A T14 is one of those locos that I'd quite like to do, but so far hasn't reached the top of my list...
Understandable. You've done so many locomotives for us all in the past and I can't thank you enough for all of them. At this rate you'll probably go through every locomotive in the LSWR Catalog at some point!
The Paddleboxes making another stand once again! Although they were high fuel consumers during their time on the LSWR, I like to think that here on Dearnby they were able to reach their full potential running trains from Dearnby on Sea to Bristol, Gloucester and occasionally to Cardiff across the River Severn.
Dearnby has three P14s on shed, No. 451 is one of them. On this occasion it is taking the evening express dubbed "The Emerald Flash" after the sunset phenomenon since the train departs shortly before dusk.
Upon closer inspection, the first four coaches in the express are LNWR owned carriages. This is part of an agreement with the LNWR that a small portion of a separate train is tacked on for transit to Bristol to be taken off and added onto a train heading north to Nottingham via the GCR Mainline. The LSWR Brake Coach is part of the consist as a last minute replacement to a Drummond Passenger Brake that ran a hot box shortly before the departure was to take place.
The Emerald Flash departs at 6:30pm (just shortly before sundown) and makes one stop at Badgercombe before beginning it's long sprint to Gloucester. As it departs from Dearnby Central, the P14 catches the L&B 2-6-2T "Exe" on its final run of the day - the evening commuter train that carries the mill and dock workers home to Casterford. Needless to say, the train is packed as it always is during the weekdays.
As the train reaches the main line just south of Badgercombe, the clock strikes 6:55pm and dusk begins to settle in. The lights of the setting sun dance along the shiny sage paintwork of No.451's boiler, giving a physical example as to why the express was given its name.
Upon arriving in Badgercombe, the Emerald Flash stops to pick up its last set of passengers before departing from the Dearnby region for the north. The only train left in service is a lone M7 ready to return to Dearnby Central with an empty push-pull set after completing it's evening rounds. After nightfall, the only trains to pass through this section of line will be the Great Western midnight goods trains heading to Plymouth or Truro.
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