From the
Oxford Times:
Music mogul and railway enthusiast Pete Waterman is giving Didcot Railway Centre a unique present to mark its 50th birthday next month.
Mr Waterman, who launched the careers of such stars as Kylie Minogue with hits like The Locomotion, is making the centre the custodian of a pioneering gas turbine locomotive ordered by the Great Western Railway in 1946, which he saved from the scrapyard.
Locomotive No. 18000 will be unveiled on Saturday, September 10, during two weekends of celebrations marking 50 years since the Great Western Society took over the former GWR▸ and British Railways locomotive depot at Didcot to create a museum celebrating God^s Wonderful Railway.
Mr Waterman, who began his working life as a steam loco fireman in the 1960s, has built up a collection of historic trains over the years from the proceeds of chart-toppers he has produced, including Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley and Especially for You by Kylie and Jason Donovan.
He said: ^What we try to do is give the locomotives the best home, because we like the public to see them. They are really good people at the railway centre and they have always looked after everything in their care. And 18000 is a true piece of GWR history.^
He added: ^It needs a bit of work, but until now we have never found anyone enthusiastic enough to work on it with us.^
While Mr Waterman gets a warm welcome on his regular trips to the centre, his first visit to the site landed him in hot water. He said: ^I went before it was the railway centre and was still a working steam shed and got kicked out.^
Swiss-built No. 18000 hauled trains for British Railways from 1949 to 1960. It was later sent to Europe for use as a testbed.
It was returned to Britain in the early 1990s, but was at risk of being scrapped before Mr Waterman stepped in.
He said: ^I thought to lose such an iconic machine would be vandalism. It^s historically important. You can see what in the 1940s people thought was the future of the railways.^
No. 18000 has already moved into its new home.
After arriving on a lorry and being put back on the rails at Didcot freight yard, it was propelled to the centre on Friday evening by the diesel shunter which works at the yard for Rail freight firm DB» Schenker.
Driver and GWS member Graham Ward said: ^It was a real privilege to take 18000 on its return to the main line.^
The celebration weekends on September 10-11 and 17-18 will feature visiting GWR locomotives in steam alongside the recently restored GWR steam railmotor No. 93 and broad gauge replica locomotive Fire Fly.
And on September 10, a FGW▸ High Speed Train will make the type^s first-ever visit to the centre for a ceremony at which one of its power cars will be named Great Western Society 1961-2011: Didcot Railway Centre.
For details see didcot railwaycentre.org.uk or call 01235 817200.
Click on the map to explore geographics
