SR 34053 'Sir Keith Park' at Leicester North during the GCR Winter Steam Gala. The 'Greek Line' was an express boat train that ran between London Waterloo and Southampton Docks in the 1950's. Visiting from the Severn Valley Railway 34053 left Barry Scrapyard in 1984. Evidence of her time spent there can still be seen today in the form of the words "Sold Mr Woodham" which are visible on the lower left slide bar. After various owners and lengthy periods in store, restoration was finally completed by the Southern Locomotives Limited in May 2012. Having no need of the locomotive at Swanage, agreement was reached for 34053 to go to the SVR for an indefinite period. After some 'fine tuning' on arrival at Bridgnorth, 34053 entered service in August 2012.
34053 is named after Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC (15 June 1892 – 6 February 1975) who was a New Zealand soldier, First World War flying ace and Second World War Royal Air Force commander. He was in operational command during two of the most significant air battles in the European theatre in the Second World War, helping to win the Battle of Britain and the Battle of Malta. In Germany, he was supposedly known as "the Defender of London". A bronze sculpture was installed at Waterloo Place and unveiled there in front of the Athenaeum Club on 15 September 2010, Battle of Britain Day, during the 70th anniversary commemorations of the Battle. Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, said that Park was "a man without whom the history of the Battle of Britain could have been disastrously different. He was a man who never failed at any task he was given." 34053 serves as a constant reminder of those times.
