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Front
KING GEORGE V
Back
The STEAM CLASSIC Collection GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY 6000 "King" Class 8P 4-6-0 No6000 King George V The essence of Swindon style? The brass safety valve cover; the distinctive casting of the nameplate; the handsome proportions - all features to delight the eye on this first, and most famous of Collett's "Kings". Their arrival on the Great Western in 1927, just four years after the introduction of the "Castles" was a product of both necessity and rivalry. The "Kings" were needed because train loadings, principally on the London-Birmingham and West of England routes were stretching their predecessors to the limits. Bridge strengthening along these routes had increased the permitted axle loading from 20 tons to 22½tons, which opened the way for a more powerful design. Additionally, the very publicity-conscious Great Western was smarting from the loss of the 'most powerful locomotive' tag to Maunsell's "Lord Nelson" of the Southern. Company chairman, Sir Felix Pole wanted a tractive effort of 40,000lbs, and Collett delivered it - just. With considerable effort, Swindon completed No6000 in June 1927 and the following month it undertook its first public duty, at the head of the "Cornish Riviera Express" of 20th July. Shortly after, the locomotive was on its way to the United States for exhibition at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Fair of the Iron Horse', where it received the engraved bell and cabside badges which have adorned KGV ever since. Along with City of Truro the most celebrated of GWR locomotives, KGV ran some 2 million miles in a 35-year career before withdrawl for preservation as part of the National Collection in 1962. Series One Number 9
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London, United Kingdom
