Today marks the beginning of Alstom’s sold-out charity event, the Greatest Gathering, which takes place at its rolling stock factory on Litchurch Lane in Derby.
The event, which forms part of a year-long celebration of Railway 200, runs from 1–3 August, and will see the largest gathering of rolling stock from the past, future and present the world has ever seen.
One such vehicle is the Sentinel 0-4-0DH 10077, which has been provided courtesy of Plym Valley Railway.
Built by Rolls Royce; Sentinel 0-4-0DH 10077 first began operation in Yorkshire on 11 July 1961, before being moved to the Weardale Railway, an 18 mile heritage line running from a connection with the main rail network at Bishop Auckland to Eastgate in Weardale, County Durham, in 2002.
It was then transported to the National Railway Musem (NRM) in Shildon in 2011, before being sold to the Wensleydale Railway in March 2014.
Finally, it was given a new purpose at the Plym Valey Railway, where it saw full restoration and intermittent work standing for the Vanguard locomotive.
The vehicle weighs 34 tonnes and boasts a top speed of 18 mph.
Other heritage trains on display at the Greatest Gathering include Locomotion No.1 and GWR King Class No. 6023 King Edward II steam locomotive, among many more.
