Sunday 24th October saw the wonderful sight of 45699 Galatea operating as scrapped sister locos 45627 Sierra Leone and 45562 Alberta hauling The Peaks Express from Preston to Derby & return via the Hope Valley Line, Sheffield, Old Road, Chesterfield, Erewash Valley Line & Midland Mainline on this unusual circular tour.

The Peaks Express is a railtour operated by the Railway Touring Company, this being their first Peaks Express after it replaced The Tin Bath which was scheduled to run from Preston to Sheffield and return via the Hope Valley, Penistone & Copy Pit.

24th October would see 45699 travel through stations such Wigan North Western, Manchester Victoria, Guide Bridge, Chinley, Edale Hathersage, Grindleford, Dore & Totley, Sheffield, Woodhouse, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Duffield, Belper & Dronfield.

In this video, RailView captured the Jubilee on the outward leg at:

• Chinley North Junction, Derbyshire, passing through at 12:55, 2 minutes early
• Chinley East Junction, Derbyshire, passing through at 12:55, 3 minutes early
• Slitting Mill, near Staveley, Derbyshire, passing through at 14:17, 3 minutes late

On the return leg:

• Tapton, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, passing through at 16:47, 10 minutes late
• Dronfield, Derbyshire, passing through at 16:53, 11 minutes late

Info about 45699 Galatea:

• Designed by Sir William Stanier.
• Built by the LMS at Crewe Works, in 1936.
• Numbered 5699 in 1936.
• Renumbered 45699 in 1948.
• It was withdrawn from BR service in 1964.
• Transferred to Woodham Brothers Scrapyard in 1965.
• Purchased for preservation in 1980 as a spare donor for sister loco, 45690 Leander.
• She returned to steam in 2013 after a 10-year restoration by West Coast Railways.
• She is based at Carnforth Steamtown in Lancashire.
• In late 2019 she was repainted from unauthentic BR maroon livery to BR lined Brunswick green with late crest and was renamed and renumbered to scrapped classmate 45562 Alberta.
• She is operational and hauls mainline railtours mainly around the north, but has been known to visit the south.
• In 2021, she now shares the identity of scrapped classmate 45627 Sierra Leone as well as 45562 Albertas numbers on her cab.

Info about 45627 Sierra Leone:

• Designed by Sir William Stanier.
• Built by the LMS at Crewe Works in 1934.
• Numbered 5627 in 1934.
• Named Sierra Leone in 1936.
• Renumbered 45627 in 1948.
• Withdrawn from BR service in 1966.
• Scrapped at Cashmores, Newport, South Wales in 1967.

Info about 45562 Alberta:

• Designed by Sir William Stanier.
• Built by the North British Locomotive Company at Glasgow, in 1934.
• Numbered 5562 in 1934.
• Named Alberta in 1936.
• Renumbered 45562 in 1948.
• Alberta was the last Jubilee in BR service.
• Withdrawn from BR service in 1967.
• Scrapped at Cashmores, Newport, South Wales in 1968.
• A lot of parts from 45562 Alberta still exist on 45699 Galatea.

You can view the video below:

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