LMS Route: Trent Valley Line

Brinklow Station: lnwr_brin1089

Ex-LMS 4-6-0 'Black Five' No 5314 is seen passing Brinklow station on an up express service comprised of Coronation Stock. Built by Armstrong Whitworth in February 1937 No 5314 remained in service until October 1965 when it was withdrawn from Springs Branch shed in Wigan to be scrapped during April 1966 at J Cashmore of Great Bridge.

The notes on the photo state that a Black Five with this stock indicates that this was a weekend, probably a Sunday working circa 1939. This does not make complete sense as both the streamlined locomotives and coaching stock were both in action at the weekends although the Coronation Scot service only ran Monday to Friday. Perhaps the issue was not to devalue the branding of the service by running the streamliners and coaching stock together.

Michael Byng writes, "I have looked at the above picture which depicts a Llandudno - Euston working on a Sunday. The 1937 Coronation Scot sets were used for other purposes, one being the Saturday Midday Scot - reporting number W97 and the other known use was for a weekend Euston - Llandudno (W701) return working of which the picture is probably the up (Sunday) working. The use of the sets on these trains on these working had nothing to do with branding issues, the use was intended to ensure that the stock was as gainfully employed as possible".

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