PROJECT RAILWAY HONOUR BREAKS COVER

[acko22]

Hi All,

OK a little later than was hoping to get this up (Thank you road closures)!

FRIEGHTLINER POWERHAUL CLASS 66 -418 WILL GO PUBLIC DISPLAY AT CREWE TRAIN STATION AT 13:00 THIS FRIDAY (11th NOVEMBER)

You are all welcome to come see the locomotive and meet some of the people behind the project. This newly named locomotive will be on display between 13:00 and 15:00 for all to see and get a chance to have a look inside the cab of a modern class 66.

In attendance will be:

Freightliner
Dapol
Revolution Trains
And Me!

Please if you have time come and see us too see the first of 3 locomotives for this project in the flesh, I have seen the plates in the flesh and even if I do say so myself I think they look amazing, no pics for now you will either have to come and see them in the flesh or wait until the pictures start to appear.

Also there will be a special raffle prize going live on the project website www.projectrailwayhonour.comFreightliner has offered a Cab ride from Crewe to Carlisle on one of their intermodal services.
This will be drawn at Warley so if you want a rare chance to ride a real service when it goes live please don't delay as they say "You have to be in it to win it!"

I hope to see those of you that can make it on Friday
 

[Bob Tidbury]

Congratulations on your project ,it's far to long a journey for me and I would have loved to have supported you ,but due to our financial problems I am unable to buy one of the Locos.
I hope it all goes well.

[ScottyStitch]

Thanks for the update, unfortunately I won't be able to attend (Aberdeenshire is a long haul from Crewe!)

Out of interest, what is RevolutioN's connection with the project?

[alibuchan]

Wish I hadn't agree to work in London tomorrow afternoon as I could have got to Crewe.

looking forward to getting my mitts on the models when you get them sorted.

Alistair

[red_death]

Out of interest, what is RevolutioN's connection with the project?

General dog's body! No seriously we have done some of the PR design for Gareth and will be providing him a sales platform for the Ltd Editions.

Cheers, Mike

[Graham]

Congratulations Gareth, look forward to supporting you with the purchase of the unit, would love to be in the raffle, but a bit far to travel even for the pleasure of the cab ride.

cheers

[Smiffy]

Congratulations Gareth on this great achievement.   

Looking forward to seeing photos of the naming tomorrow.

Will be queuing at Warley to order one of these.

Best of luck

Iain

[acko22]

Out of interest, what is RevolutioN's connection with the project?

General dog's body! No seriously we have done some of the PR design for Gareth and will be providing him a sales platform for the Ltd Editions.

Cheers, Mike

Hi all,

Ok as the hour approaches, I just want to say that both Mike and Ben, have been very humble in all this they have done as they said above and so much more so they really do deserve a massive thanks and my utter respect for the support they have shown to this project!

Although I don't thank @red_death aka Mike for encouraging me to drink so much the night before Tings started! Well him or @Only Me aka Paul! Next time I will have an early night maybe! 

[StufromEGDL]

Gareth;

Good Luck today.
I'll be stopping for 2 minutes at EGVN this morning

Wrap up warm...Crewe is cold!!

Later;
Stu from EGDL
 

[alibuchan]

Just seen some photos on Facebook. Those plates look very smart.

Well done Gareth. Top job.

Alistair

[Ben A]

Hello all,

I just wanted to post a couple of images from the day.  It was a privilege and an honour to be there, and the locomotive looked fabulous outside Freightliner's new depot.  The loco is the first to carry the new variant of Freighliner's powerhaul livery with the Genessee and Wyoming branding, and this was the first function to be held there:



The nameplates looked very smart, and after a short sermon the two minutes' silence was observed with an honour guard from the Mercian Regiment.





This has all been down to the work of Corporal Gareth Atkinson, who aswell as persuading Freightliner to name their loco also managed to persuade the Army to send vehicles to escort it!  I think is a remarkable achievement. 



250 models of 66418 are being produced by Dapol with proceeds to go to the Army Benevolent Fund and I think this is a wonderful initiative.

Cheers

Ben A.

[Ben A]

Hello all,

Just a note to add that Gareth will be joining Revolution Trains on our stand at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC when Dapol are hoping to have a painted sample on display, and those interested will be able to order their model.

Cheers

Ben A.

[REGP]

WOW

Impressive on all front, well done Gareth!

Hopefully I can order one via the Revolution Trains web site after Warley.

Ray

[dannyboy]

250 models of 66418 are being produced by Dapol

Can the model(s) be pre-ordered, (a bit like the Revolution items), or will it be 'first come first served' 

[acko22]

Hi All,
Firstly thank you for all the very kind words.
I have just got home and fair to say I am shattered so the emotions of today have really not sank in yet but no doubt over the next few days they will sink in. It has been a great privilege today and went better than I imagined. But the nameplate and plaque have totally blown my mind I got to see them in the flesh yesterday and words can't describe.
A massive thank and thumbs up must go to Freightliner, Dapol and Ben A and Red_death from Revolution trains, hand on heart if it wasn't for all of them this project would still be an idea on a piece of paper. After 2 years of hard work in the shadows for today to actually become a reality it's down to their good grace, trust and mostly patience with some annoying bloke from the army!
 
And they have really shown the truth in a quote I used today from David Stirling the founder of what is now know as the SAS:
"THERE IS NOTHING STRONGER THAN THE HEART OF A VOLUNTEER"
 
As Ben says there is going to be a limited edition run of this locomotive available to purchase as of the 26th November on the project website at 105 pounds each with ALL the profit going to ABF - The Soldiers Charity.
The Raffle prize of a cab ride will be going up in the next 24 hours I was going to have it up today but true to real life on the railways its delayed not by leaves on the line but the fact I am that shattered I am trying not to fall asleep on the Keyboard.
 
I don't have any pics from today but my family has and I will post them up when I get them tomorrow
 
Regards,
A very tired Gareth