History of 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT, BR Standard Steam Locomotive 4-6-0 Class 4MT, technical specification, images photos pictures photographs

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Steam Locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT

British Railways Standard 4-6-0 Class 4MT

Heritage & Preserved Steam Locomotives

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A history of steam locomotive 75029

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Nostalgic Steam Train Photos from the 1960s

Email: chem55555@hotmail.com

[Author and photographer © Dr Phil Brown PhD plus help from AI these days, page updated May13th 2026]

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75029 by the side of Grosmont shed, seemingly well out of service in 2016

Ex BR Standard Class 4MT 4-6-0 locomotive No. 75029 built at Swindon Works in 1954 to a BR standard R.A. Riddles steam locomotive design and now fitted with a double chimney.

75029 is fitted with a large double chimney and one of the few turned in BR green livery.

BR Standard 4-6-0 75029 pulls into Whitby station with an NYMR steam train from Grosmont (October 2015).

Steam loco 75029 turning round on the loop at Whitby station

75029 waits to depart from Whitby station with a train for Grosmont

75029 departing from Whitby station

NYMR Spring Steam Gala May 2014: BR standard 4MT locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT running light from Grosmont shed to Grosmont station

75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT (nameplate not carried here) reversing via the loop in Pickering station

Technical detail specifications of locomotive 75029: Boiler pressure of 75029: 225 lbf/sq.in. superheated, Weight of 75029: loco 67.9 tons, tender 42.2 tons, Wheel diameter of 75029: 3' 0'', 5' 8", Valve gear of 75029: Walschaerts piston valves, Cylinders (diameter x stroke) of 75029: 18" x 28" (O), Tractive effort of 75029: 25520 lbf., BR Power classification of 75029: Class 4MT, Route availability RA 4

NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2012: 75029 at Grosmont (North Yorkshire Moors Railway) More on Ex BR standard locomotive 75029

NYMR Spring Steam Gala May 2014: The driving wheels and valve gear of BR standard 4MT locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT

NYMR Spring Steam Gala May 2014: BR standard 4MT locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT running light through Grosmont

75029 is fitted with the requisite electronic cab warning system (TPWS) to enable it to operate on the national rail network including the Esk Valley Line from Whitby to Battersby.

NYMR Spring Steam Gala May 2014: BR standard 4MT locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT at Grosmont level crossing

Ex BR standard locomotives 75029 + 76079 double head a passenger train for Goathland-Levisham-Pickering.

NYMR Spring Steam Gala May 2014: BR standard 4MT locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT at the rear of the train from Grosmont to Whitby

Really nicely turned out! 75029THE GREEN KNIGHT is a BR standard Class 4 4-6-0 locomotive built at Swindon in 1956 and one of the few fitted with a large double chimney and painted green. 75029 was originally saved from the scrapyard by the artist David Shepherd.

Now again proudly wearing the nameplate THE GREEN KNIGHT again

NYMR Spring Steam Gala May 2014: BR standard 4MT locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT hauling coaching stock out of Grosmont station

NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2012: 75029 waiting to depart from Grosmont with a Pickering steam train (North Yorkshire Moors Railway) More on Ex BR standard locomotive 75029

NYMR Spring Steam Gala May 2014: BR standard 4MT locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT giving a good smoke and steam display at Grosmont

NYMR Spring Steam Gala May 2014: BR standard 4MT locomotive 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT departing from Grosmont with the train for Whitby

75029 leaving Whitby with a train for Grosmont

75029 at Grosmont acting as a banker for a train to Pickering.

75029 waiting to depart from Grosmont station with a steam excursion to the seaside of Whitby Town!

75029 double heading with a Black 5 climbing up the bank to Goathland on the NYMR

75029 coasting over the River Esk bridge with a Battersby - Grosmont train near the North York Moors National Park Centre at Danby.

NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2012: 75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT departing from Grosmont with a train bound for Pickering Station (North Yorkshire Moors Railway) More on Ex BR standard locomotive 75029

75029 waiting at Whitby station to return to Grosmont.

75029 running south through Newtondale with a Grosmont-Pickering train.

NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2012: BR standard 4-6-0 locomotive 75029 emerging from Grosmont Tunnel with a train from Pickering (North Yorkshire Moors Railway) More on Ex BR standard locomotive 75029

75029 passing through Castleton station on the North York Moors, working an NYMR special steam train excursion between Battersby Junction and Grosmont, but here working on the Network Rail tracks of the Middlesbrough Whitby Esk Valley Line.

75029 at Danby Station

75029 passing through Castleton with a train for Battersby

Above and below: Two shots of 75029 passing through Danby station on the North York Moors, working an NYMR special steam train excursion between Battersby Junction and Grosmont, but here working on the Network Rail tracks of the Middlesbrough Whitby Esk Valley Line. The headboard is entitled "THE WHITBY ENTERPRISE".

75029 heading down the Esk valley to Whitby from Grosmont

75029 arriving in Whitby

75029 at Whitby Station

75029 at Pickering

60007 and 75029 waiting at the start of the day at Grosmont station.

NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2012: 75029 banking in the rear. (North Yorkshire Moors Railway)

NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2012: ... banker 75029 at the rear. (North Yorkshire Moors Railway)

NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2012: Two locomotive and seven carriages on the bank at Eskdale, soon after leaving Grosmont. (North Yorkshire Moors Railway)

75029 standing at Grosmont station and then leaving with a train for Pickering

75029 crossing the River Esk near Danby National Parks Centre with a train from Grosmont to Battersby on the Esk Valley Line

70000 BRITANNIA hauling the Pullman train from Grosmont to Battersby, passing through the Esk Valley at Castleton.

NYMR 40th Anniversary Festival Spring Steam Gala 2013: BR Standard 4-6-0 steam locomotive 75029 waits to go into the coaling stage.

NYMR 40th Anniversary Festival Spring Steam Gala 2013: Way we go for more coal from the coaling plant at Grosmont shed.

40th Anniversary Festival Spring Steam Gala 2013: BR standard locomotive 75029 running light to Grosmont Depot

NYMR 40th Anniversary Festival Spring Steam Gala 2013: BR standard 75029 heading for Grosmont station

NYMR 40th Anniversary Festival Spring Steam Gala 2013: BR std. 75029 GREEN KNIGHT banks up the rear of 61264.

Steam locomotive 75029 rear-banking a 'top and tail' Grosmont to Pickering train at the NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2014

BR standard steam locomotive 75029 meets tank engine 1501 at the NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2014

BR standard Class 4-6-0 locomotive 75029 in the late afternoon light at the NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 2014

75029 in Grosmont Depot (NYMR, July 2015)

75029 THE GREEN KNIGHT in Black and White!

A history of steam locomotive 75029

BR Standard Class 4MT 4‑6‑0 No. 75029 The Green Knight is one of the most historically interesting and best‑known members of the BR Standard steam fleet — not least because of its long association with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and its regular appearances at Whitby, right on your doorstep.
Below is a full, structured historical and technical profile, synthesising all available sourced information.

Concise takeaway of steam locomotive 75029

75029 was built at Swindon in 1954, worked across the Western Region until withdrawal in 1967, was saved for preservation, named The Green Knight, and has since become a mainstay of the NYMR — including certified operation to Whitby.

1. Construction and BR design context of steam locomotive 75029

Class: BR Standard Class 4MT 4‑6‑0
Designer: R.A. Riddles and the BR Standard design team (Brighton, with Swindon/Derby/Doncaster input)
Works: Swindon
Completed: 1954 (works number not specified in sources)
Purpose: Mixed‑traffic duties on secondary routes where a Black Five or Standard 5 would be too heavy.
Design lineage: Essentially the tender version of the Standard 4 Tank (Class 4MT 2‑6‑4T), sharing running gear and boiler family.

2. BR service career of steam locomotive 75029 (1954–1967)

Allocations and duties

75029 spent its entire BR life on the Western Region, with allocations including:

Reading
Oxford
Swindon
Machynlleth (Wales)
Croes Newydd (Wrexham)
These postings reflect typical mixed‑traffic work: secondary passenger, parcels, and local freight.

Withdrawal

Withdrawn: August 1967, from Carnforth.
Like all members of the class, it carried no name in BR service.

3. Preservation history of steam locomotive 75029

Early preservation of steam locomotive 75029

Purchased immediately after withdrawal by artist David Shepherd, a major figure in early UK steam preservation.
Later acquired by enthusiast Robert Cantrell, who applied the name “The Green Knight” — a preservation-era name referencing Arthurian legend.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway era of steam locomotive 75029

Arrived at the NYMR: October 1998.
Painted in BR Brunswick Green, a livery rarely carried by the class in service.
Became one of the NYMR’s most reliable and powerful medium‑sized engines, regularly working:
- Grosmont–Pickering services
- Whitby–Battersby services on the national network (thanks to TPWS fitment)

Overhaul and current status of steam locomotive 75029

A firebox crack was discovered in 2015, leading to withdrawal.
Entered the NYMR workshops in 2019 for a major overhaul; fundraising continues for its return to steam.

4. Technical specifications (as built) of steam locomotive 75029

(Values corroborated across BR Standard Class 4MT data and 75029‑specific sources.)

Wheel arrangement: 4‑6‑0
Driving wheels: 5 ft 8 in
Leading wheels: 3 ft
Boiler: BR Standard No. 4
Boiler pressure: 225 psi (superheated)
Cylinders: Two, outside, 18 in × 28 in
Valve gear: Walschaerts
Tractive effort: ≈25,520 lbf (class standard)
Loco weight: 67.9 tons
Tender weight: ≈42.2 tons (BR2/BR2A type)
Route availability: RA 4
Fuel: Coal
Water capacity: 3,500–4,725 gal depending on tender type (75029 uses BR2/2A).

Notable modifications

Large double chimney fitted in preservation — unusual for the class.
TPWS installed for mainline certification on the Esk Valley Line.

5. Steam locomotive 75029 and Whitby

Given your location in Whitby, it’s worth highlighting:

75029 has been one of the NYMR’s principal Whitby‑certified locomotives, regularly hauling services into Whitby Station.
It even appeared with the Olympic Torch at Whitby in 2012.
Numerous photographs document it running round the loop, departing for Grosmont, and double‑heading with 76079 on the Esk Valley Line.

6. Place of 75029 in the wider BR Standard story

One of 80 Class 4MT 4‑6‑0s built (1951–57).
Six survive in preservation.
The class filled the gap between the lighter Standard 3MT and the heavier Standard 5MT, offering excellent route availability and reliability.

Summary timeline

Year	Event
1954	Built at Swindon for BR Western Region
1950s–60s	Allocated to Reading, Oxford, Swindon, Machynlleth, Croes Newydd
Aug 1967	Withdrawn at Carnforth
1967	Purchased by David Shepherd
1970s–90s	Private preservation; later named The Green Knight
1998	Arrived at NYMR
2000s–2010s	Regular NYMR and Whitby mainline operations
2015	Firebox crack discovered
2019–present	Undergoing overhaul at NYMR

My Archive Steam Photos from the 1960s

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Good trainspotting 'TRAINSPOTS' Good trainspotting and photographic locations Barnetby Station, North Lincolnshire * Carlisle Station * Clapham Junction Station, London * Colton Junction, south of York * Coventry * Crewe Station * Doncaster Station, South Yorkshire * Grantham * Hellifield station - Carlisle to Settle line * Lancaster station * Leicester station * Newcastle Station * Northallerton Station * Nuneaton Station * Peterborough * Sheffield Station * Stratford Station, East London * Tamworth * Warrington Bank Quay station * Wigan North Western - WCML * York Station

See other TOPS classes of diesels and electrics * Class 01 * Class 02 * Class 03 * Class 04 * Class 08 * Class 09 * Class 10 * Class 11 * Class 14 * Class 20 * Class 24 * Class 25 * Class 26 * Class 27 * Class 31 * Class 33 * Class 35 * Class 37 * Class 40 * Class 43 * Class 44 * Class 45 * Class 47 * Class 50 * Class 52 * Class 55 * Class 56 * Class 57 * Class 58 * Class 60 * Class 66 * Class 67 * Class 68 * Class 70 * Class 71 * Class 73 * Class 76 * Class 77 * Class 84 * Class 86 * Class 87 * Class 88 * Class 90 * Class 91 * Class 92 * Derby Lightweight * Class 101 * Class 108 * Class 114 * Class 117 * Class 120 * Class 121 * Class 122 * Class 127 * Class 141 * Class 142 * Class 144 * Class 150 * Class 153 * Class 155 * Class 156 * Class 158 * Class 159 * Class 165 * Class 166 * Class 170 * Class 172 * Class 175 * Class 180 * Class 185 * Class 195 * Class 196 * Class 197 * Class 220 * Class 221 * Class 222 * Class 252 * Class 313 * Class 315 * Class 317 * Class 319 * Class 320 * Class 321 * Class 322 * Class 323 * Class 325 * Class 331 * Class 332 * Class 333 * Class 334 * Class 350 * Class 357 * Class 360 * Class 365 * Class 373 * Class 375 * Class 376 * Class 377 * Class 378 * Class 379 * Class 380 * Class 387 * Class 390 * Class 395 * Class 414 * Class 423 * Class 442 * Class 444 * Class 450 * Class 455 * Class 458 * Class 460 * Class 465 * Class 466 * Class 489 * Class 507/508 * Class 700 * Class 730 * Class 755 * Class 800 * Class 801 * Class 802 * Class 803 * Class 805 * Class 3000 *

INDEX of My IMAGES OF PRESERVED STEAM LOCOMOTIVES

and BR 75069 Locomotive BR Standard 4-6-0 Class 4MT