LNER Class A4 4488 Union of South Africa

Osprey (Union of South Africa) at the 1990 Leuchars Air Show.

Built by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1937 at Doncaster Works and originally numbered 4488, it was named after the then newly formed Union of South Africa. It had previously been allocated the name Osprey on 17 April 1937, but was renamed to operate The Coronation. It eventually carried the name Osprey in the 1980s and 1990s.[1] This was due to the contemporary political opposition against South Africa, which undertook a controversial policy of racial apartheid from 1948–94. The name Osprey had previously been carried by A4 No. 4494 (renamed after the LNER director Andrew K. McCosh after 1942) and LNER Peppercorn Class A1 No. 60131 from 1949–65. 60009's name has since reverted to Union of South Africa. The works number was 1853; the plaques are located in the cab itself and not on the exterior cab sides as is the usual practice.

The springbok plaque on the side of the locomotive was donated on 12 April 1954 by a Bloemfontein newspaper proprietor. Only the one plaque was fitted on the left hand side of the locomotive. Two cast Springbok plaques were given to John Cameron in the mid 1970s and these were mounted on the cabsides. They have since been removed during overhauls but the original boiler side plaque remains. 60009 is fitted with an American, Crosby chime whistle in common with other members of its class.

Union of South Africa has worn many liveries throughout its career. The first livery it wore was as 4488 in garter blue, applied on 19 April 1937. The next livery applied was LNER wartime black on 21 March 1942. This livery was amended on 14 August 1943 when the "L" and "R" were removed to confuse potential spies, leaving the all-black locomotive with just "NE" on the tender. 21 February 1947 saw Union of South Africa regain garter blue with red and white lining. Its number was changed to just "9" on 12 January 1946, under the renumbering scheme of Nigel Gresley's successor, Edward Thompson. It gained a stainless steel number 9 during this repaint. On 4 August 1949, 60009 was repainted in the standard British Railways express passenger blue livery as 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley. Finally on 2 October 1952, Union of South Africa was painted in British Railways green livery. It has worn this livery throughout preservation to date.

As with all 35 of the Gresley A4 pacific steam locomotives, Union of South Africa was fitted with streamlined valances, or side skirting, when it was built. This was found to hinder maintenance and, as with the rest of the class, it was removed. 4488 lost its valances during a works visit 21 March 1942.

Union of South Africa was allocated to Haymarket shed in Edinburgh from new and 20 May 1962 it had its only shed transfer to Aberdeen.

On 24 October 1964 it hauled the last booked steam-hauled train from London King's Cross. It was twenty minutes late through Grantham owing to a broken rail at High Dyke. It was the last steam locomotive to be overhauled at Doncaster whilst in service in November 1963.[4] It was withdrawn from British Railways service on 1 June 1966.

1980s photo

Purchased by John Cameron in July 1966, 60009 was preserved on the now-defunct Lochty Private Railway in Fife, Scotland, travelling the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of track near Anstruther.

In 1973, the loco left the Lochty Private Railway by road and was taken to Ladybank to be placed back on the National Network, from there it was taken to Kirkcaldy and was based in the former goods shed and worked occasional tours based from the Fife town. After a few years at Kirkcaldy, it moved to Markinch and took up residency in the former goods shed where it stayed until May 1994 with the exception of a couple of years in a shed in the yard at nearby Thornton.

Following the 1989 overhaul, it started to work railtours all over the United Kingdom. These have ranged from Plymouth in the south-west to Inverness in the north, from Holyhead in the west to Norwich in the east, it has also visited numerous main line connected preserved railways. It has since accumulated the highest mileage of any locomotive in the class.

In May 1994, the locomotive left its Markinch base for the last time albeit on the back of a low loader bound for the Severn Valley Railway, Bridgnorth for repairs. Its route took it over the Forth Road Bridge and in doing so became the only steam locomotive to cross both the Forth Bridge and the adjacent road bridge.

Streamline frame of 60009 on chassis, but with boiler removed, for restoration at Crewe

After a repair in January 2007, it left the Severn Valley Railway and went to Crewe for fitment of on-train monitoring recorder (OTMR) equipment. In April 2007 it returned home to Scotland, with the Railway Touring Company's The Great Britain railtour being the first work and thence to its new base at Thornton. During 2007, it hauled the regular Scarborough Spa Express from York to Scarborough via Knaresborough, Harrogate and Leeds.

In 2008, it was continuing to work with the Railway Touring Company, scheduled to pull trains running between York and Edinburgh on several occasions during the first half of 2008. Union of South Africa appeared at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway LNER Festival 2008, along with 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley and 60019 Bittern, the first time that all three locomotives were together in preservation.

In light of the expiration of its boiler certificate, Union of South Africa arrived at Pete Waterman's LNWR Workshops at Crewe in 2010, undergoing an extensive overhaul. It returned to steam in mid-2012, hauling its first tours for the West Coast Railways on 22 and 23 July.[5]

Queen Elizabeth II was carried to Tweedbank aboard a train hauled by no. 60009 Union of South Africa on 9 September 2015, shown here south of Bowshank Tunnel.

On 9 September 2015, 60009 hauled a train carrying Queen Elizabeth II along with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to re-open officially the Borders Railway between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank. The locomotive subsequently operated railtours on the line throughout September. In 2017, John Cameron announced 60009 would be withdrawn when its boiler ticket expired and placed in the Farming and Railway Visiting Centre in Fife.[6][7] In March 2019 a 12 month extension on the boiler certificate was granted[8] On 7 March 2020, it hauled its last main line charter from Ealing Broadway to York via the Midland Main Line.[9][10]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LNER Class A4 4488 Union of South Africa.

• The Railway Touring Company's site - operator of the steam-hauled "Scarborough Spa Express" - details of the 2007 timetable
• Home of modern day videos Steamvideos.net