'Plucky' Steam Locomotive Set to Return to County Durham After 49 Years Away

'Plucky' steam locomotive set to return to County Durham after 49 years away

The historic steam locomotive National Coal Board No 54 is returning to County Durham after 49 years. Built in 1952, it was a common sight in pit…

No. 54’s Homecoming: 73-Year-Old Durham Colliery Engine Set to Steam Again at Tanfield Railway - Durham Magazine

A steam locomotive that was once a familiar sight in a string of County Durham pit villages is set to return to the county nearly five-decades after it was ousted by diesel engines. National Coal Board No. 54 was built in 1952 to help cope with the massive post-war demand for Durham coal to fuel industry and heat homes. After 25-years of dedicated service it left the North East for a new life in Yorkshire. But now the 73-year-old locomotive is s…