Queen Elizabeth Opens New Scottish Borders With Ride In Historic Locomotive

Becomes UK’s Longest Serving Monarch

The Queen of England, Elizabeth the II officially opened the new Scottish borders with a in the Union of South Africa, an LNER Class A4 steam locomotive built in 1937 in Doncaster, UK.

The train, which was once renamed Osprey in consonance with political situation at the time, is one of six surviving A4s designed by one of Britain’s most famous steam locomotive engineers, Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley, that is currently operational and mainline certified.

Union of South Africa, which the locomotive train was named after, is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa, which came into being on May 31 1910 with the unification of four previously separate British colonies including Cape Colony, Natal Colony, Transvaal Colony and Orange River Colony.

The Queen, who goes by the maiden name, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, was designated the longest serving UK Monarch after spending 64 years on the throne, used the opportunity to thank her well-wishers at home and overseas for sending “touching messages of kindness.”

Speaking in the Scottish Borders, the 89-year-old monarch said, “The title was not one to which I have ever aspired.”

Meanwhile, by about 17:30 BST, the Queen would have reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes – 63 years and seven months