#ecml #deltic #train

Over four days from Thursday 23rd November to Sunday 26th November 2023 Steam Dreams offered a multi day tour from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh and return. The format would see a run down the ECML on the Thursday all the way to Edinburgh, leaving two free days for passengers to explore the City and the Christmas market, before returning all the way up the ECML to London Kings Cross on the Sunday. Booked motive power was to be in the hands of two ECML icons, from London Kings Cross to York and return Deltic no.D9000 'Royal Scots Grey', and from York to Edinburgh and return A4 no.60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley'. However 'Sir Nigel Gresley' would be declared a failure during the layover in Edinburgh and was replaced with a Class 40 Diesel for the Edinburgh to York leg on the Sunday.

For us this gave an opportunity to capture 'Royal Scots Grey' at one location on both Thursday and Sunday as it passed close to home on the southern stretch of the ECML. We start with the London Kings Cross to Edinburgh leg on Thursday 23rd November, and at Bridge Road Stevenage just north of the station. We see 'Royal Scots Grey' accelerate away from a signal stop which was caused by early running, running alongside for her a one time future and now of course almost past ECML icon in the shape of a Class 91. For the return on Sunday 26th November its Biggleswade, with 'Royal Scots Grey' booked to switch to the fast at Sandy two cameras were set up at the south end of the station on platform two in the hope of a fast pass through the station on the fast. Alas due to late running she was kept on the slow and we see her pass through at speed, but through the more restricted for videography platform one.

Always a great sight to see a Deltic at speed on the ECML, thanks as always to all involved in running the tour.

Photos...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts198...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts198...