Portrait of the British Railways Pacific locomotive #34027. Taw Valley was named after the river that flows through Devon and Dartmoor. She was one of thirty-six "West Country" light pacifics to be named but not have a coat of arms applied during her service days. The coat of arms that she currently wears with her nameplate is post BR and was added in 2015 following the completion of her most recent overhaul. 21C127 was built in April 1946 at the SR's Brighton Works. In 1948 when British Railways was formed and the four pre grouping companys were merged into one she was renumbered from 21C127 to 34027. She was later rebuilt in 1957 to her current shape and was re-allocated to Bricklayer's Arms, and then followed by a transfer to Brighton in 1961 and Salisbury in 1963 where she was to remain for the rest of her days working for BR until August 1964 when she was withdrawn from service and towed to Barry Scrapyard. She was rescued for preservation in 1980 by Bert Hitchen and was moved away from Barry Island to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where her restoration began, she was later moved to the East Lancashire Railway, but in August 1985 she was once again moved, to the Severn Valley Railway, where her restoration continued. Her restoration was completed in October 1987 and she then began her trial running, but did not enter service on the Severn Valley Railway until June 1988. Source Wikipedia.
