31 413 Grantham - Peterborough 30/04/88
This was just before the end of the loco hauled cross country services in 1988, 31413 had always been a good 31 and I had many an impressive run with her over the years. By now she was in ice cream van livery (done at Bescot 20/4/88) and was at the same time named 'Severn Valley Railway' . Quite often celebrity locos were in reality old wrecks, but not this one.
This journey on 1E85 was my fastest ever with a 31 and although I'd had several in the high nineties, this was the only time we exceeded 100 mph. Yes it was going down Stoke Bank, but it didn't overheat and in fact it was only stopped at Crewe four days later with a dodgy speedo. It then went to Kidderminster to celebrate its naming. Flickr Class 31 denigrators beware !
31 413 Grantham - Peterborough 30/04/88
This was just before the end of the loco hauled cross country services in 1988, 31413 had always been a good 31 and I had many an impressive run with her over the years. By now she was in ice cream van livery (done at Bescot 20/4/88) and was at the same time named 'Severn Valley Railway' . Quite often celebrity locos were in reality old wrecks, but not this one.
This journey on 1E85 was my fastest ever with a 31 and although I'd had several in the high nineties, this was the only time we exceeded 100 mph. Yes it was going down Stoke Bank, but it didn't overheat and in fact it was only stopped at Crewe four days later with a dodgy speedo. It then went to Kidderminster to celebrate its naming. Flickr Class 31 denigrators beware !