Great Western Railway 4-6-0 No. 6023 'King Edward II'
Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK 		Location: Didcot Railway Centre
Status: Display
Posted: Mar 29, 2025 @ 09:03:30 by Russell Newman
Although it won’t be in steam, the ex GWR King Class 4-6-0 No. 6023 "King Edward II", will be taking part on display with many other locomotives from around the UK at the Greatest Gathering at Litchurch Lane works in Derby as part of the Railway 200 celebrations from the 1st to 3rd of August 2025. To mark 200 years of opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and 200 years of the modern railway we all know and use today.
Posted: Nov 9, 2024 @ 09:11:05 by Russell Newman
The Great Western Society at Didcot are opening offers for letting other organisations or preservations groups to take on the loan and overhaul of their ex GWR King Class 4-6-0 No. 6023 "King Edward II", to see it steam again for preserved railway use or if possible mainline running??
Posted: Jun 25, 2022 @ 08:06:32 by Russell Newman
The plans to overhaul ex GWR King Class 4-6-0 No. 6023 "King Edward II" have been put on hold for now as the overhaul team at Dicot focuses on the overhaul of GWR 1316 Class 0-6-0ST No. 1363. No. 6023 will be overhauled again in the not to distant future but for now the locomotive will remain on display at Didcot Railway Centre for the time being.
Posted: Oct 16, 2020 @ 14:10:19 by Russell Newman
It has been announced that No. 6023 "King Edward II" will get overhauled back into steam again when the overhaul and rebuild of No. 4079 is completed from 2021.
Posted: Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:09:31 by Russell Newman
Having worked her final trains over the weekend No. 6023 "King Edward II" has now been withdrawn from service. The locomotive will be placed on display at Didcot while she awaits her turn for her next overhaul.
Posted: Aug 22, 2020 @ 09:08:38 by Russell Newman
No. 6023 "King Edward II" will be in steam and operating along side the new build GWR Saint Class 4-6-0 No. 2999 "Lady of Legend" at Didcot Railway Centre during their August Bank Holiday Steam Up from the 29th to 31st August 2020. Which this will be the last time 6023 will be in steam before being withdrawn from service.
Posted: Jul 31, 2020 @ 10:07:43 by Russell Newman
This August will be the last time No. 6023 "King Edward II" will be in service as she is due to be withdrawn from service at the end of that month as her 10 boiler ticket is coming to its end. For the short term afterwards the locomotive will be on display at Didcot and will be a big part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the formation of the Great Western Society in 2021. After that the Great Western Society will then look at funds available and how other projects are progressing in the workshop are progressing at Didcot and decide on the next chapter for this truly iconic locomotive.
Posted: Dec 12, 2019 @ 15:12:37 by Russell Newman
As announced by the Great Western Society plans to take No. 6023 "King Edward II" to the mainline will no longer go ahead now for the foreseeable future as instead No. 6023 will be made more available for visits to other preserved railways around the UK. This winter No. 6023 will have its original cab, chimney and safety valve cover refitted to make the locomotive more to its authentic condition.
Posted: May 31, 2019 @ 13:05:39 by Russell Newman
No. 6023 "King Edward II" will be heading North for the very first time as the first GWR King Class 4-6-0 to visit the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at their Annual Steam Gala from the 27th to 29th of September 2019.
Posted: Feb 10, 2019 @ 17:02:58 by Erik Newland
Damn, that is a beautiful locomotive!!
Posted: Feb 10, 2019 @ 05:02:18 by
It has recently been confirmed that 6023 will be visiting the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway for the second year in a row for their Cotswold Festival of Steam on the weekend of May 26th-28th 2019.
Posted: Mar 30, 2018 @ 10:03:54 by Russell Newman
6023 "King Edward II" is to spend the summer season at the Dartmouth Steam Railway at Paignton, Devon from mid June until October 2018.
Posted: Feb 6, 2018 @ 05:02:56 by Russell Newman
It has just been confirmed now that 6023 will also be visiting the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway for the first time ever for there Cotswold Festival of Steam Gala on the weekend of May 26th to the 28th 2018. All tho not going mainline for now the locomotive will be maintained to mainline standards still as hope is come the next overhaul it will speedily done quicker.
Posted: Feb 2, 2018 @ 10:02:03 by Russell Newman
It has been confirmed in the railway media that 6023 "King Edward II" will be the 5th visiting locomotive to the Severn Valley Railway for there Spring Steam Gala on the 16th till 18th of March
Posted: Jan 31, 2018 @ 06:01:38 by Russell Newman
Some sad news has come that seeing 6023 "King Edward II" on the mainline have now been put on hold. Due to loading gauge problems on Network Rail and the time left on its boiler ticket and the costs for test runs the Great Western Society have decided that the locomotive will be made available for visits to preserved railways around the country for now. Till the problems for it to go mainline can be sorted out. It is hoped that 6023 will visit the Severn Valley Railway for there Spring Steam Gala in March and visit the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway for its May gala all subject to agreement.
Posted: Jul 28, 2017 @ 08:07:18 by Russell Newman
6023 "King Edward II" has passed its gauging that will let it run on the mainline very soon as the loco will be taking part at the Old Oak Common Depot Open Day event in September.
Posted: Feb 1, 2017 @ 13:02:32 by Russell Newman
6023 King Edward II will be moving to the West Somerset Railway next month for testing prior to its long waited mainline debut in May.
Posted: Oct 19, 2016 @ 06:10:41 by Russell Newman
The location needs to be changed as 6023 King Edward II is back at Didcot Railway Centre.
Posted: Aug 19, 2015 @ 17:08:28 by Russell Newman
6023 is back at Didcot and being set up for the mainline soon.
Posted: Jun 22, 2011 @ 07:06:17 by Steve Frost
The latest photo shows the completed restoration of the loco, and its early British Railways blue colour scheme. This is a rare sight - a Great Western 'King' class that isn't green!

The earlier album photo shows the size of the task that has been completed. Look closely at the trailing driving wheel - see how the spokes have been cut through? This goes back to its days at Barry scrapyard where it had derailed, so they merely cut through the wheel rather than re-rail it. Many said this was a loco that would never steam again, but new wheels have been made and now it is operational once more.