7029 Clun Castle + 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Power Over the Devon Banks. The Mayflower. 27Sep24

This is the tour we had all been waiting for after a Summer of very little variety in motive power on tours to the Southwest. Luckily we were no longer faced with the horrendous weather of the past few days, apart from a very strong wind blowing straight into the camera at the two locations I was restricted to due to other commitments on the day.

Two G.W.R. Castle Class 4-6-0's hauling 12 was never going to be a struggle and this proved to be the case, in fact Clun Castle on the front seemed to be taking things rather easy compared to the Earl as they assault the 1 in 90 Rattery Bank!

The return is captured in very difficult light due to the low and intense late afternoon sun, however it is the thrill and spectacle of two powerful locomotives in full cry, designed for climbing these very hills, in magical Autumn colours that sends us all away with smiles on our faces!

The wait was certainly worth it and the expectations exceeded!!

Interestingly we were nearly caught out by the return run as Realtime Trains had the train still at Plymouth platform 4 as it passed on the 1 in 60 climb to Dainton Tunnel!