GWR Castle 5043 and LMS Princess Royal 6201 stop for water at Preston 09/03/12

Описание: Another absolutely brilliant day today, this time with the passing of two examples of our priceless steam railway heritage. In their usual spectacular fashion, former Great Western Railway champion 5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe' and London Midland & Scottish Railway Beastie 6201 'Princess Elizabeth' trundled into Preston after their long run up from Tyseley in Birmingham. Stopping over in Platform 7 for a 30 minute water stop.

This stop gave me plenty of time to go about and get some lovely shots of the two mainline beasts that had parked themselves in my back yard! Starting with 5043, I paid much attention to the ornate and detailed engineering and restoration work that had been carried out on the pristine locomotive over the years before moving on to WCML Warrior 6201. Whilst at 6201, I had the privilege to be able to step up onto the footplate that so many famous engine drivers had stood upon before, the first time I had ever stepped into the cab of an active mainline steam engine. The heat, the smell, the general atmosphere, was something only dreams were made of, the fire roaring in the box as the mighty locomotive rested for its water, like a work horse after a long day in the fields.

But once my dream had been and gone, I moved over to Platform 6 to get a few last minute detailed shots and to film 6201 letting off pressure before the pair departed. Although 390013 had parked itself in the way of my shot, this worked to my advantage as it not only gave a good comparison between the old and new orders, but also caused the steam from the departing engines to be compressed between train and platform, resulting in 5043 emerging from the mist like a ghost train. The pair then continued onward with their short load of two support coaches for the final 20 mile journey to Carnforth, where tomorrow they shall run the Shap, Settle and Carlisle railtour back to Crewe via the S & C.

Enjoy!