Liverpool: Back In The Lions' Den...

"She'll Move, She's As Good As Ever She Was" (Titfield Thunderbolt, 1953)

Hi all. During another weekend in the lovely city of Liverpool myself & Maisie took in a return visit to the Museum of Liverpool on the docks. The prize exhibit (in my opinion at least) is 0-4-2 "Lion" - a real piece of railway history. We saw her during our last visit a couple of years ago and so, at the risk of totally repeating myself, I've added the paragraph below from the post I wrote back then. Little has changed since then, with "Lion" remaining centre stage in the ground floor area of the museum, surrounded by other displays and film reels of her previous operations...

Built in 1838 as Liverpool & Manchester Railway No57, "Lion" was capable of hauling trains of up to 200 tons and remained in service until around 1858. In 1859 it became a stationary boiler for the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board, a role it retained until becoming surplus to requirements in 1928. Thankfully, interest in "Lion" had grown by this point and she was saved from the scrapyard forever. She took part: in steam I might add: in the 1938 London & Birmingham Railway Centenary. Most famously perhaps, she starred in the 1953 Ealing Comedy "The Titfield Thunderbolt", playing the role of the heritage steam engine brought out of the local museum to help save a country branch line from closure. "Lion" moved to Liverpool in 2007 to the then new museum and now sits centre stage. Looking down across the elderly "Lion"...

It was very nice to see "Lion" again. I think its great that she now has a stable home and can be enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year. As the Museum of Liverpool is free, it makes for an interesting and value for money hour or so walking round so I do recommend a visit. Talking of history, during our stay we were booked into the Titanic hotel again - a converted rum warehouse on Stanley Dock. The rooms are huge, the atmosphere great and the hotel is full of reminders, artwork and photographs of the historic liner "Titanic" lost in 1912. For someone like me who is interested in the ship and its tragic demise anyway, the Titanic hotel in Liverpool is a must do: give it a try, you won't be disappointed. Cheers all, Sam...