Back on the main line after a long time out of use, 46115 'Scots Guardsman', a surviving member of the rebuilt 'Royal Scot' class 4-6-0s of the LMS was in action on the Cumbrian coast line today on the 'Lakelander' Birmingham to Ravenglass excursion. The loco was immaculately turned out but was not working particularly hard until it climbed the bank at Dalton on its return journey. I spent most of the day chasing it up and down the coast photographing and videoing as it is a long time since one of these worked the Furness main line The only down side, which you'll hear when you watch it, is the prominent wind noise on the video.
My familys involvement with these engines go back a long way. When I was still in short pants I used to go down to the Midland Main line in Sheffield, Yorkshire with my dad, who was also a railway photographer. Exactly 50 years ago in June 1960 46162 'Queens Westminster Rifleman' is seen at Stubley near Dronfield with the down St Pancras-Bradford train in a pic by my father. In the same month in 1960 46132 'The Kings Regiment Liverpool' is seen at Dore and Totley, a real trainspotting hot spot back in the days of steam, on the Up 'Waverley' express. The rebuilt Scots were a development of the original 3 cylinder parallel boiler engines introduced in 1927. The modifications inluded a taper boiler working at 250 lb, double blast pipe and new cylinders. In rebuilt form they tipped the scales at 83 tons and develpoed 33,150 lb of tractive effort. The class totalled 71 locomotives and as you may have gathered they were all named after British Army regiments. Here is the video taken at various spots on the Cumbrian Coast line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbBiFOSYm6g I'm off for a pint now, thirsty work chasing trains you know!
