Longmoor Military Railway Gordon Severn Valley Railway

Longmoor Military Railway The Longmoor Military Railway (LMR) was a British military railway in Hampshire, built by the Royal Engineers from 1903 in order to train soldiers on railway construction and operations. The railway ceased operation on 31 October 1969. Route ...

number 600 ''Gordon'' is a preserved British steam locomotive. It was built during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

to the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...

"Austerity" 2-10-0 design and was the last steam locomotive owned by the British Army. It had the same power output as the Austerity 2-8-0 but a lighter

axle load An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...

, making it suitable for secondary lines. The middle driving wheels of the class have no

flange A flange is a protruded ridge, lip or rim (wheel), rim, either external or internal, that serves to increase shear strength, strength (as the flange of an iron beam (structure), beam such as an I-beam or a T-beam); for easy attachment/transfer of ...

, to ease turning on tighter tracks.

Service

Gordon was the second of 150 2-10-0 locomotives built for the War Department by the North British Locomotive Co. at its Hyde Park Works in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. The locomotive entered service in December 1943 as No. 3651, shortly afterward becoming No. 73651 when the instruction was given during 1944 to increase WD numbers by 70,000. Although most of the first batch of 100 saw service overseas, Gordon remained in the UK throughout the War. After the War, the locomotive was used by the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

on the

in Hampshire, UK. It was renumbered 600 in 1952 and given the name Gordon in honour of the

' most famous General, Charles Gordon (" Gordon of Khartoum"). While at the LMR, Gordon was used both on general duties and for instructional use. During the

Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...

in 1956, it was reputed to have worked secret nightly trains carrying Government materials between Longmoor and Southampton Docks. By the 1960s, Gordon was the last steam locomotive still in use at the LMR and had become a popular attraction at enthusiasts' specials, including working on BR metals between Woking and Liss on 30 April 1966.

Preservation

When the LMR closed in October 1969, Gordon was offered a home on the

Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The heritage line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route, and c ...

, arriving there in 1972 and operating from 29 July of that year. In July 1975, it took part in the Stockton and Darlington 150 celebrations at Shildon, being steamed in the cavalcade. In May 1980, it took part in the Locomotive Parade at Rocket 150, the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway at Rainhill. Gordon also served as

Gordon the Big Engine This article is about the characters that have appeared in the books of ''The Railway Series'' by the Wilbert Awdry, Rev. Wilbert Awdry and Christopher Awdry. Unless otherwise stated on this page, the technical notes come from actual notes laid ...

from

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' (originally known as ''Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'' and later ''Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!'') is a British children's television series that aired across 24 series from 1984 to 2021. Based on ''The ...

as part of SVR's former Day out with Thomas events. Gordon was withdrawn from service in 1999 after a boiler tube blew. The engine was deemed not cost-effective to repair at that time. After being stored outside for many years, it was given a cosmetic repaint and was one of the first locomotives placed in

The Engine House The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The heritage line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route, and c ...

museum adjoining in March 2008. On 25 July 2008, the locomotive was formally handed over by the Army to the Severn Valley Railway, who had been looking after it in a caretaker capacity.Severn Valley Railway News, Issue 164 Winter 2008/9, p. 17. , it remains on display while awaiting an overhaul.

References

Sources

External links

Severn Valley Railway 'LMR 600 Gordon'
WD Austerity 2-10-0 Preserved steam locomotives of Great Britain Severn Valley Railway Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain Individual locomotives of Great Britain {{UK-steam-loco-stub