FOR 40,000 hours, volunteers toiled away in the grime at Didcot Railway Centre.

Now their labour of love – the steam locomotive King Edward II – is ready to face the public after a restoration project lasting more than 20 years.

The launch of 6023 King Edward II will take place at the railway centre next to Didcot Parkway on April 2, 2011.

The Great Western express passenger locomotive has been restored in the early British Railways blue livery.

It was built in 1930 and withdrawn in 1962. The Brunel Trust bought it in 1984 and it left its South Wales scrapyard home of 22 years.

The centre said it was taken on a ‘rusting hulk’ in need of a ‘complete overhaul’.

The pistons and connecting rods were replaced and, in a preservation first, new casts were made for replacement wheels.

Locomotive 6023 will also be running on Sunday, April 3, as well as during the Easter and May Day bank holidays on the short section of track at the centre.

Richard Croucher, chairman of the Great Western Society, said: “This is the culmination of more than 20 years work at Didcot, which has been our most ambitious restoration project yet.

“It is a tremendous achievement by a group of volunteers and our supporters who have raised over £700,000 and put in more than 40,000 hours work.

“We hope that all railway enthusiasts will appreciate seeing a single-chimney King in action again, for the first time in more than 50 years.”

Roger Orchard, operations manager of Didcot Railway Centre, said: “This locomotive was so badly damaged, with parts of its wheels cut off, that it was deemed to be a no-hoper.

“No-one ever thought it would be restored, let alone go back out on the main line and these volunteers have done a fantastic job.

“I’m sure this train will be one of our major attractions next year.”

The locomotive will be on display at the centre until early June, when it will depart for the Mid-Norfolk Railway.

It will go on the main line later in the year and return to Didcot for the main summer season from mid-July on-wards.

It will be launched by Steve Davis MBE, director of the National Railway Museum at York.

l Residents living near the centre are being warned to expect bangs and explosions when the centre is closed this weekend and next weekend for the filming of a new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey Junior, Jude Law and Stephen Fry.