6024 King Edward I

What a great engine 6024 King Edward I is! I can remember as a kid the society being formed to buy it and the restoration years at Quainton Road.  Since then, it must have done as many miles in preservation as it did with the GWR/WR and it seems to have been ever-present on the mainline for as long as I can remember.

This morning I saw it charge through Keynsham (see video on hame page), which is a bit special for me as it was on those very platforms that the steam bug was caught as a child, at the very time when the Kings were being replaced by Warships. I remember being with my dad a mile or so down the line as KGV dashed under us as we stood on an overbridge, bathed in sulphur, steam and pure magic. That was The Bristolian and it was again this morning. My dad is gone now but I did smile at the memory and mention it to him, just in case he was listening.

KE1 keeps going, though, and we will be having a day out down to the seaside behind him on 17 March before he bows out at the West Somerset Spring gala and then a 10 year overhaul beckons. Big thanks must go to Jeremy Hosking for pitching in with the money when it was most needed and we look back to more great memories with 6024 before too long.