, February 17, 1960), 27961 (from 60024 Kingfisher
, July 19, 1961) and 29337 (from 60023 Golden Eagle
, November 6, 1963).
60009 has had five tenders through her career, of two differing types. The first tender she had was a 1928 pattern streamlined corridor tender. This was a rebuild of a tender fitted to a Class A1 or A3
beforehand, being streamlined and fitted to 4488 from new. This was later changed for a new-build streamlined corridor tender from 1948 - 1963. Currently 60009 is fitted with a 1928 pattern streamlined corridor tender, allowing her cab crew to be changed whilst the locomotive is hauling passenger trains, a feature demonstrated on 9 August 2007 Scarborough Spa Express
. The tenders she has had were: 5325 (April 17, 1937 - March 22, 1948), 5636 (May 5, 1948 - May 14, 1948), 5591 (May 14, 1948 - July 16, 1963), 5332 (November 6, 1963 - June 1, 1966) and 5484 (July 17, 1966 - September 10, 1966).
60009 had a double chimney fitted on November 18, 1958. This feature was first fitted to 4468 Mallard
back in 1938. As the safety requirements were tightened after the Harrow Rail crash, Automatic Warning Systems or AWS was fitted to all locomotives. 60009 was so fitted on February 17, 1960. At the same time this was done, a Stone-Smith type speed recorder was also fitted.
shed in Edinburgh
from new and May 20, 1962 she had her only shed transfer to Aberdeen
.
On 24 October 1964 it hauled the last booked steam hauled train from Kings Cross. It was twenty minutes late through Grantham owing to a broken rail at High Dyke. It was the last loco to be overhauled at Doncaster whilst in service. 60009 was withdrawn from British railways service on June 1, 1966.
in July 1966, 60009 was preserved on the now-defunct Lochty Private Railway in Fife, Scotland
. There the mighty A4 travelled the 3 miles of track near Anstruther
. Now, she travels all over the country visiting many preserved railways and hauling mainline steam specials such as the Torbay Express
.
It has accumulated the highest mileage of any locomotive in the class. In January 2007, it left the Severn Valley Railway
, where it was based for many years and went to Crewe for fitment of on-train monitoring recorder (OTMR) equipment. In May 2007 it was moved to Scotland to work the Railway Touring Company's The Great Britain railtour and thence to its new base at Thornton. Whilst this is its home shed it travels widely south of the border with its dedicated support team working tours all over England. During 2007 it hauled summer steam specials to Scarborough from York via Knaresborough, Harrogate and Leeds.
In 2008 it was continuing to work with the Railway Touring Co, scheduled to pull trains running between York and Edinburgh on several occasions during the first half of 2008. Union of South Africa appeared at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway LNER Festival 2008, along with 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley and 60019 Bittern, the first time that all three locomotives were together in preservation.
In light of the expiration of her boiler certificate, Union of South Africa is presently at Pete Waterman
's LNWR Workshops at the Crewe Heritage Centre, undergoing an extensive overhaul.
LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognizable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, still claims the...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
built in Doncaster in 1937. Originally named Osprey, it is one of six surviving Gresley
Nigel Gresley
Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers, who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway . He was the designer of some of the most famous steam locomotives in Britain, including the LNER Class A1 and LNER Class A4...
A4s and is presently undergoing an extensive overhaul.
Names
Built for the LNERLondon and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
in 1937 and originally numbered 4488, it was named after the then newly-formed Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
. Although it had previously been allocated the name "Osprey" on 17 April 1937, when it came out of the paint shop on 29 June, it had been renamed. "Osprey" name plates were fitted to the locomotive during the 1980s and early 1990s due to the politics of the time. Its name has since reverted to Union of South Africa. The works number of Union of South Africa was 1853; the plaques are located in the cab itself and not on the exterior cab sides as is the usual practice.
Plaque
The springbok plaque on the side of the locomotive was donated on 12 April 1954 by a BloemfonteinBloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
newspaper proprietor. Only the one plaque was fitted on the left hand side of the locomotive. The position has changed on a couple of occasions: originally the plaque was on the boiler side, being moved to the cabsides in preservation. Recently, the plaque has reverted to the historically correct position. 60009 is fitted with an American, Crosby chime whistle in common with other members of its class.
Liveries
Union of South Africa has worn many liveries throughout her career. The first livery she wore was as 4488 in garter blue, applied on 19 April 1937. The next livery applied was LNER wartime black on 21 March 1942. This livery was amended on 14 August 1943 when the "L" and "R" were removed to confuse potential spies, leaving the all-black locomotive with just "NE" on the tender. 21 February 1947 saw Union of South Africa regain garter blue with red and white lining. Her number was changed to just "9" on 12 January 1946, under the renumbering scheme of Gresley's successor, Edward ThompsonEdward Thompson (engineer)
Edward Thompson was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway between 1941 and 1946.- Biography :Edward Thompson was the son of an assistant master at Marlborough College. He was educated at Marlborough before taking the Mechanical Science Tripos at Pembroke College,...
. She gained a stainless steel number 9 during this repaint. 4 August 1949 saw 60009 applied with the experimental British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways dark blue livery (as 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley
LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley
London and North Eastern Railway A4 Class number 4498 , 7 and 60007 , namedSir Nigel Gresley is a preserved British steam locomotive.-Liveries:...
is wearing currently in 2008). Finally on 2 October 1952, Union of South Africa was painted in British Railways brunswick green livery. She has worn this livery throughout preservation to date.
Technical details
As with all 35 of the Gresley A4 pacific steam locomotives, Union of South Africa was fitted with streamlined valances, or side skirting, when she was built. This was found to hinder maintenance and, as with her sisters, it was removed. 4488 lost her valances during a works visit March 21, 1942.60009 has been fitted with 14 boilers during her career: 8951 (her boiler from new-build), 9129 (a new-build boiler fitted November 9, 1940), 8955 (from 4492 Dominion of New Zealand, January 13, 1945), 9128 (from 2512 Silver Fox, February 9, 1946), 8957 (from 4490 Empire of India, May 5, 1948), 9027 (from 60028 Walter K Whigham, August 4, 1949 - this boiler was renumbered 29279 on November 23, 1950), 29285 (from 60032 Gannet
Gannet
Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus Morus, in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies.The gannets are large black and white birds with yellow heads. They have long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up...
, April 22, 1954), 29278 (from 60013 Dominion of New Zealand, November 18, 1958), 27965 (a new-build boiler, February 17, 1960), 27961 (from 60024 Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
, July 19, 1961) and 29337 (from 60023 Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, November 6, 1963).
60009 has had five tenders through her career, of two differing types. The first tender she had was a 1928 pattern streamlined corridor tender. This was a rebuild of a tender fitted to a Class A1 or A3
LNER Class A1/A3
The London and North Eastern Railway LNER Gresley Classes A1 and A3 locomotives represented two distinct stages in the history of the British 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam locomotives designed by Nigel Gresley...
beforehand, being streamlined and fitted to 4488 from new. This was later changed for a new-build streamlined corridor tender from 1948 - 1963. Currently 60009 is fitted with a 1928 pattern streamlined corridor tender, allowing her cab crew to be changed whilst the locomotive is hauling passenger trains, a feature demonstrated on 9 August 2007 Scarborough Spa Express
Scarborough Spa Express
The Scarborough Spa Express is a regular summer heritage steam locomotive service between York and Scarborough via Harrogate and Leeds. It is operated by the West Coast Railway Company, however has been operated in previous years by different companies, including the Railway Touring...
. The tenders she has had were: 5325 (April 17, 1937 - March 22, 1948), 5636 (May 5, 1948 - May 14, 1948), 5591 (May 14, 1948 - July 16, 1963), 5332 (November 6, 1963 - June 1, 1966) and 5484 (July 17, 1966 - September 10, 1966).
60009 had a double chimney fitted on November 18, 1958. This feature was first fitted to 4468 Mallard
LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard
Number 4468 Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster, England in 1938. While in other respects a relatively typical member of its class, it is historically significant for being the holder of the official world speed record for steam...
back in 1938. As the safety requirements were tightened after the Harrow Rail crash, Automatic Warning Systems or AWS was fitted to all locomotives. 60009 was so fitted on February 17, 1960. At the same time this was done, a Stone-Smith type speed recorder was also fitted.
Career
Union of South Africa was allocated to HaymarketHaymarket railway station
For the Tyne and Wear Metro see Haymarket Metro station.Haymarket railway station is in Haymarket, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is Edinburgh's second largest station after Waverley, a major commuter and long-distance destination, located quite centrally near the West End...
shed in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
from new and May 20, 1962 she had her only shed transfer to Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
.
On 24 October 1964 it hauled the last booked steam hauled train from Kings Cross. It was twenty minutes late through Grantham owing to a broken rail at High Dyke. It was the last loco to be overhauled at Doncaster whilst in service. 60009 was withdrawn from British railways service on June 1, 1966.
Preservation
Purchased by John CameronJohn Cameron (farmer)
John B. Cameron of Balbuthie CBE FRAgS is a Scottish farmer, with significant interest in railways.-Farming:Widely credited as the one-time largest sheep farmer in Europ], Cameron owned seven farms in Fife and West Perthshire...
in July 1966, 60009 was preserved on the now-defunct Lochty Private Railway in Fife, Scotland
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. There the mighty A4 travelled the 3 miles of track near Anstruther
Anstruther
Anstruther is a small town in Fife, Scotland. The two halves of Anstruther are divided by a small stream called Dreel Burn. Anstruther lies 9 miles south-southeast of St Andrews. It is the largest community on the stretch of north-shore coastline of the Firth of Forth known as the East Neuk,...
. Now, she travels all over the country visiting many preserved railways and hauling mainline steam specials such as the Torbay Express
Torbay Express
The Torbay Express is a named passenger train operating in the United Kingdom.-Great Western Railway:Historically, the Torbay Express name was applied to services operated by the Great Western Railway from London Paddington to Torquay and Paignton....
.
It has accumulated the highest mileage of any locomotive in the class. In January 2007, it left the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
, where it was based for many years and went to Crewe for fitment of on-train monitoring recorder (OTMR) equipment. In May 2007 it was moved to Scotland to work the Railway Touring Company's The Great Britain railtour and thence to its new base at Thornton. Whilst this is its home shed it travels widely south of the border with its dedicated support team working tours all over England. During 2007 it hauled summer steam specials to Scarborough from York via Knaresborough, Harrogate and Leeds.
In 2008 it was continuing to work with the Railway Touring Co, scheduled to pull trains running between York and Edinburgh on several occasions during the first half of 2008. Union of South Africa appeared at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway LNER Festival 2008, along with 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley and 60019 Bittern, the first time that all three locomotives were together in preservation.
In light of the expiration of her boiler certificate, Union of South Africa is presently at Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
's LNWR Workshops at the Crewe Heritage Centre, undergoing an extensive overhaul.