Train restoration on right track as it hits milestone

AN historic steam locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley has reached a major milestone in its restoration, with key components reunited at a heritage railway workshop.

- By EVA MILLETT

The Gresley Society announced that Gresley class N2 locomotive No. 1744, the oldest surviving locomotive to Sir Nigel's design, was reunited with its superheater header, chimney and sidetanks at the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) at Weybourne in February 2026.

Derbyshire-born Sir Nigel was one of Britain's most influential railway engineers, best known for designing iconic steam locomotives including Flying Scotsman and Mallard.

His work helped shape the golden age of steam and left a lasting legacy in British railway history.

The locomotive was withdrawn from service in late 2018 and has been undergoing an overhaul since 2019 - a project that has become significantly more complex and costly than originally expected.

Delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the discovery of extensive additional work once the locomotive was dismantled have pushed the total cost of the overhaul to around £800,000.