Image Licensing : No 92220 Evening Star

EDITORS COMMENTS

This evocative photograph captures the last mainline steam locomotive built in Britain, No. 92220 Evening Star, as it stands proudly at Swindon Works in 1960. The 2-10-0 9F class locomotive, with its distinctive curved cab and large chimney, was the epitome of British railway engineering at the time. Built as British Railways' (BR) last gasp attempt to keep steam in the face of the encroaching diesel and electric era, Evening Star was a fitting testament to the passion and skill of the locomotive builders at Swindon Works. The locomotive's name, Evening Star, was chosen to symbolize the end of an era, as the last light before the darkness of the diesel and electric age. The photograph captures the locomotive in its prime, with gleaming metalwork and freshly painted livery. The steam plume billows out from the chimney, a reminder of the raw power and energy that steam locomotives possessed. The background of the photograph shows the hustle and bustle of Swindon Works, with other locomotives and rolling stock in various stages of repair and construction. Despite its historic significance, Evening Star was withdrawn from service in 1965, just five years after this photograph was taken. Today, it is preserved at the Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway (GWR) in Swindon, where it serves as a reminder of the golden age of steam rail travel and the passion and dedication of those who built and operated these magnificent machines.