'Lion' when on display at the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester
The first locomotive I drove was the 1838 "Lion", star of the Ealing Film 'The Titfield Thunderbolt'. I sometimes say that every other engine since has been a bit of an anticlimax, but that's an exaggeration.
The last steaming of "Lion" was at Birmingham Railway Museum, Tyseley in 1988. She was stored there for some time before moving to Dinting for a while in anticipation of bringing her back to steam. Unfortunately, Liverpool Museums decided that "Lion" will not steam again and she was moved to Dorothea Restorations at Whaley Bridge for cosmetic restoration. I was able to 'drive' "Lion" one last time on a 'rolling road' at Dorothea using air, not steam. At that time, there was no suitable space to display "Lion" in Liverpool so she spent some years on display in the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. "Lion" is now stored in Liverpool, in anticipation of static display in the remarkable new museum being completed in Liverpool.
I've written a few posts about "Lion", her history and her supporters club (The Old Locomotive Committee or simply 'OLCO'). To see all these posts, Click here.
