Eddystone Steam Locomotive! Number 34028 & 47802 on a Glorious Summer's Flying Down The ECML

Southern Railway West Country Class 4-6-2 "Light Pacific" steam locomotive number 34028, proudly named "Eddystone", was constructed in 1946 at Brighton Works by the Southern Railway before later being heavily rebuilt by British Railways in the late 1950s. Weighing approximately 130 tonnes with its tender, this iconic express passenger locomotive features a tractive effort of 27,720 lbf and is designed to operate at maximum mainline speeds of up to 75 mph in preservation. It is beautifully turned out in its heritage corporate BR Lined Green livery with the late British Railways crest. On this occasion, it is seen displaying the headboard of The Railway Touring Company.

British Rail Class 47 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotive number 47802 was constructed in 1965 by Brush Traction at Loughborough. Weighing 121 tonnes, this iconic long-distance asset is powered by a Sulzer 12LDA28-C 12-cylinder twin-bank turbocharged diesel engine, generating 2,580 brake horsepower to achieve a maximum operational service speed of 95 mph. It is operated by West Coast Railways and is beautifully turned out in its active commercial heritage West Coast Railways corporate livery with classic yellow warning panels on both ends.

Viewed from the vantage point of Bracken Hill Lane Footbridge, the train is seen here flying down the Selby Diversion of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) at high speed on a beautiful summer's day. Working the high-speed Southbound return leg of "The White Rose" day trip railtour back towards London King's Cross, the service showcases a fascinating operational strategy. While the majestic No. 34028 "Eddystone" is visibly in steam at the front, it is producing little to no active tractive power to mitigate the high risk of lineside agricultural fires caused by the hot weather. Instead, the heavy work is being handled from the rear, where Class 47 No. 47802 provides plenty of diesel propulsion to shove the heavy service down the mainline. The locomotives capably handle the long charter rake consisting of a mixture of heritage British Railways Mark 1 and Mark 2 passenger coaches, styled in a combination of West Coast Railways' corporate livery and classic BR blue and grey liveries. This spectacular mainline action was captured on Saturday 11/07/2026 at 16:53.

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