THERE will be an opportunity for people in South East Cornwall to see a powerful mainline steam locomotive originally built to haul London Euston to Glasgow express trains passing through the area this evening (Thursday) and on Saturday.
The 84-year-old preserved ex-London Midland Scottish Railway (LMS) Coronation Class locomotive No 6233 Duchess of Sutherland will be hauling the Cardiff to Penzance leg of the Great Britain XIV steam charter tour of the country, which started out from London on Friday, April 22, and has so far visited York and the remote West Highland outposts of Fort William and Mallaig before turning south. A variety of steam locomotives have been used along the route.
Then on Saturday morning the grand old lady will steam back from West Cornwall with the final leg of the tour to London Victoria and is due to pass through Liskeard at 9.20am and Saltash at 9.36am.
Designed for the LMS by William Stanier, the Duchess of Sutherland was built at Crewe in 1938 for hauling crack express trains like the Royal Scot. Withdrawn by British Railways in 1964 she spent some years displayed at a Butlins holiday camp in Scotland before being restored to operation in 2001.