BR Standard Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust.

As we move into November the superheater header / regulator valve unit is complete and installed in the smoke box.
The big end bearing for the centre rod is on to oil path machining.
The support crew are busy with electrical fittings, cylinder cladding and getting sensors into spaces with no space!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to get involved with one of Britain’s most unique steam locomotives?

Volunteering with the duke can be done in many ways, aiding with the stalls when we visit heritage railways which help bring us a much needed income for the remaining overhaul and then operation of 71000, hands on support, this can be done with volunteering with engineering or support crew for the locomotive, behind the scenes work such as marketing, IT and other general administration.

There are all sorts of ways you can get involved, please visit our website for more details;

https://www.theduke.uk.com/support/hands-on-support/

A new item to our shop 🚂

This special tumbler commemorates the key years in the accomplishment of the Impossible Dream. The year of the Duke’s original construction (1954), the year that the Duke was rescued from Barry Scrapyard (1974), and the completion of the latest overhaul (2024). These will be a valuable keepsake to celebrate the life of the Duke and the completion of the Impossible Dream. The tumblers are boxed and come complete with a one-page description of the Impossible Dream story.

Get yours now for £25.00 plus post and packing (£5.00) – £30.00 in total.

https://www.theduke.uk.com/product/commemorative-tumbler/

All proceeds go towards the return of 71000 🚂

We had a great weekend at the Great Central Railway annual steam gala last week!

Progress is going well with the locomotive but we’re at a critical stage and need you more than ever to support 71000 get over the final hurdle!

There are many ways you can help support the duke, donations via our website are always most welcome and your generosity is always appreciated.

You can join our family, being a member of ‘The Duke’ gives you great benefits, regular updates, visit the locomotive up close and in depth details on the progress (members meetings) as well as the chance to travel behind 71000 for just £10 on her first run on the mainline since overhaul 🚂

For more information visit our website at www.theduke.uk.com

Thank you for your continued support 🚂

Sun is out for the Great Central Railway gala today!

We have our stand up at Quorn Station yard during the Great Central Autumn Gala.
Do call by on Saturday and chat to our team. Plenty of nice items to buy also!

Some recent work to the superheater header / multivalve regulator unit. A number of parts replaced including shaft bearing and seen here prepared for hydraulic testing which it has passed.

We have a stand at the Great Central Gala this Friday and Saturday. Call in and see us in Quorn Yard if you are visiting!

We appoligise for being rather quiet over the last few weeks! A lot has happened at Tyseley 🚂

The majority of work has been to do with pipework returning to the locomotive, this is a long drawn process but the team have been doing an excellent job

The back head is coming together nicely seeing many features return to the cab.

The big question that everyone wants to know is, when will it be finished? Given that this is such a special year for the Duke, we are desperately keen for the overhaul to be completed in 2024. You will see from the list of work that has happened recently that we’re going flat out to achieve that. As soon as we know when the Duke will be in steam again, when the transfer to the Severn Valley Railway will happen and when the mainline ride for our members will be offered.

If you’re interested in becoming a member, please do visit our website at www.theduke.uk.com

Supporting us aids the duke return to the rails once again and keeping her there when we achieve our goal. It’s not possible without the generosity of people like your selves.

Lastly, we’ve recently had our first tumbler produced, these are set to be priced at £25 - if you would like one, please email [email protected]

Thank you once again for your continued support 🚂

We have a stand at Brownhills West Station on the Chasewater railway today. Do call by for a chat with the team if you are in the area.

Before and After. A good indicator of our progress as the pipe mountain goes back on the loco.
Getting there now!

We have been working closely with First Class Prints as part of our 70th anniversary celebrations to produce a graphic design print for 71000.

Rob and Emily have been extremely generous in donating 25% of each print purchased to the BR class 8 steam locomotive trust to aid with the overhaul of 71000.

We’re also working with them to produce another two prints later in the year to be sold as a pack of 3.

You can order yours here - https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1663452394/the-duke-of-gloucester-br-class-8-train?click_key=21329aa1ef28d26e8fd43365c23e7bee319bcd69%3A1663452394&click_sum=e5444fbd&ref=shop_home_active_15&frs=1&sts=1

Many different sizes to choose from!

Our gratitude goes out to first class prints for their generosity in aiding 71000

The Duke of Gloucester BR Class 8 Train Print Steam Engine Wall Art Children's Room Office Art - Etsy UK This Digital Prints item by Firstclassprint has 3 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United Kingdom. Listed on 13 Feb, 2024

We are thrilled to announce that as part of our 70th anniversary, we shall be working closely with Precision Locomotive Developments to create 71000 ‘Duke Of Gloucester’ in train simulator classic (dovetail games 2024) for the very first time 🤩

The project will begin later this year and will be an accurate details and sounds of the locomotive to add to your train simulator…

More information will be released later in the year 🚂🚂

Whilst “fitting the pipework” could be an easy task with a bit of annealing (heating the pipes to cherry red to soften the vibration hardened copper) and bolting it back on - the reality on a locomotive like The Duke is rather different. The Duke has far more pipework than most locomotives and has 11 gauges across the backhead with a mass of tiny pipes that all look the same.

It is a huge jigsaw, most of the bits are heavy, have to go on in the right order and just don’t look like you imagine them!

Once they are back on it’s a simple task for the electrical team to weave a new set of conduit through the gaps! A very skilled task with much discussion needed to agree a route!

☀️Get summer ready with our exclusive ‘Duke Of Gloucester’ merchandise! ☀️

A range from polo tops, t-shirts and peak caps available in all different sizes and prices start from as little as £9!!!

All proceeds go towards the final hurdle for getting 71000 back onto the mainline 🚂

Please see the link below for all items

☀️Green polo top - https://www.theduke.uk.com/product/polo-shirt-green/

☀️White polo top - https://www.theduke.uk.com/product/polo-shirt-white/

☀️Green t- shirt - https://www.theduke.uk.com/product/t-shirt/

☀️Duke cap - https://www.theduke.uk.com/product/cap/

The Duke looks on patiently as Darth Vaders helmet disappears under the spaghetti of pipework!

Great progress being made with the electrical fit out in the cab and the mass of pipework and gauge fittings are put into place.

Busy day for the support crew the electrics team working on the cab and a team effort getting the super heater element hydraulic tests completed to 1000psi!

Why not join our family and help us get the overhaul across the line.

Would you like to join 71000 and help ‘The Duke’ return to steam for her 70th birthday for 2024….

Joining the Duke family gives you lots of different rewards as well as help one of Britain’s most unique and powerful steam locomotives alive on the mainline.

🚂 - You can give from as little as £5 per months which could help see 71000 stay on the mainline and in steam for the foreseeable future..

🚂 - We issue regular family updates along with holding members days which are free to members and include tours of Tyseley works to see the progress on the overhaul along with complimentary lunch and various presentations and the chance for everyone to meet, catch up & chat

🚂 - We offer our members only, a ride on 71000’s loaded test run for £10.

To find out more, please visit our website or drop us a message and we would help in any way we can 🚂

The Duke of Gloucester - The BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust Welcome to the website of the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust, custodians of Steam Locomotive number 71000 Duke of Gloucester – known as “The Duke"

Would you like to join 71000 and help ‘The Duke’ return to steam for her 70th birthday for 2024….

Joining the Duke family gives you lots of different rewards as well as help one of Britain’s most unique and powerful steam locomotives alive on the mainline.

🚂 - You can give from as little as £5 per months which could help see 71000 stay on the mainline and in steam for the foreseeable future..

🚂 - We issue regular family updates along with holding members days which are free to members and include tours of Tyseley works to see the progress on the overhaul along with complimentary lunch and various presentations and the chance for everyone to meet, catch up & chat

🚂 - We offer our members only, a ride on 71000’s loaded test run for £10.

To find out more, please visit our website or drop us a message and we would help in any way we can 🚂

Www.theDuke.uk.com

Following some fantastic weekends of fundraising with our friends at the clan Hengist project & Severn Valley Railway steam gala, work has been continuing on 71000 return to steam…

The steam exhaust injector (Class K) has been returned to the locomotive following all of the pipework from the Cab to the boiler and lagging painted black go blend in with the locomotive.

Boiler barrel bands have been returned and trial fitment again with the screw on overhead live wire signs.

Our con rod has returned from machining but a little work still needs to be done to this before returning back to the locomotive. She’s getting closer each day.

If you can help return the legend to the rails, please visit our websites for our current fundraising projects at www.theduke.uk.com

Or you could join our family with our membership packages, from just £5 per month 🤩🚂

Work like this isn’t possible without the support of our volunteers, membership & donations to the duke. Thank you for your support!

On Saturday 20 April we welcomed the Trust's youngest member to our stand at Highley. It was great to see you Rumi.

This weekend (20/21 April)we're in the Engine House, Highley on the Severn Valley Railway. You can't miss us, we're the only stand in the main hall

We're here at CTL Seal with our friends from Hengist and Spirit of Sandringham. Just here for the day, but if you're in the area, pop in and see our stand.

As 71000 draws closer to her return to the mainline, we’ve reinstated the running boards, sanded back the smoke box, more pipework attached and prepared the back head ready for fitment of all of the can controls!

She’s looking more complete every day!

This is all thanks to our members of the trust who lovingly donate this unique & beautiful locomotive to see her return to the mainline, we couldn’t do it without you!

We also will be giving our members the chance to have the first ride behind 71000 on the mainline for just £10!!

If you want to join the family, have a look at our website at www.theduke.uk.com 🤩🚂