Today's video was a little impromptu one but certainly a worthwhile venture! WCR's very own Rebuilt SR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 No. 35018 'British India Line' is due to appear at the Swanage Railway's 'Strictly Bulleid II" gala which stars many other Bulleid Pacfic locomotives. In order to facilitate her visit, WCR sent her down the WCML to Southall today with a set of Mk1 coaches, which haven't seen use in a long time due to the ongoing CDL dispute with the ORR. She left Steamtown this morning, heading via Preston, Warrington, Crewe (for a water stop), Rugby and Milton Keynes Central and arrived at Southall in the late evening.
To catch her, I headed out at 11:34 from my local, changing at Smethwick Galton Bridge for a service to Liverpool. I alighted at Winsford rather than my planned Hartford because she was getting very close to my train and I was unsure whether the signallers would hold her as planned. She came through at some pace, making quite the scene! After that I headed back to Crewe to inspect the locomotive during her water stop, before grabbing a service to London Euston on board one of Avanti's new Class 805s! A quick change at Stafford saw me meet ‪@harnettyrailways‬ for the journey down to Tamworth, where he alighted at Rugeley. At Tamworth I was quite worried about bowlage, and rightly so, as just as she was due, a 350 pulled into my platform just behind me and an Avanti 805 passed through the centre road! Apologies for the talking in this shot too. After that I headed home.
Thanks to LNWR and Avanti for my train services and thanks to WCR, NR, 35018 and her crew as always for making these scenes possible! I do hope you enjoy as I did.