6024 King Edward 1

6024 departs Chester with the morning test run back to Crewe.
View attachment upload_2026-10-2_21-12-44.jpeg

 

Aside from 6024's physical late BR condition, the livery - as stunning as it may look - has innacuracies all over the place. The shade of green is indeed incorrect (looks more like an early BR shade as used on 5043), the buffer beam number font is incorrect, the tender lettering is too large and is the wrong font anyway (particularly the A and T letters), the ejector assembly and exhaust along the driver's side of the boiler should be black - these were only painted green in BR days, the lubrication pipe cover on the smokebox is all black, when it should match up with the green / lining on the boiler, the list does indeed go on.

Now, I'm not usually too fussed about things like this and I am very happy to see the loco back in action - a true credit to the 6024 team at Williton and those at Crewe that did the final tinkering; she seems in fine form indeed! However, when the only way to see or experience the loco (aside from the rare preserved railway visit) is to pay through the nose for what will always be a diesel-assisted railtour, I do expect better. It smacks of "this is sort of what a GWR loco should look like, our well-off non-enthusiast clientele won't care anyway".

 

Well I guess if "our well-off non-enthusiast clientele" do care they will see bookings take a dive going forward.
It all comes back to who owns it and how they want it to look at the end of the day. An argument that has been debated many times on here, but of course can never be resolved unless you are said owner.

 

Indeed, indeed!

 

Quite correct but no reason why, when a cat looks at a King, he should not comment on what he sees.

 

Ironic that you wrote this just hours after an enthusiast orientated trip with 6024 was announced https://saphostrains.com/journey/the-cumbrian-mountaineer-11-11-2026/
Standard at £99 has already sold out, First (£149) is available. Similar recent trips have all run without a diesel so there is every expectation this one will too.

 

I watched the first departure from Wansford via RailCam: it looked pretty full.

 

No irony at all - we all know this isn't LSL's bread and butter and that this is a way for them to make money for what will essentially be a loaded mainline test run. Come next year and you'll be forking out a lot more than £99 (which wouldn't be considered cheap to most of the enthusiast community I am sure) for a run behind 6024, and a diesel will almost certainly be present.

Anyway, the main point of my post was the inaccuracies of the livery on 6024. That, along with the usual costs, itineraries, and target demographic LSL go after in my view show that they're not fussed what the enthusiast community thinks.

 

6024 makes its revenue earning debut after nearly 15 years at the Nene Valley Railway, filmed today in and out of sunlight during the day

 

Some footage from the King's public debut at the Nene Valley, seeming in fine fettle; Certainly very busy around Wansford station and looked to be plenty of people on the train itself

 

would anyone know when King Edward will be leaving the NVR and heading back to Crewe?

Edit : It's on Tuesday 5Z24 10.27-10.30 at Peterborough Station back at Crewe 14.20

 

A light engine move is booked for Tuesday.
Meanwhile, it is another lovely morning at Wansford today.

 

Here's my footage of the King on Saturday hauling it's first passenger services since 2012. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Having just arrived at PNVR, 6024 waits to run round its train - whilst I await the arrival of @Spamcan81 of this parish prior to lunch and a couple of beers

 

A GWR loco and lunch with @Spamcan81 - who did you upset to deserve that?

 

6024 passes Sutton Cross with the last train of the day from Wansford to Peterborough. 11-10-2026. Leading carriage changed from blue and grey to blood and custard.

 

Lovely shot, Ian.

 

All 3 Kings now ticked off for me and finally some proper mileage behind one (I've only done a few trips behind 6023 at Didcot and 6000 hasn't steamed in my lifetime).

On my way back home now and here's a couple of pictures from my phone taken at Yarwell and Peterborough.

 

Thanks. I was lucky with the sun. Usual case of waiting in lovely light only for cloud to intervene as the train approached. Fortunately a small gap appeared and the sun popped out just long enough to get the shot. It went back in again just as the last carriage passed me.