More Shropshire main line steam
Southern and Western
© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2019
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
4 May 2019
34052 "Lord Dowding" heads south near All Stretton 34052 "Lord Dowding" heads south near All Stretton 34052 "Lord Dowding" heads south near All Stretton 7029 "Clun Castle" steams out of the sun near Preston Boats 7029 "Clun Castle" steams out of the sun near Preston Boats 7029 "Clun Castle" steams out of the sun near Preston Boats 34052 "Lord Dowding" - steam at sunset, Battlefield 34052 "Lord Dowding" - steam at sunset, Battlefield 34052 "Lord Dowding" - steam at sunset, Battlefield
Last weekend we were battling with the wind and (a little) rain. A week later, it’s dry, sunny (intermittently, but I was lucky) and cold. Not quite perfect conditions (the sun was really in the wrong place for the Castle) but a good day for steam. 34052 “Lord Dowding” (34046 “Braunton”) was hauling a Welsh Marches Express from Crewe to Cardif and back, and 7029 “Clun Castle” would be returning from Llandudno via Shrewsbury. The Bulleid pacific is first seen in the morning, near All Stretton, working hard and on time  Much later, 7029 passed through Shrewsbury just a minute or two late and is seen getting along nicely near Preston Boats. Just over an hour later, 34052 is seen as the sun sets near Battlefield, still going well with 11 on, and no diesel at the rear. Five minutes earlier would have been perfect - but it passed on time, and a minute later the sun had set.