73050 - City of Peterborough Donations
73050 is the loco that effectively started heritage railways in Peterborough. A BR Standard Class 5, built in 1954, she was bought directly from British Rail in 1968 – the year that steam haulage finished on the mainline – and was the kernel around which the Peterborough Railway Society grew, becoming the Nene Valley Railway in 1984.
Donated by Reverend Richard Paten – at the controls on the right – to the city in 1973, she was formally loaned to the railway, initially for a 100-year period which has now been replaced by a rolling 10-year agreement. Named “City of Peterborough” in 1973, she’s the railway’s flagship locomotive featuring in practically all the significant events in NVR history.
Now in her 55th year in preservation, she’s been overhauled three times. The current work started in 2017 and has progressed to the stage where re-assembly of the frames, wheels and motion is gathering momentum in the NVR workshops at Wansford. The boiler, due to its 70-year-old steel fabric needing a comprehensive overhaul, is with Riley’s in Heywood, Lancashire. Work on it is progressing well and it’s hoped that, with sufficient funding, it’ll be complete in 2025-26. While work on the loco is carried out, the tender has been loaned to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where it runs behind the BR Standard 9F 92134.
Help Needed
Thanks to generous donations from individuals and from Peterborough City Council, the overhaul has been able to proceed quite well, although the Covid-19 pandemic has had direct and indirect effects. But we need more money as the estimated cost to complete the overhaul is over £500,000 and funds are currently about half that amount.
If you are able to, please gift aid your donation. Donating through Gift Aid means we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give. You can find out more on the government website here.