Freightliner has named class 66 diesel locomotive no. 66418 "PATRIOT - IN MEMORY OF FALLEN RAILWAY EMPLOYEES" in a private ceremony at their Crewe Basford Hall depot on Armistice Day, 11th November 2016. The 66 was named in association with ABF The Soldiers’ Charity - The National Charity of the British Army, and carries a plaque below the nameplate in recognition of this.
The first livery that 'The Unknown Warrior' will carry will be announced at the 2016 LMS-Patriot Company AGM on 12th November. Always a contentious subject which sparks much discussion and debate, amongst enthusiasts, the LMS-Patriot Company Board took the decision a few years ago to allow Members to vote for the first livery. All Members who are fully paid up as of October will receive voting papers to enable them to vote. Each Member will have one vote. The choices are:
The LMS-Patriot Company, is pleased to announce a fundraising partnership with the Galatea Locomotive Trust, the original group which was set up over 20 years ago to restore of ex-Barry LMS ‘Jubilee’ 4-6-0, no 45699.
The new fundraising initiative has been formed to raise funds for the mainline equipment that is needed for ‘The Unknown Warrior’ to run on Network Rail metals – TPWS, OTMR and GSM-R equipment, costing around £60,000. In addition to this, funds for the acquisition and restoration of a mainline registered support coach are also being sought. Although ‘The Unknown Warrior’ will probably initially run with a hired support coach until there are sufficient funds to acquire its own.
Britain’s leading family-owned lubricants manufacturer, Morris Lubricants, is backing an exciting £1.75 million project to build a new national memorial engine.
The Shrewsbury-based company, the market leader in steam heritage lubricants, is enthusiastically supporting the project to build an LMS-Patriot Class steam locomotive to the original Sir Henry Fowler parallel boiler design, capable of running on the mainline.
The project team hope to complete the 81 tonne engine, named 'The Unknown Warrior', in time for the 100th anniversary of the Great War Armistice in 2018.