A 'ground-breaking' feat of engineering which transformed steam rail is now on display at a Greater Manchester museum. Visitors to Bury Transport Museum can now get up close to the iconic 60009 Union of South Africa LNER locomotive engine.
Built in 1937, the locomotive is one of only six surviving A4 locomotive engines in the world. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, the A4 locomotive stood out from the engines used before it in Britain thanks to its more streamlined design - with a wedge-shaped front more similar to a modern train than the traditional locomotive engine.
The Union of South Africa, which was originally called the Osprey, was taken out of service by British Rail in 1966 before being used on heritage railway lines such as the East Lancashire Railway until October 2021. It has since been retired and is now on display at Bury Transport Museum for the rest of 2022.
