The oldest surviving steam locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley — the master locomotive builder behind famous engines like the Flying Scotsman — is expected to return to service in 2026.

The Gresley Society has owned Great Northern Railway class N2 1744, an 0-6-2T built in 1921, since the 1960s and has operated it for years at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, the Great Central Railway, and most recently, the North Norfolk Railway. The engine is not only the oldest surviving Gresley, but also the only remaining tank engine. 

The locomotive was withdrawn from service in 2018, and an extensive restoration began in 2019. However, as work proceeded, it was realized that it needed more work than previously thought. The pandemic and supply issues related to the war in Ukraine also impacted the restoration’s timeline. Still, in August, the engine successfully passed a steam test, and it is on track to run again in the new year. 

“The Gresley Society was created to preserve a working Gresley locomotive, and we owe it to our founders, and for the benefit and education of today’s generation, to maintain that vision,” said Philip Benham, chairman of the Gresley Society. “The progress on 1744’s overhaul at the North Norfolk Railway is one more step towards the return of Sir Nigel Gresley’s oldest surviving locomotive to traffic in spring 2026, resplendent in its distinctive Great Northern Railway livery.”

For more information, visit gresley.org. 

—Justin Franz