I set out with a little trepidation on Sunday after the previous failures out on the mainline had left me wondering how much worse it could get for mainline steam. I needn’t have worried. Brittania stormed through the whole day showing everyone just what steam on the mainline should be like for passengers and linesiders alike!

I started out at Whiteball, went on down to Stoneycombe, before heading off for a short while to the SDR before spending 5+ hours on Hemerdon to await the returning Duchy in a prime position on the top of the climb! Folowing that we were to see 70000 at Tiverton Parkway and finally at Highbridge where a long chime whistle through the whole length of the station capped off a brilliant and successful day. My thanks to the footplate crew and support crew. Superbly turned out!