Liverpool welcomes locomotive legends
Port of Liverpool homecoming for transatlantic locomotive legends
The Port of Liverpool and ACL – Atlantic Container Line – are helping to facilitate a very special family reunion on behalf of the National Railway Museum.
The Dominion of Canada and the Dwight D Eisenhower steam locomotives – two of six remaining A4 locomotives and ‘sisters’ of the legendary A4 ‘Mallard’ which broke the world land speed record for steam almost 75 years ago – are making their way to the UK in what is an extraordinary feat of logistics.
A 2,527 mile ocean odyssey will see them cross the Atlantic from Halifax in Canada to arrive at the Port of Liverpool in early October. It is more than half a century since the locomotives were last on UK soil.
From the Port of Liverpool’s Seaforth docks they will continue their journey by road and travel more than 150 miles north east on low-loader to the National Railway Museum in Shildon. The locomotives each weigh 94 tonnes.
Following a short period of display at Shildon, Dwight D Eisenhower will then move to York to be given a fresh coat of green paint in the museum workshop, whilst the Dominion of Canada will be painted the same iconic shade of blue as Mallard in the workshop at Shildon.
The reunion is part of a very special family gathering. The Dominion of Canada and the Dwight D Eisenhower are en route to join their A4 ‘sisters’ as part of an anniversary programme of events celebrating 75 years since the mighty blue machine became the fastest steam locomotive in the world.
It was on the third of July 1938 that the mighty blue Mallard was recorded as reaching the awe-inspiring speed of 126mph on the East Coast Main Line, breaking the existing German record of 124 mph set in 1936. With Hitler’s Third Reich then in the ascendancy it was a matter of national pride that a British locomotive should capture the world speed crown. Number 4468 Mallard – which had been recently built at LNER’s Doncaster Works and was the first of its class to be fitted with a double chimney - was chosen as the perfect vehicle for the endeavour.
The centrepiece of the anniversary celebrations in 2013 will be a never-seen-before line up of all six of the surviving A4 locomotives in the world at the National Rail Museum in York.
Gary Hodgson, Managing Director of Peel Ports-Mersey, said that the Port of Liverpool is delighted to be part of what is a unique and historic event. He said: “When the National Rail Museum approached us and asked if we would be able to help facilitate this reunion we were only too pleased to be able to offer our port services and logistics expertise.
“Railways and ports have traditionally had a very close relationship, and they continue to do so. It is a real privilege for the Port of Liverpool to be able to welcome these extraordinary machines back to the UK. They are a wonderful reminder of our country’s great capacity for engineering excellence, and a heritage we should all be proud of”.
The Port of Liverpool has worked closely with shipping line ACL – Atlantic Container Line – to coordinate the arrival of the locomotives. ACL specialises in carrying project and oversized cargo.
Ian Higby, Managing Director of ACL said: “The locomotives have been loaded on to the ‘Atlantic Conveyer’ in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They have been securely stowed on Mafi trailers and will cross the Atlantic on our fixed day weekly service between Europe, the United States and Canada.
“When they berth in Liverpool our unique roll-on – roll-off ability for oversized and extraordinary cargo means that these beautiful machines will be able to come off the vessel on our specialist heavy duty trailers with their dignity intact.”