Don Benn looks at two more runs with LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas, plus a superb piece of hill climbing by Bulleid No. 34070 Manston, and a very unusual run with a mixed train on the Mid-Hants Railway.
I AM still catching up with runs behind LMS Class 5XP (BR Class 6) 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas. This superb loco is in top form, and even if it carries a tail gunner on most runs, the engine crews seem happy to let it do the work wherever possible. Alan Rawlings and Sandy Smeaton have sent details of a number of runs, all of which I have missed as I am on light duties at the moment. This time I am using the details of two runs from Alan Rawlings, the first being the Railway Touring Company's ‘The Mancunian'on October 21, 2023. Alan tells the story and the train running log is in Table One:
“The limited number of London-based locomotives at present, other than the occasional visitor from Crewe, is providing plenty of work for . That in itself is remarkable and quite a is currently living more than 200 miles from home. It was therefore a pleasant change for a LMS locomotive to be on LMS metals when it hauled ‘The Mancunian’ out of Euston on October 21. The route was unusual in that the outward journey was via Northampton and Stafford, then across to Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield, before joining the normal route at Cheadle Hulme. After dropping passengers off at the through platforms of Manchester Piccadilly, the train turned at Castleton and was booked to head home from Manchester Victoria directly to Crewe and southwards. Well, that was the plan.
