BR Riddles 'Standard 8 Duke' class 4-6-2 No. 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'. Built at Crewe in May 1954, withdrawn in November 1962 and preserved.

71000 was a '8P' class development and not an entirely successful one, that came too late in the history of the steam locomotive. It really never had a future because the 'Britannias', 'A4s' and 'Coronations' already filled that need, even if the latter two were withdrawn by 1963. Forlornly standing outside in the paintshop yard at Crewe Works in June 1965, 71000 had already been withdrawn for over two and a half years. It awaits the decisions that were to cause such a headache in its restoration.

© Arthur Hall-SA Collection