KING’S CROSS was the perfect backdrop to the start of Peppercorn ‘A2’ No. 60532 Blue Peter’s first railtour since 2001, on July 13.
The 1948-built 4‐6‐2 was formally rededicated at the former Great Northern Railway terminus in London to celebrate the completion of its overhaul, which took seven years and cost an estimated £5 million. After the ceremony, the BR blue ‘Pacific’ hauled a special train of trustees of the Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust and other invited guests from London to York.
Trust founder and chairman Jeremy Hosking said: “Today marks the return to main line service (after a 22-year absence) of locomotive 60532 Blue Peter, one of the most powerful steam locomotives ever built in this country. I would like to thank my fellow trustees at Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust for bringing this seven-year, £5m, project to completion, and to our engineering colleagues at Crewe. All of us are also indebted to the Drury family, who rescued Blue Peter from the scrapman’s torch in 1968.” Richard Drury – son of the late Geoff Drury who originally purchased Blue Peter from BR, and an RSL & GT trustee – added: “It is wonderful and incredibly moving to see Blue Peter restored to such immaculate and, dare I say, ‘better than new’ condition. I know that my late father Geoff, who stepped in to help save the engine, would be thrilled and delighted to see 60532 in such a magnificent and ‘in steam’ state, perfectly rebuilt. Blue Peter was saved to inspire new generations of enthusiasts and now, in its stunning new livery, it will certainly achieve that goal. Both I and my fellow trustees wish to express our enormous thanks to Jeremy and all in LNWRH, who have been involved in restoring this magnificent locomotive.”
Fully restored to working order in late 1991 by the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group, Blue Peter was a regular sight on main line railtours until its ‘ticket’ expired in September 2001, after which it ran at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway until the end of the 2002 season. Purchased by Jeremy Hosking in October 2014, it returned to steam at Crewe in March before moving to the Severn Valley Railway for running-in ahead of its full-time return to the national network (SR557).