Historic locomotive repainted in colours of life saving charity

A historic locomotive at Lappa Valley has been given a new look in support of Cornwall Air Ambulance.

“Duke of Cornwall” has been repainted in the charity’s red and yellow colours as part of Lappa Valley’s Charity of the Year partnership.

The project was inspired by a visit by the attraction’s team to the Cornwall Air Ambulance headquarters earlier this year, where they discovered one of the charity’s helicopters also carries the name Duke of Cornwall.

The attraction’s team spent around six weeks repainting the 10¼-inch gauge locomotive in-house to match the air ambulance helicopter.

Ben Harding, Operations Director at Lappa Valley, said visitors had shown “a deep affection” for Cornwall Air Ambulance during a recent charity day.

He said: “Duke of Cornwall holds a special place in the hearts of so many, and for it to take on an important role in these famous colours is a fantastic way to keep Cornwall Air Ambulance’s mission at the forefront of people’s minds throughout our 2026 season.”

The locomotive was built in 1981 by Severn Lamb and originally operated at the Carlyon Bay Railway before moving to Lappa Valley in the mid-1990s.

The original livery of the Duke of Cornwall

It was the original and only engine used on the Newlyn Downs Branch Line when it opened in 1995 and is remembered by many visitors to the attraction.

Although the locomotive is no longer in regular service while awaiting a mechanical overhaul, it is now on static display at the entrance to East Wheal Rose at Lappa Valley, where visitors can learn more about both its history and the work of Cornwall Air Ambulance.

The charity provides emergency critical care across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by air and road, responding to more than 1,000 missions each year.