4472 Out and About, March and September 1968

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It's been excellent weather here for staying indoors and giving the scanner a bit of a sore head! These are negs I've just re-discovered which I hope are of interest. We go back to '68 at Leicester (London Road) station; but we can maybe also take the opportunity to look forward to 4472 being back on the main line in 2013. Here's hoping!

The train is Ian Allan's The Bronte railtour, which ran on 23 March 1968 from St Pancras to Keighley, returning to King's Cross. There was a visit to the nascent K&WVR during the layover. (With thanks to the marvellous Six Bells Junction website for this detail.)

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Two more newly-scanned 4472 pix - this time leaving Tyseley on a returning Retford (as I understand from recent web research, but some sources quote the start point as Doncaster - can anyone comment please?) to Tyseley excursion on 29th September 1968. The trip brought visitors to the first Open Day at Tyseley mpd. 4472 operated a trip to Leamington and back during the day (without its second tender), then left in fine style on the return journey as evening approached, as seen here. The '15-guinea special' having run the previous month, 4472 was then the only steam loco permitted on BR.

There's a view of the excursion from Retford arriving at Tyseley approaching the same location at http://www.flickr.com/photos/71592768@N08/8119557779/

I should add that, knowing what I know now - and, to be honest, should have known then - I ought not to have been in such a position on the operational railway.