The Gresley Society has announced that following its agreement reached in September, Class N2 GNR No.1744 has moved to the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) to complete its overhaul.

No. 1744 is the oldest surviving locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley. It was built in 1921, and the Gresley Society bought it in 1963.

The loco’s move to NNR is an important step towards its return to traffic, which the Society hopes will be in Spring this year.

The locomotive was withdrawn from service late in 2018 for an overhaul. However, the overhaul became much more extensive and expensive than expected.

Work began on the overhaul in 2019. However, the Covid-19 lockdown that started the following year and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2002 impacted the progress and the cost of the overhaul.

Stripping down no.1744 revealed that the loco needed much more work than had been thought. Costs rose to around £650,000, to carry out a major programme of mechanical and boiler work.

On Tuesday 8 October last year, the locomotive’s boiler passed its steam test at the works of Northern Steam Engineering at Thornaby. It was then re-assembled in parts. On Thursday 12 December, no.1744 was taken to the NNR’s workshops at Weybourne.

The NNR will initially fund the remaining work required. The Society will repay the funds by allowing no.1744 to run without charge for a period of time.

The Gresley Society needs to raise more money to meet the full cost of the overhaul.

It has launched an appeal called The N2 Overhaul Completion Club. It aims to raise the £100,000 it needs by one hundred members giving £1,000 each. The donors will allowed to pay in up to eight instalments. They will receive several benefits, including a certificate, the chance to watch overhaul work being carried out on no.1744, and a year’s free membership of The Gresley Society Trust.

Since its launch in November, the Club has raised £17,750. It is still looking for more members to help raised the rest of the money. Details of how to join the Club are available on the Society’s website.

“I wish to thank Northern Steam Engineering, who have shown great flexibility in agreeing how their work programme on the class N2 could be brought to an orderly close, and the North Norfolk Railway for their positive and constructive approach to the funding problem they could see we faced.

“ I’d encourage all LNER lovers what want to see the class N2 paired once again with the Midland & Great Northern Society’s unique set of Quad-Art carriages to get on board with our appeal!”

Philip Benham, Chair of The Gresley Society