CLAN LINE: Historic steam locomotive heads for coal top-up at Yeovil

Описание: After exiting the turntable and undergoing a service, 35028 Clan Line heads for a coal top-up at Yeovil Junction.

The Merchant Navy Class locomotive had hauled The Sherborne Christmas Carol special from London Victoria and was preparing for the return journey.

A coal top-up was attempted earlier but the station's conveyor belt failed, so the loco was turned and serviced first.

Eventually, a telehandler was used to lift coal bags onto the tender, which were slashed with a knife to empty them.

The loco departed Yeovil Junction on time at 4.40pm and was due to arrive at Victoria at 9.36pm.

Clan Line was built at Eastleigh Works and completed in 1948.

It was based at Bournemouth, Dover and London, hauling heavy trains to and from English Channel ports and prestige expresses like the Golden Arrow and Night Ferry.

After being rebuilt by British Railways in 1959, it hauled expresses like the Bournemouth Belle and Atlantic Coast Express, with which it was unofficially timed travelling at 104mph when passing Axminster in 1961.

The loco was withdrawn in 1967 having clocked up nearly 800,000 miles, with ownership passing to the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society.

Nowadays, Clan Line regularly hauls the Belmond British Pullman in the South East and is used for occasional excursion trains.

The loco hauled the Royal Train in 2018, taking the Prince of Wales to Cardiff Central.

#ClanLine #MerchantNavyClass #BritishRailways #Steam #Train #TheSherborneChristmasCarol #Sherborne #YeovilJunction #YeovilRailwayCentre #Yeovil #SouthSomerset #Somerset