‘PORT LINE’ : BR 35027

MERCHANT NAVY CLASS : 4-6-2

Another of the Merchant Navy Class locomotives, ‘Port Line’ was designed and built to perform the same function as her sisters; express passenger train haulage. During her career ‘Port Line’ was based in London and Bournemouth, working prestigious trains such as the ‘Golden Arrow’ or ‘Flèche d’Or’ as known on the continent. ‘Port Line’ never ventured abroad but pulled the train as far as Dover. In May 1957 ‘Port Line’ was rebuilt by British Railways to feature the more common Walschaerts valve gear and removed the ‘air-smoothed’ casing. Shortly after this in April 1959, ‘Port Line’ hauled the Royal Train from Windsor to Hamworthy.

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In September 1956 ‘Port Line’ was retired by British Railways and sent to Barry Scrapyard in South Wales. She was purchased in 1982 and work to overhaul the locomotive began. During the 1990s she ran for a at the Bluebell Railway and then at the Swanage Railway before being withdrawn from service. She is owned by the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust and currently based at Crewe.

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Photo by: Les Chatfield