Crowds were delighted to see a historic steam train pass through a local station over the weekend.
Steam enthusiasts had a treat on Saturday when the locomotive the Duke of Gloucester rolled through Bradford on Avon on Saturday, May 16.
Dozens of people on the platform were delighted to view this iconic steam locomotive travel through Wiltshire on route to Bristol in full steam.
According to a website dedicated to the locomotive, known to many simply as ‘The Duke’, the engine’s maintenance is funded primarily by public support, including membership subscriptions donations and fares paid for rail-tours hauled by the engine.
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The Duke is reportedly now based at the Crewe Depot of Locomotive Services Limited and is returning to mainline operations.
During his latest heavy overhaul several modifications have been undertaken in order to maintain compatibility with the latest developments in railway technology.
It was the objective of the Trust to have The Duke restored to as closely as possible to its original 1954 external condition and livery on completion of the overhaul.
The Trust has been funded to pay for the authentic paint job done by LSL and build sufficient reserves for future boiler maintenance and looking further into the future The Duke’s next heavy overhaul.
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