The LMS-Patriot Project

The Mayor of Crewe Borough, Cllr. Roy Cartlidge has confirmed his support for the groundbreaking LMS-Patriot Project, a new 21st century mainline steam locomotive, which is set to become the UK's National Memorial engine.

During a visit to the Crewe Heritage Centre on 16th May, the Mayor announced that a specially commissioned model of the engine will be sold by auction as a part of his 2011 Mayor's Charity appeal. The superb scale replica locomotive was supplied to the Mayor at a special ‘charity aware’ price by local model specialists Haslington Models. The cased and mounted model is bound to become a collector’s item and the Mayor is sure that as such it will attract some healthy bids from railway enthusiasts.

Ex railway signal and telegraph worker Roy, who as a Heritage Centre trustee and thus a firm believer in celebrating the town’s engineering heritage, has also become a paid up member of the LMS-Patriot Project. Accordingly the Mayor is now the proud owner of a signed special edition print of the now under construction steam locomotive, copies of which are offered for sale with profits pledged to the Patriot building fund.

Last year the LMS-Patriot Project announced that a traditional Crewe designed G9½S 'enlarged Claughton' boiler will be buit at Crewe, where 40 of the 52 'Patriots' were originally constructed. An appeal for the £1/2Million copper firebox, parallel boiler is expected to be launched in 2012. LNWR Heritage at Crewe, a steam restoration and engineering company founded by Pete Waterman, will construct the new boiler for 'The Unknown Warrior'.