35028 Clan Line demolishes Upton Scudamore | The Clan Line 50th Anniversary Pullman - 27.04.24

With her test runs passed with flying colours, the MNLPS's pride and joy, 35028 Clan Line, made a return to public duties, hauling her first railtour in nearly 2 years, and this was to be a special one.

Marking the 50th Anniversary since her first revenue earning trip on the main line under the ownership of the MNLPS, Clan Line would take charge of the Pullmans from London Victoria to Bath Spa, travelling via Herne Hill to join the SWML at Wimbledon, for a fast line sprint down to Salisbury, where a water stop would follow, before reaching Bath via Warminster and Freshford. The return would follow a similar route, but travel via Addlestone from Byfleet.

Starting on the down fasts at Winchfield, Clan Line smokes out the station as she passes through at speed on her non stop run to Salisbury. With Salisbury being the only stop it wasn't possible to catch the train again on it's outward journey without heading beyond there, so we instead headed to the Mid Hants Railway for their Spring Steam Gala. We then turned our focus back to Clan Line for the highlight of the day, as Clan Line would take on the 1 in 70 grade of Upton Scudamore between Westbury and Warminster, and she did so in fine style, flying up the grade with the regulator very much in the roof, producing one of the greatest soundtracks I've ever heard from the locomotive!

With another water stop at Salisbury, we headed to Andover where the rain was starting to settle in as Clan Line races through in the grim conditions. Finally, with the rain now fully upon us, we ended the day at Virginia Water, as 35028 hauls the Pullmans round the tight bend on the final leg back to London. If there was one way to make a dramatic return to the mainline, Clan Line certainly did so on today's run, proving to be a real credit to all who have looked after her over the last 50 years and continue to do so.

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