Nene Valley Railway welcomes restored GWR King Edward I in 2026
King Edward I will make its first Nene Valley appearance after a 10-year Crewe overhaul, with fish and chips served on the Jolly Fisherman.
Nene Valley Railway will welcome GWR King Class No. 6024 King Edward I for its first run on the line when Travel with a King arrives on the preserved route in October 2026. After a comprehensive overhaul and return to steam, the locomotive will haul passenger services across the Nene Valley and give photographers and modellers a live reference point for a Great Western prestige engine back in traffic.
Built at Swindon Works in June 1930, 6024 is one of only three surviving King Class locomotives, the mighty express type designed for the heaviest passenger work on the former Great Western Railway main line. It was withdrawn from British Railways service in 1962, rescued from Woodham Brothers’ scrapyard at Barry in South Wales, returned to steam in 1989 and returned to main-line revenue-earning passenger work in 1990. The Crewe overhaul took 10 years and nearly £2 million, with main-line test running in spring 2026 including a Crewe to Chester test on 6 May.
Wansford is its headquarters, and the railway runs between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction with stations at Orton Mere and Overton over about 7.5 miles. The preserved line traces back to the Peterborough Railway Society, formed in 1974, with the first reopened section from Wansford to Orton Mere opening in 1977, the extension to Peterborough Nene Valley in 1986 and the western extension to Yarwell Junction in 2007.
Travel with a King is listed for 9 and 10 October 2026 in one place and 10 and 11 October 2026 in another, with booking handled through the NVR website. The weekend will also include the Cornish Riviera Express Jolly Fisherman evening dining train, with fish and chips served at seat. The appearance was arranged courtesy of the Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust, while the 6024 Preservation Society remains involved in the locomotive’s care.
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