5. 'The Bath & Gloucester Steam Express'-04.02.23

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2023 > 5. 'The Bath & Gloucester Steam Express'-04.02.23

Taking a break from the exhausting and stressful act of helping my mother and her partner move house, yet again, I popped to Bradford-on-Avon to capture the passage of 'The Bath and Gloucester Steam Express' charter. Unfortunately, it was a particularly grey and dull morning but the exhaust from the locomotive made up for it somewhat!

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Images 1-5 of 5 displayed.

165137 & 166202, GW 09.40 Westbury-Worcester Foregate Street (2E59, 11L), BOA no. 1 crossing ST822605
Former Thames Valley Turbos 165137 and 166202 pick up speed on departure from Bradford-on-Avon station that can be just seen in the distance. The units are working the 09.40 Westbury to Worcester Foregate Street GWR service. This was a favourite spot of mine as a young spotter some forty-five years ago and it always feels very strange when I return recalling my juvenile spotting activity!
Keywords: 165137 166202 09.40 Westbury-Worcester Foregate Street 2E59 Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605 Great western Railway GWR Turbo

158767, GW 08.40 Gloucester-Weymouth (2O74, RT), Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605
Taken from the safety behind some fencing on a foot crossing the 08.40 Gloucester to Weymouth service is seen approaching Bradford-on-Avon worked by 158767. Back in my young spotting days, I spent many hours at this crossing and a number of others in the vicinity for that matter collecting numbers of first-generation DMUs, Class 31s, 47s and in some cases Class 50s and HSTs on diversion.
Keywords: 158767 08.40 Gloucester-Weymouth 2O74 Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605 GWR Great Western Railway

165134 & 166204, GW 08.23 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central (1F10, 11L), Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605
With crowds gathering on the foot crossing just west of Bradford-on-Avon station the driver of 165134, with 166204 at the rear, accelerates away from the station with the 08.23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central service. The crowd of observers were made up of enthusiasts and normals eager to witness the passing of a steam charter hauled by recently overhauled and re-certified 45699 'Galatea'.
Keywords: 165134 166204 08.23 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central 1f10 Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605 GWR Great Western Railway Turbo

165116, GW 09.28 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour (1F11, 8L), Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605
A nailbiting and stressful time for a railway photographer is when standing on the wrong side of the line and a normal train is due in the other direction thus with the possibility of it blocking out the intended subject known in the circles as being bowled! With the steam charter approaching fast from behind me 165116 approached Bradford-on-Avon at a tantalisingly slow pace working the 09.28 Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour GWR service.
Keywords: 165116 09.28 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour 1F11 Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605 GWR Great Western Railway Turbo

45699 (running as 45627), outward leg of 'The Bath & Gloucester Steam Express', 07.13 London Paddington-Gloucester (1Z32, 1E), Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605
With an impressive display of exhaust, the driver is really opening up the regulator of 45699 'Galatea' as it begins its journey along the delightful and winding Avon Valley between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath. Eagle-eyed readers will notice that the former LMS Jubilee is wearing the number 45627 and that it was carrying the nameplate 'Sierra Leone'. The charter was running as 1Z32 and named The Bath and Gloucester Steam Express. that had left London Paddington at 07.13 arriving at its destination on time. I was disappointed with the dull weather but only realised afterwards that if the sun had been out this photograph would have been severely compromised as it would have been taken looking into it!
Keywords: 45699 Galetea 45627 Sierra leone outward leg of 'The Bath & Gloucester Steam Express', 07.13 London Paddington-Gloucester 1Z32 Bradford-on-Avon no. 1 crossing ST822605

Images 1-5 of 5 displayed.