Home»All my photos»2006 Railway Photographs»Leander up the Lickey 25 March 2006

Vintage Trains advertised a Tyseley to Bristol trip with LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No 5690 Leander, the main attraction of the run being na two-way transit of the Lickey Incline. A the last minute, the train was diverted to Cardiff, but with the Lickey section retained. The outward run in bright sun saw some lively running, with maximum speed sustained over several stretches. By Cardiff the rain had set in, but this did not inhibit Leander, and we learned that we could attempt the Lickey unassisted in view of our light six-coach load.

From a standing start at Stoke Works Junction, the loco reached 54 mph before the start of the climb, and through the damp twilight, really got stuck into the incline. She was still maintaining 19 mph at the top of the bank at Blackwell. A magnificent day!