© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2011 No. 5000, the first of Stanier's "Black 5"s, built in 1935, was based at Bridgnorth during the 1980s. It saw action on the Severn Valley Railway - and on a number of main line "Steam Specials". Here are some pictures taken while "chasing" one such special - a run up the "North and West" to Chester, with 5000 in charge, and a return working in the hands of 46229 "Duchess of Hamilton" We began our photography at Craven Arms, where the special was reversed onto the Central Wales line to allow main line workings to pass. This was some years before steam was allowed to traverse the route, so a record of the event was in order... We moved onto the former GWR main line to Chester for the last pictures - firstly, 5000 is seen steaming across the viaduct at Chirk. The parallel aqueduct on the Llangollen canal can just be seen between the arches. Finally, we headed for the spoil heaps of the former Gresford Colliery for the pictures of the Duchess. (The latter location is now well-and-truly "spoiled" by the dual carriageway road which cuts through the site, although I suspect the trees would have obliterated the railway by now anyway...)