The National Railway Museum's locomotives currently resident at Toddington, SR 4-6-0 no. 850 Lord Nelson and GWR 4-4-0 no. 3440 City of Truro, are both running on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway this weekend. And there couldn't be a greater contrast between two locomotives - and both have record-breaking fame.

City of Truro needs little introduction and has been a regular performer on the GWR for the past four years.  This charming and elegant little locomotive's claim to fame is that it was the first man-made machine to exceed a recorded 100mph, which it did way back in 1904, when it was just one year old. By comparison, Lord Nelson - completed by the Southern Railway at Eastleigh Works in 1926 - is huge and impressive.  Turned out in the Southern's pre-war 'Sunshine Green' livery, it was the first of 16 express locomotives designed to handle the heaviest trains from London to the South Coast and West Country, such as the 'Atlantic Coast Express'. Its claim to fame is that when built, it was the most powerful locomotive of its type in the country.

Lord Nelson is on the GWR for a few weeks while it is 'run in' following extensive repairs.  The engine should have starred every day in the recent Cotswold Festival of Steam but, unfortunately, it only managed one day before a water leak from the bottom of the firebox led to the engine's withdrawal from service.  This relatively minor problem has been overcome and the engine is rostered to work service trains on Saturday and the Elegant Excursions dining train on Sunday.

So this is a rare opportunity to enjoy two iconic locomotives that have been saved for the nation. So make the most of them, you may not see the like again!

With steam locomotives nothing is guaranteed so please keep an eye on our loco roster page for any late news about this weekend.