New loco dedicated to war fallen

The launch of the appeal to buy the engine's frames with, from left to right, with from left to right, Danny Hopkins, Editor of Steam Railway, John Buxton, Patriot Project Treasurer and Directors, Andrew Laws, David Bradshaw and Richard Sant. Photo by David Wilcock.

The frames alone, the base of the engine, cost some £48,000 and an appeal to buy them was held in April

Steam railway enthusiasts are dedicating a £1.5m locomotive they are reconstructing to the UK's war dead.

The LMS Patriot Project aims to finish a Patriot class engine by 2018, the 100th anniversary of the WWI armistice.

The locomotive, called The Unknown Warrior, is being built at Llangollen Railway Works, in Denbighshire.

Royal British Legion members are attending a ceremony at the works to dedicate the loco's steel frames, the base of the engine.

The LMS Patriot Project was launched in 2007 by David Bradshaw, Kevin Finnerty, Andrew Laws, Richard Sant and Steve Blackburn.

Mr Laws said more than 50 Patriot-class engines were built from 1937 until the last one was scrapped in 1962.

The planned new engine will be a "national memorial engine" and its name was the winner in a contest in Steam Railway magazine.

Exhibition

"It was an admired part of the railway. They were good looking engines. People want to see them again.

"We have called it The Unknown Warrior because the original locomotive - called Patriot - was a memorial engine, dedicated to the fallen of World War I."

Construction of The Unknown Warrior began this year with the delivery of the engine's frames to the railway work in July.

Mr Laws said the project had benefited from lessons learnt by the Darlington-based charity which built the Tornado, the first steam locomotive built in Britain for almost 50 years.

After Monday's dedication ceremony, the LMS Patriot Project is holding an exhibition at the Llangollen works until Sunday on the links between north Wales and the tomb of the unknown soldier at Westminster Abbey.