Who could forget Leander?

45690 Leander at BattlefieldFriday’s steam special left Shrewsbury, heading for Crewe and ultimately Dumfries, soon after 4pm. It was moving along nicely at Battlefield (site of the battle of Shrewsbury more than 600 years ago) a few minutes later. Pictures taken, we headed for home – I was due out again later in the evening. No time for blogs. Almost forgot…

It’s a popular spot, hence the letterbox crop to lose parked cars and photographers along the bottom. There were some fairly obtrusive power cables and a pylon too, but they’ve gone (crop and Photoshop), and the Shropshire hills would have provided a backdrop, had the air been clearer.

Black 5690

45690 "Leander" on Shrewsbury's Battlefield bankJubilee “Leander” could be mistaken for a Black 5 – now in BR black livery as 45690, after years of LMS maroon – though the lines of a 5XP are perhaps just that bit finer than the slightly stockier 5MT. Whatever the colour or shape, and despite the dull weather, Leander made a fine sight and sound on Shrewsbury’s Battlefield bank this afternoon. (See also “Leander in black” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries)