All Three Steam Locomotives Working This Weekend
Over the coming weekend, Friday 1st July to Sunday 3rd July, all three of the steam locos in the custody of 5305LA will be working public trains. Details of these, together with recent activities, are given below.
70013 Oliver Cromwell
The 'Brit' hauled a standard Cathedrals Express charter for Steam Dreams from London Victoria to Bristol and back via Salisbury on Thursday the 23rd June. The loco performed with it usual noisy efficiency and made a splendid ascent of Upton Scudamore bank with its 12 coach train.
This Saturday (2nd July) 70013 will perform on The Norfolkman from Liverpool Street to Norwich, out via Diss and back via Bishops Stortford. This is a prestige train to celebrate the loco's 60th birthday and the 60th anniversary of the London-Norwich timetable accelerations, which were introduced to coincide with the more powerful Britannias taking over the service. Local dignitaries and personnel connected with the historical occasion are expected to be on board.
'Black Five' 45305
After having had its booked Swanage-Waterloo job taken away from it on the 16th June, the powers that be decided that the locomotive would be moved to Crewe to join the pool of locos there for summer work. In a marathon 14 hour 'engine and van' journey from Swanage to Crewe on the 27th June, the loco was routed via Salisbury and Hereford, covering 285 miles before arriving at Crewe Heritage Centre.
45305 will haul the Coast to Coast Express for RTC from Liverpool to Scarborough, out and back via the Calder Valley, on Saturday 2nd July.
30777 Sir Lamiel
The 'Arthur' finished its stint on the West Somerset Railway recently and moved by road to the Wensleydale Railway on Monday 27th June. It begins work in its new base this Friday and will be in action on many days in July and August. It is expected to move south in early September to take up main line work after a long anbsence, enforced by factors outside the control of 5305LA.