GO GRD 5419 CLASSIC STEAM TRAIN COLLECTION: BLACK FIVE GREEN IN SOUTH AFRICA

CLASSIC STEAM TRAIN COLLECTION: BLACK FIVE GREEN TRAIN On April 1st 2000, a Black Five answered an SOS from the Mid-Hants Railway to work a Daylight Railtour outing from Alton to Bridgnorth, home of the Severn Valley Railway. Stanier Class 5MT 45407 came to the rescue because Standard Class 5 73096’s mainline ticket was running out and the planned replacement, West Country locomotive, Bodmin 34016, was being repaired. It was a fantastic opportunity for the ex-Southern railwaymen to get to grips with what was considered the best mixed-traffic engine ever built in Britain. Known as the maid of all works, there were 842 Black Fives built and she was certainly the most reliable workhorse of the London Midland Region. Their day out on the mainline included the long drag north from Warwick up Hatton Bank where they had the rare opportunity of working a preserved steam engine flat out. The film takes a look at the engine’s performance on that trip including detailed footplate and lineside coverage as the crew worked to get the most out of the mixed-traffic engine. Some of the Green Train’s other travels are also filmed including Standard Class 5 73096, U-class mogul 31625, West Country class 34016 “Bodmin” and Ivatt class 2 tank engine 41312.