Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th & Monday August 2019 LMS 8F No. 48151 make her final runs before withdrawal for overhaul.

August Bank Holiday Weekend saw the 8F head down to the Midlands from her home at Carnforth Steamtown to haul The Merchant of Avon to Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Merchant of Avon is a new railtour by West Coast Railtours which runs a couple of times in the summer from Burton-on-Trent to Stratford-upon-Avon. With the first two Merchant of Avons being hauled by 8F 48151.

The Merchant of Avon filmed on Sunday 25th August would be 48151s final railtour before withdrawal for overhaul, this however did not go fully to plan. With 48151 running very low on coal, it was decided to send out a rescue Class 31 from Nemesis Rail at Burton. This being 31128 Charybdis.

In order for the railtour to take place, the 8F plus coaching stock would need to be brought to Burton-on-Trent from Carnforth Steamtown and then took back to Carnforth Steamtown for other railtours. 

These ECS moves on 24th & 26th August, would see the 8F head through places such as, Lancaster, Preston, Leyland, Wigan North Western, Manchester Victoria, Stockport, Chinley, Edale, Hope, Hathersage, Grindleford, Dronfield, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Ilkeston & Willington.

The Merchant of Avon and LE moves on 25th August would see the 8F head through places such as, Tamworth, Coleshill Parkway, Small Heath, Tyseley, Shirley, Whitlocks End, Danzey, Henley-in-Arden, Wilmcote, Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, Claverdon, Hatton, Lapworth, & Dorridge.

Saturday 24th August saw RailView 48151 at

• Hathersage, Derbyshire on a public foot crossing & at the station passing through at 16:00 23 minutes late 

Sunday 25th August saw RailView film 48151 at

• Wilnecote, passing through at 10:06 6 minutes late
• Shirley, passing through at 11:03 15 minutes late
• Lapworth on LE move, passing through at 14:19 8 minutes early & 14:47 1 minute early
• Wilmcote on LE move, passing through at 15:23 2 minutes late & on the return leg of the tour at 17:18 2 minutes late
• Water Orton foot crossing, passing through at 18:38 16 minutes late
• Wigginton (outside Tamworth) passing through at 19:07 10 minutes late

Monday 26th August 2019 saw RailView film 48151 at

• East of Edale, passing through at 12:40 39 minutes late
• West of Edale passing through at 12:49 39 minutes late

Info about 48151:

• Designed by Sir William Stanier.
• Built by the LMS at Crewe Works in 1942.
• Withdrawn from BR service in 1968.
• Purchased by Woodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry in 1968.
• Purchased for preservation by a private owner in 1975 moving to the Yorkshire Dales Railway, now Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway.
• She was then purchased by David Smith, her current owner.
• Returned to service on the mainline after a full restoration in the 1988.
• For a period, she carried the name Gauge O Guild
• She is based at Carnforth Steamtown in Lancashire.
• Her current livery is BR unlined black with late crest
• As of late August 2019, she has been withdrawn for overhaul.

Here are some photos from the adventure:

See more of videos like this on RailView’s YouTube Channel by clicking here.

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