When looking at the Realtime Trains website on Wednesday, I noticed there was an empty coaching stock (ECS) movement from Cardiff to Leicester via Standish Junction on Friday morning May 1st, writes Ian Thomas.
Thinking it would be diesel hauled, at least something different from the everyday Voyager and Great Western trains, so in glorious sunshine, I arrived at Cam & Dursley station and was informed by a guy from Bristol that this was in fact a steam movement for positioning reasons, in this case a 1935 built LMS 4-6-0 Class 5 (BLACK FIVE) No 45212.
Unfortunately, the loco suffered a failure on Monday when it was due to work day three of the Railway Touring Company Great Britain XV11 tour from Cardiff to the Lake District via the Welsh Marches route to Shrewsbury and on via Chester. So the train ended up diesel hauled on that leg.
The loco was repaired and the positioning movement was to get 45212 to Peterborough for Saturday to work the tour on to Norwich and then on the final day (Sunday 4th) from Great Yarmouth to Lowestoft, Claydon and Peterborough and on to London Kings Cross via the East Coast Mainline.
