The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has confirmed that the visit of 4079 Pendennis Castle has been cancelled due to an issue with the locomotive.

An issue has been found with possible boiler water carry over to the cylinders, initial investigation work has found a number of concerns that need to be fixed, and the decision has been made by the Didcot Railway Centre to withdraw the locomotive from service.

The NYMR says it is committed to running an excellent steam gala in September, and says it is actively looking for a replacement visiting locomotive.

The gala is set to take place between the 26th and 29th of September, and will feature the home fleet alongside 34028 ‘Eddystone’ and 2253 ‘Omaha’

“We’re obviously really disappointed but sympathise with Didcot Railway Centre – unfortunately, these things happen. We are actively looking for a standout replacement and will keep people informed of the updated line-up. We are still extremely excited for the upcoming Annual Steam Gala and can’t wait to welcome the rest of the guest locomotives, joining  our home-fleet.”

Laura Strangeway, CEO of North Yorkshire Moors Railway