Oil Tanker Hauls Up Unwanted Surprise
PLANS FOR a new steam locomotive named The Unknown Warrior, have been hit with a decision by the Royal British Legion to withdraw its support.
Construction of a replica of the London Midland and Scottish Railway Patriot class, introduced in 1930, is well underway and with completion due by the centenary of the Armistice in 2018.
A statement from The LMS-Patriot Project claims that support pledged by the Legion in 2009 has been withdrawn because the manager who gave assurances then was not authorised to do so, and: “…that there was no possibility of our being permitted to use (an) endorsement and crest, because doing so would… imply that we had received financial support from the Legion.”
The Patriot class of locomotive, derived from the Claughton class of the LMSR constituent, the London and North Western Railway, were named in honour of Private W Wood VC, Private E Sykes VC and Lance Corporal J A Christie VC - all three men being LNWR employees. Three of the names were transferred from the Claughton to the Patriot class. The Christie VC name was not transferred, apparently because he had left railway service.
The company says it was “shocked and surprised” by what …
