British Railways 4-6-2 No. 70000 'Britannia'
Crewe, Cheshire, UK 		Location: LNWR Heritage
Status: Repairs
Posted: Jan 9, 2025 @ 10:01:53 by Russell Newman
BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia", will be visiting the Nene Valley Railway from the 11th to 18th of March 2025, as part of their Railway 200 celebrations. Where the locomotive will be hauling trains during their Best of British events then, along with a photo charter, along with their popular Driving Experience Courses, and a full weekend of passenger services and their evening Jolly Fisherman Fish and Chips dining train “The Britannia”.
Posted: Mar 19, 2024 @ 13:03:40 by Russell Newman
With the Kent & East Sussex Railway celebrating its 50th Anniversary, a special 50th Anniversary Gala weekend is to be held on two section of it during the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of June 2024. BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia", will be visiting the Rother Valley Railway section of the Kent & East Sussex Railway from the mainline connection at Robertsbridge, where she will be hauling a series of shuttle workings along that section during the Gala.
Posted: Jan 22, 2024 @ 10:01:01 by Russell Newman
Sadly BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia", will now not be visiting the North Yorkshire Moors Railway over the February Half-Term, as work on No. 70000 has been delayed due to awaiting parts needed for vital repairs.
Posted: Dec 22, 2023 @ 06:12:25 by Russell Newman
BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" will be visiting the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, during the February Half-Term, from the 10th to 18th of February 2024.
Posted: Nov 4, 2023 @ 10:11:47 by Russell Newman
BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" will be visiting the East Lancashire Railway to star at their Legends of Steam Gala from the 15th to 17th of March 2024.
Posted: Feb 8, 2023 @ 10:02:37 by Russell Newman
BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" will be the star visiting locomotive at the Swanage Railway in Dorset for their Spring Steam Gala from the 24th to 26th of March 2023, which will be a BR Standard theme this year.
Posted: Feb 14, 2022 @ 14:02:35 by Russell Newman
With testing almost completed at the Severn Valley Railway, the pioneering BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" will undertake a light engine mainline test run from Kidderminster back to her base at LNWR Heritage at Crewe this Wednesday. After this the locomotive will undergo a loaded mainline test run before being let loose on the mainline and heritage railway circuit again.
Posted: Jan 19, 2022 @ 12:01:11 by Russell Newman
The overhaul on the pioneering BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" is now complete as the locomotive was steamed and moved under her own power for the first time since the begining of her overhaul. With a few jobs to do and final painting No. 70000 will be moved to the Severn Valley Railway for testing and running in before being let out on the mainline and heritage railway circuit again soon.
Posted: Nov 8, 2021 @ 14:11:38 by Russell Newman
The overhaul on the pioneering BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" has reached another milestone as the locomotive’s boiler was craned back onto its frames. As the boiler has been both successfully hydraulic and steam tested and No. 70000 is now in her final stages of her overhaul and should be back out on the mainline and heritage railway circuit again in 2022.
Posted: Apr 18, 2021 @ 06:04:01 by Russell Newman
The overhaul on the pioneering BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" is progressing at LNWR Heritage at Crewe as the locomotive is having a brand new tender tank made for along with work on the tender chassis and while work on the boiler is progressing with all the tubes out and replacement stays are being fitted to the firebox.
Posted: Sep 18, 2020 @ 14:09:42 by Russell Newman
The pioneering BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" has been taken out of service early for her boiler overhaul which is underway at LNWR Heritage at Crewe.
Posted: Mar 13, 2020 @ 15:03:51 by Russell Newman
The visit of No. 70000 "Britannia" to the East Lancashire Railway for their Best of British Weekend in April has had to be postponed as the event is being moved to a later date.
Posted: Jan 27, 2020 @ 12:01:49 by Russell Newman
BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" will be making a special visit to the East Lancashire Railway to be the star locomotive at their Best of British Weekend on the 10th to 13th of April 2020.
Posted: Aug 1, 2019 @ 24:08:03 by Jack Spencer
70000 Britannia is being specially renamed for Saphos Trains Golden Arrow on 26th October. She will be running as 70014 Iron Duke, one of the two Brits specially allocated to the Southern for hauling this train. She was last in this guise in the 1990s.
Posted: Jul 2, 2019 @ 13:07:50 by Russell Newman
BR Standard 7MT Pacific No. 70000 "Britannia" is also visiting the Bluebell Railway this Autumn for the very first time for their Giants of Steam Autumn Gala from the 11th to 13th of October 2019.
Posted: Nov 19, 2018 @ 06:11:29 by Russell Newman
70000 "Britannia" has been repainted with a fresh BR Green livery with the later British Railways Circle Lion Emblem on the tender. No. 70000s first mainline steam trips will be Saphos Trains Welsh Borders Christmas Explorer on the 2nd December followed by the Pennine Moors Christmas Explorer on the 8th.
Posted: Oct 4, 2018 @ 05:10:27 by Russell Newman
No. 70000 "Britannia" is set to return to the mainline this October following running in at the Severn Valley Railway. The locomotive will under take a light engine test run on the 18th October 2018 running from Kidderminster to Crewe. Followed by a loaded test run on the 19th of October. If all goes well No. 70000 is haul a series of Saphos Trains trips in early December where she will be hauling her first mainline passenger tours for a number of years.
Posted: Sep 3, 2018 @ 14:09:28 by Russell Newman
No. 70000 "Britannia" has been moved to the Severn Valley Railway by road for running in trials before it takes to mainline again.
Posted: Aug 28, 2018 @ 05:08:56 by Russell Newman
Following completion of its repairs No. 70000 "Britannia" is today and tomorrow being tested out on the mainline from Crewe to Chester and back twice on both days. Also No. 70000 will join its stable mate No. 46100 "Royal Scot" at the Severn Valley Railway as it has been added as another special visiting locomotive at their Autumn Steam Gala on the 20th to 23rd of September 2018. Where No. 70000 "Britannia" will one of three Pacific locomotives there at the event alongside visiting No. 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" and Severn Valley based No. 34027 "Taw Valley".
Posted: Aug 17, 2018 @ 12:08:43 by Russell Newman
No. 70000 "Britannia" is back on its wheels again following repairs to them. The locomotive will hopefully return to the mainline in the Autumn.
Posted: Jan 16, 2018 @ 12:01:15 by Russell Newman
No. 70000 "Britannia" is on its way for a comeback to the mainline this year. The locomotive was withdrawn from service two years ago following some vibration issues whilst running on the mainline which prevented her continued operation. Since then work has progressed on her axleboxes and frames, reversing and valve gear, springs and bogies among with many other things. All three of 70000s tender axles and the trailing truck axle have now returned to Crewe. This follows the replacement of the roller bearings and completion of tyre turning. No. 70000 is expected if all goes well to back on the mainline later this year.
Posted: Sep 8, 2017 @ 13:09:51 by Russell Newman
Work on No. 70000 "Britannia" bottom end and wheel repairs are progressing at LNWR Heritage at Crewe. The loco is now expected to return to the mainline next year.
Posted: Feb 25, 2017 @ 13:02:46 by Russell Newman
70000 "Britannia" is expected back on the mainline round the end of the year as the locomotive is having its axel bearings replaced with new ones.
Posted: May 7, 2016 @ 13:05:10 by Russell Newman
70000 is currently out of service for new driving wheel axelboxes to be fitted and will be back on the mainline later in the year.
Posted: Feb 24, 2012 @ 10:02:49 by Steve Frost
The latest primary photo shows 'Britannia' whilst visiting the West Somerset Railway. Note the air pump tucked behind the right hand side smoke deflector and the white cab roof. The white painted roof was a feature of Stratford depot in east London, especially applied for occasions like Royal Train duties.

Incidentally, in one of the album photos there is a glimpse of 92220 'Evening Star' next to 'Britannia' when she was on display at the National Railway Museum. The first BR standard loco and the last standing together. Alpha and Omega. A nice touch by the museum.

Posted: Nov 4, 2004 @ 17:11:33 by Steve Frost
The pioneer British Railways Standard locomotive, 'Britannia' is one of two of this class preserved. The doyen of the class, it set the whole 'house style' for all the BR standards. Robert Riddles led the design team and these Pacifics were popular to the end. Used widely on trains of the Eastern Region working out of Liverpool Street at first then later on the Western Region, hauling 'The Red Dragon' express from London to South Wales, and on the London Midland region where they worked on the West Coast main line, the last one, 'Oliver Cromwell' being withdrawn in 1968 having worked some of BR's final steam services.