This repeat of last year's Mallard commemoration sought again to get from London - Edinburgh and back using three A4s, with the addition of the new A1 No 60163 Tornado on the final leg. This aim was subverted when No 60019 Bittern failed its FTR examination earlier in the week, but No 60163 was swiftly brought from the North York Moors to substitute (should it be renamed 'Thundado'?!).
It headed out of Kings Cross on the early Saturday fast steam schedule which it is swiftly making its own. A quick run down from Hitchin to Sandy was followed by a storming climb of Stoke Bank, faster than Sir Nigel's epic run last year. More fast running between Barkston and Bawtry and between Doncaster and York concluded a stirring first leg.
After a break at York, A4 No 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley came on for the journey into Scotland. The running along the racing stretch to Darlington was disappointing, but we ended the first day with a rollicking run down Cockburnspath bank and along the Firth of Forth.
The Sunday side trip from Edinburgh to Dundee, out with No 60007 and back with No 60009 Union of South Africa, broke no records for speed or timekeeping, but was a very pleasant day out in the Scottish spring sunshine, with crossings both ways of the Forth and Tay Bridges.
On the Monday morning, No 60009 stood resplendent at the east end of Waverley station but its running amid a busy weekday schedule was ridden with signal checks and loopings, interspersed with short bursts of impressive speed. A flying start south of Darlington was spoilt when we were put slow line at Northallerton, preventing a rousing finish to this leg.
A highlight of the layover at York was the arrival from Tyseley of a train containing the impressively restreamlined LMS Pacific No 6229 Duchess of Hamilton, ready for its launch at the NRM the next day.
No 60163 came on for the final leg, but a slow schedule through the busy weekday timetable and a very strict adherence to the steam speed limit meant there were no more fireworks. Nevertheless we arrived on time to a warm welcome at Kings Cross, at the end of nearly 1000 miles of LNER Pacific steam - a memorable and epic journey. |
