Press Office
Line up for steam extravaganza revealed
The National Railway Museum (NRM) has announced the line-up for their eagerly awaited “1968 and all that” event, a 9 day extravaganza celebrating the 40th anniversary of the official end of British Rail mainline steam in the UK.
The event running from 24 May to 1 June 2008, is subtitled “railways in a changing world” and focuses on the wave of social change that swept through sixties Britain, the reverberations of which are still felt today.
Stars of the show will be the mighty locomotives which were involved in steam’s swansong, including the great “steam survivor” Oliver Cromwell, fresh from restoration at Loughborough. One of 55 Britannia class locomotives built in a blaze of post-war patriotism, Oliver Cromwell hauled the last ever steam-hauled mainline passenger service, the 15 Guinea Special, on 11 August 1968, marking the end of the golden age of steam.
Also featuring in the event which is shaping up to be a rail enthusiast’s dream, are many other locomotives that played their part in the emotional farewell to steam, including the last steam locomotive to be built for British Railways Evening Star.
Matt Thompson, Event Organiser said:
“Our 1968 event is going to be a ‘must see’ for rail enthusiasts across the country, and is the first real opportunity for heritage railway fans to see Oliver Cromwell in her newly restored glory.
“However, this 40th anniversary celebration is not just aimed at enthusiasts and will appeal to anyone interested in history, as it tells the story of change in the late sixties. With man a matter of months away from walking on the moon, steam was swept away by the tide of progress – but how did those who worked on the railway feel about these changes? With this celebration we are trying to demonstrate that 1968 was a pivotal year in a great period of change that affected not only the railways but the wider world as well.”
10 December 2007