Duchess of Hamilton

    Duchess of Hamilton   "Duchess of Hamilton" is an engine living at the National Railway Museum in York. She made a cameo in "Thomas and the Great Railway Show".
 * Number: 6229, originally 46229
 * Configuration: 4-6-2
 * Built: 1938
 * Builder: LMS Crewe Works
 * Designer: William Stanier

Bio
"Duchess" was built in 1938 and visited the USA in 1939. In 1947, her streamlining was removed for maintenance-efficiency reasons.

After the decline of steam, she was sent to Butlin's Holiday Camp, where she was put on display with Stepney's brother Knowle. She was later bought by the National Railway Museum. She worked on the main line and has been on display.

In 2005, "Steam Railway" magazine launched an appeal to raise funds for "Duchess" to be restored in her original streamlined form, and after a successful appeal she was moved to Tysley to be re-streamlined. On 6th of May 2006, "Duchess" was unveiled at Tysley to her appeal supporters with a sloping smokebox and the left side of her tender and boiler painted in post-war LMS black for a one-day event. Following this, the work on her re-streamlining carried on. "Duchess" was due to be completed in September 2008; but due to a worldwide search for the correct thickness of steel for the casing her re-streamlining took longer than expected.

Now in her original streamlined form and repainted in the LMS maroon livery with gold stripes, "Duchess" is back on display at the National Railway Museum as centre-stage of an exhibition called "Streamlined: Styling an Era!"

Basis
"Duchess of Hamilton", a real locomotive, is an LMS 8P Princess Coronation "Duchess" 4-6-2.

Livery
"Duchess of Hamilton" is painted LMS maroon with gold lining and black wheels. Before she was re-streamlined, "Duchess of Hamilton" was painted LMS maroon with yellow lining and black wheels. She also had a BR crest on her tender.