6024 marked its last run to London before withdrawal with a truly wonderful performance on this Bristol to Paddington, Pathfinder Tour. Picking the train up at Dauntsey, "Spud" simply blasts up the bank in rapidly improving weather. A quick dash up the M4 got us to Sonning Cutting just in time to capture a spectacular pass with Great Western whistle fully open. For the return trip we visited Cholsey church where after visiting the grave of "Murder on the Orient Express" author: Agatha Christie, were kindly shown a recently discovered piece of lead hidden in the roof for the last 180 years. It looked to me like a representation of a "Planet" class loco named "Sun" (notice the backwards N), drawn by a roofer who must have been one of the earliest steam enthusiasts! and 6024 appropriately puts on a show to impress all steam enthusiasts, past and present, as it powers its way towards Didcot in the last of the evening light. By the time we got to Challow, the lights had already turned green as we set up in complete darkness on the busy main road, but with everything "cranked-up", the results were not too bad in the circumstances especially as we see and hear 6024 take the train back onto the mainline and head off towards Bristol and the very last of the light. What a special day! let's hope we see 6024 back before this route is desecrated by overhead wires!! Thank you to all involved with this tour.
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6024 King Edward 1, The Bristolian. 3rd March 2012
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