TWO Railtours, CLASS 37 PLUS The English Riviera AIRSHOW! | 01.06.2024

Two railtours to grace the South West region, a Class 37 making a debut on the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway and a flying programme JAM PACKED with a great variety of aircraft for the English Riviera Airshow. Saturday 1st June was always going to be a tricky one to get evrything as it provided all the action all at once, but we did pretty well, so sit back and enjoy all the highlights from the day.

We firstly catch the ‘English Riviera Express’ 1Z27 Crewe - Kingswear, which was left in the capable hands of Class 40 D213 40013 ‘Andania’ as far as Taunton. We see the 40 roaring past Downend Bridge, complete with tones, before heading down to Paignton for the airshow and getting ahead of the tours.

At Taunton, a locomotive swap took place with LNER B1 61306 ‘Mayflower’ relieving the 40 and continuing the trip to Paignton. We catch up with Mayflower, departing Paignton in fine fettle, bound for Kingswear. D1924 ‘Crewe Diesel Depot’ brought up the rear, and we see the same consist heading through during a break in the airshow ready for the return 1Z28 Kingswear - Crewe later in the video.

D1015 ‘Western Champion’ (masquerading as D1011 Western Thunderer on one side) top and tailed with 50007 ‘Hercules’ (masquerading as 50034 ‘Furious’ on one side) followed in hot pursuit of the B1, hauling Pathfinder Railtours English Riviera Airshow railtour 1Z50 Tame Bridge Parkway - Penzance. The heritage diesels made a fantastic sight as they took the ECS Paignton - Goodrington Sidings to stable prior to the evening return run, which we see being prepared for departure.

The Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway also had the first public running of their recently acquired ex DRS Class 37 37703 which looked the business sharing service duties with recently overhauled GWR 7828 ‘Lydham Manor’ on a very busy Saturday at the bay!

Between the railway action, are a selection of the many flying highlights including the PBY-5A Catalina ‘Miss Pick Up’, the flypast of a Bristol Blenheim, Supermarine Spitfire and P-51D Mustang both complete with invasion stripes, in a formation paying tribute to the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the brand new RAF 2024 display typhoon 'Moggy' and the world famous Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team THE RED ARROWS closing the show!

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