No. 1 Green Goddess

History

One of two locomotives ordered in 1924 by Count Louis Zborowski, Captain Howey’s original partner, and designed by Henry Greenly.

Greenly based them on Nigel Gresley’s famous A1 class locomotives of the London & North Eastern Railway, of which the Flying Scotsman is a surviving example. Green Goddess and tender cost £1,250 to build. The name of the locomotive was apparently taken from one of Howey’s favourite plays.

She was ready long before the railway, so Howey arranged for her to be tested on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Cumbria during 1925. Following this, and while the line was under construction, Howey tried to whet the appetite of the local people by displaying the loco at ‘Binns Garage’, right next door to the railway, in Littlestone.

She has always been seen sporting a livery of green, and since the war has sported two new high capacity tenders. The second of these now belongs to Northern Chief, the first has been re-united with Green Goddess.

Green Goddess carries an ex LMS Stanier hooter and George Barlow was her driver for over thirty years from 1947.

She currently runs in an Apple Green livery similar to that of the former Great Northern Railway.

She was in the workshops in 2018 for repairs and overhaul. Green Goddess returned to service on 9 June 2019 following a period of repair.

Technical Details

GN outline two-cylinder 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive.
Designed by Henry Greenly.
Built by Davey Paxman & Co., (15469) in 1925
Overall length: 27′ 7″
Weight in working order: 8 ton 10cwt
Driving wheel diameter: 2′ 1.5″
Bogie and trailing wheel diameter: 1′
Cylinders: 5.25″ bore x 8.5″ stroke
Current Livery: LNER Apple Green

2 Northern Chief