30th Nov 2011

This unusual move was definitely worth capturing, and fortunately for me the opportunity arose whilst I was travelling in South Devon. The locomotives came down to Cornwall the previous day, and returned with this train, operating as the 6Z23 10.00 Burngullow to Burton-On-Trent, hauling 11 TEA china clay slurry tank wagons for refurbishment, which had been in storage for some time. The combination of ex-Advenza blue no. 47375 and ex-Fastline Class 56 no. 56302 is an unusual one. The train rushes through the station at 11.59.

Both locomotives still remain active at the time of writing (2019): 56302 is now owned by Colas Rail Freight and named after a well-known model railway company based in Devon, and the Class 47, no. 47375, is a little further away, now based in Hungary and working for Continental Railway Solutions and dressed on a faux Pennsylvania Railroad scheme! That was a long way from anyone's thoughts at the time!