By Robin Jones, Editor

LSWR M7 0-4-4T No 30053 makes one of its last runs in worn BR livery, seen at Windmill Knapp on the Swanage Railway on 15 April. ANDREW BELL

One Gresley door has closed, and another two may be opening – and I don’t mean those on the fabulous teak Quad-Art set which saw its first steam-hauled service on the North Norfolk Railway on 24 April since its return from a rebuild to as-new condition at Carnforth.

There is widespread sadness, disappointment and frustration at the expiry of the boiler ticket of V2 2-6-2 No 4771 Green Arrow, and the prospect of an indefinite period stuffed and mounted in a museum without the prospect of it turning a wheel.

The sole survivor of this magnificent class is held is such high esteem that despite its apparent terminal failure at the beginning of April, North Yorkshire Moors Railway shed staff pulled out the stops to effect temporary repairs so that it could defy expectations and haul a final train at the end of its ticket.

Yes, its owner, the National Railway Museum, is not flush with cash, and has said that it is not in the business of running exhibits on the main line. Then why did it buy Flying Scotsman for £2.31-million with the promise to do just that?

In the past 10 years, Green Arrow has shown itself to be one of the most popular locomotives of the preservation era. It has brought pleasure to people across the country, and has been a huge ambassador for the LNER, the steam age and the museum itself.

Replacing the unique monobloc will not be cheap, but if anyone out there offers to sponsor it, or do the job, the NRM should bite their hand off. If there is ever a future deserving case for a lottery grant in the railway sector, this is it.

Never mind about discarding historical components, the cracked monobloc would surely make a truly fascinating static exhibit; and in any case, I believe that the best way to preserve most locomotives and impart maximum benefit in terms of education and learning from them to future generations is to have them doing what they were built to do – hauling trains.

However, just as we finished piecing together our six-page Green Arrow tribute for this issue comes the news that an established group has drawn up a plan to build not one but two LNER B17s, better known as ‘Sandringhams’ or ‘Footballers.’

A project on these lines has been discussed in the background for many years; and while I have not yet seen the business plan – which the A1 Pacific Tornado builders long ago established is far and above the most crucial factor in any new build project – I have no doubt that this scheme will be as eagerly received as the Patriot project unveiled at April’s LMS-themed Llangollen Railway gala.

The LNER fared worst of all the ‘Big Four’ companies in terms of the numbers of preserved locomotives, due to the fact that Dai Woodham was not running the scrapyards to where its numerous classes were sent following withdrawal and there was no hope of a stay of execution lasting a few days, let alone a quarter of a century, as was the case at Barry. Yet the soaraway success of the recent LNER spring steam gala on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which produced our iconic image in last month’s issue of the three A4s in steam together and drew more than 12,000 passengers, shows the thirst that there is for all things apple green or made from teak.

I would love to study in depth the real rationale behind the selection of locomotives for the National Collection nearly half a century ago – did it really take a private individual to save Flying Scotsman from the scrapman in 1963?

We cannot undo the mistakes of the now-distant past, but if wishful thinking really can be transformed into physical support and hard cash, then what better could there be than a steady stream of extinct LNER types re-emerging, like Tornado, built to exacting modern standards, while still showing just what the originals were capable of doing?

As we approach the 40th anniversary of the end of BR standard gauge steam haulage, Tornado will be showcasing the best of the technology of yesteryear for the generations of the future.

Let us hope that it will not be another 18 years before it is joined by more new LNER products, and much, much less before it can steam alongside Green Arrow.

What a pairing that would make!

Robin Jones
Editor