61994 The Great Marquess (LNER 3442 & BR 61994)

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3442 was completed at Darlington in July 1938 and was initially named MacCailein Mor but it was renamed The Great Marquess very soon afterwards.

The Great Marquess spent most of its working life based at Eastfield from where it worked on the West Highland line to Mallaig via Fort William. In December 1959 it moved to Dunfermline Upper where it was based until it was withdrawn from service in December 1961.

Following withdrawal from service it was purchased in 1963 by Viscount Garnock (later the Earl of Lindsay) who had worked for the LNER earlier in his life.

The locomotive was then overhauled at Cowlair Works where it was returned to LNER apple green livery.

In April 1963 it worked a special goods train to Neville Hill depot in Leeds where it then remained for the next nine years.

After having the locomotive overhauled it operated it hauled railtours on the BR network from May 1963 until April 1967 when it was withdrawn for boiler repairs after which it was stored at Leeds Neville Hill. The imposing of the steam ban in 1968 meant that it remained in storage there until September 1972 when it was moved to the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) where it was stored until 1980 when it was overhauled. By the early 1970s, Viscount Garnock was already associated with the fledgling SVR, being a non-executive Director of both the original Severn Valley Railway Company and its successor, SVR(H), from incorporation in 1972.

Steaming was achieved in 1973 with 200 miles being recorded. However, the locomotive’s axle weight in excess of 19 tons exceeded the limit of 17 tons 12 cwt in the SVR’s Light Railway Order granted in May 1970. The locomotive was therefore stored while discussions took place over a possible transfer to another railway. In the meantime a program of work was underway to upgrade the line, as a result of which the locomotive remained at the SVR.

The Great Marquess was next steamed in 1989, appearing in LNER livery as 3442. In early July The Great Marquess set off for a fortnight on the West Highland Line between Fort William and Mallaig. In 15 July the Earl, although ill (he died 16 days later), rode on the footplate of his engine as it departed from Fort William.

The following years saw the Great Marquess on a regular stint of main line railtours, interspersed with periodic returns to the SVR for repairs and working on the SVR itself. At the end of 1997, shortly after being repainted into BR livery as 61994, the locomotive suffered a failure of the crank axle in Bewdley tunnel, and joined the queue of locomotives at the SVR requiring repair. The cause of the problem was diagnosed to the valve settings with the inside and outside valve gear fighting themselves which applied a slight twisting motion on the crank axle.

In April 2003 The Great Marquess was bought from the family of the late Earl of Lindsay by John Cameron on condition that the locomotive returned to Scotland and be painted back in the LNER apple green livery. Plans were announced for an overhaul and repair of the driving axle at the SVR. However, it transpired that the overhaul could not be completed in the timescale required by the new owner, and The Great Marquess left the SVR in spring of 2005 for overhaul at Crewe but was outshopped in BR lined black livery which it has carried ever since.

Since returning to steam after overhaul it was visited many heritage railways and continued to operate on mainline charters. The Great Marquess is normally based at Thornton Junction.

In October 2015 it was taken out of service as it needed firebox repairs and its boiler certificate expired in May 2016.

The owner has indicated 61994 may not steam again and may be housed in a new museum he plans to build in Fife. Prior to this museum being opened the locomotive will go on display at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway. It was moved by road from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to its new temporary museum in September 2017.

In November 2022 it was reported that approval had been given for the construction of the home for the locomotive at the farm of John Cameron in Fife. The timetable for moving this locomotive and 60009 Union of South Africa to Fife is not yet known.

By May 2023 60009 Union of South Africa and 61994 The Great Marguess were housed in the John Cameron Museum in Fife but were not on public display

Home BaseCurrent StatusOwner
John Cameron Museum, Fife In the museum but not yet on public displayJohn Cameron
61994 The Great Marquess in the yard at Leeds Neville Hill shed – April 1962
61994 The Great Marquess at Worcester – September 1965
61944 The Great Marquess at Tyseley on the wheel turning unit – September 1965
61994 The Great Marquess in store in Leeds Neville Hill shed along with 69621-July 1966
61994 The Great Marquis in Leeds Neville Hill shed – September 1966
61994 The Great Marquess at Nine Elms before hauling a rail tour - March 1967.jpg
61994 The Great Marquess at Nine Elms before hauling a rail tour – March 1967
61994 The Great Marquess on Stockport Edgeley shed – April 1967
61994 The Great Marquess at Milford heading a train from Derby to Leeds – April 1967
61994 The Great Marquess at Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway – 1972
61994 The Great Marquess at Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway – 1973
61994 The Great Marquess undergoing an overhaul at Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway – 1980
61994 The Great Marquess at Fort William - Juky 1989.jpg
61994 The Great Marquess at Fort William – July 1989
61994 The Great Marquess on the Severn Valley Railway – September 1991
K4 61994 The Great Marquess pilots K1
62005 over Rannoch Moor witha Centenary Special for Fort William – August 1994
61994 The Great Marquess pilots 62005 at Loch Dubh on the West Highland line – August 1994
61994 The Great Marquess on the West Highland climbing to County March Summit – September 2007
61994 The Great Marquess and 60009 Union of South Africa at Carlisle - December 2007.jpg
61994 The Great Marquess and 60009 Union of South Africa at Carlisle – December 2007
61994 The Great Marquess at Bury on the East Lancashire Railway – 2009
61994 The Great Marquess at Burrs Country Park on the East LAncs Railway – November 2009
61994 The Great Marquess at Loughborough on the Great Central Railway – January 2011
61994 The Great Marquess & 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier at Bury on the East Lancashire Railway – February 2013
61994 The Great Marquess & 62005 at Heywood on the East Lancashire Railway – February 2013
61994 The Great Marquess at Irwell Vale on the East Lancashire Railway – February 2013
61994 The Great Marquess at County March summit near Tyndrum hauling The West Highlander from Fort William to Crianlarich – September 2013
61994 The Great Marquess and 60009 Union of South Africa passing Peterborough whilst working from the NRM at York to Dereham – June 2014
61994 The Great Marquess & 60009 Union of South Africa at Bury on the East Lancashire Railway – October 2014
61994 The Great Marguess at Bury on the East Lancashire Railway – October 2014
61994 The Great Marguess at Bury on the East Lancashire Railway – January 2015
61994 The Great Marguess at Ramsbottom on the East Lancashire Railway – January 2015
61994 The Great Marquess at Bo’ness on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway – September 2017

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