'Cromwell's Misty Departure Finale' - Swithland Sidings, Leicestershire - 29.1.2017
8.30am on a cold and very misty early January 2017 morning at Swithland Sidings sees a scene typical of the 'Final Years of Steam Usage' on the National Rail Network. It could quite easily be either Carlisle Kingmoor or Crewe South Goods Yards when former 'Express Passenger Locomotives' such as this were used on heavy freight workings on the West Coast Main Line North of Crewe or secondary passenger services - such as the North Wales Coast.
On the final morning of the Great Central Railway's (GCR) 2017 Winter Steam Gala, sees BR Standard Riddles Designed Class 7MT 'Britannia' 4-6-2 No 70013 Oliver Cromwell - firstly top - easing out of the sidings and then - bottom - steadily ascending the gradient towards Rothley before proceeding to Leicester North.
This was also Cromwell's last GCR 2017 appearance, before undertaking its forthcoming railtour duties on the National Mainline Network.
'Cromwell's Misty Departure Finale' - Swithland Sidings, Leicestershire - 29.1.2017
8.30am on a cold and very misty early January 2017 morning at Swithland Sidings sees a scene typical of the 'Final Years of Steam Usage' on the National Rail Network. It could quite easily be either Carlisle Kingmoor or Crewe South Goods Yards when former 'Express Passenger Locomotives' such as this were used on heavy freight workings on the West Coast Main Line North of Crewe or secondary passenger services - such as the North Wales Coast.
On the final morning of the Great Central Railway's (GCR) 2017 Winter Steam Gala, sees BR Standard Riddles Designed Class 7MT 'Britannia' 4-6-2 No 70013 Oliver Cromwell - firstly top - easing out of the sidings and then - bottom - steadily ascending the gradient towards Rothley before proceeding to Leicester North.
This was also Cromwell's last GCR 2017 appearance, before undertaking its forthcoming railtour duties on the National Mainline Network.