Double take at museum for engine with distinctive look

While the world-famous locomotive, Mallard, left the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York last summer, an almost identical steam engine has arrived in the city.

But the LNER A4 Class in Mallard’s characteristic shade of blue is actually another engine masquerading as the record-breaking steam giant’s sister locomotive, Dominion of New Zealand.

The temporary addition to the NRM’s collection, which went on show yesterday until Thursday, is actually No. 4464 Bittern, previously seen in British Railways green livery.

However, the privately-owned engine has been re-named and numbered to represent her long-lost sister locomotive, Dominion of New Zealand, that was withdrawn from service in 1965.

No. 4492 Dominion of New Zealand was part of a batch of A4 locomotives which were designed to celebrate the Coronation of George VI.

The LNER A4 Pacific Class, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, was seen as a symbol of the 1930s glory days of luxury steam travel.

No. 4468 Mallard, which is now housed at the NRM’s sister attraction, Locomotion in Shildon, County Durham, holds the world speed record for a steam locomotive at 126 miles per hour.

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