A Royal Visit to Northampton...

On this sunny September morning we were treated to the unexpected sight of 1927-built LMS Royal Scot Class No46100 "Royal Scot", slipping past work on a positioning move with her support coach. The engine was bound for Southall I believe, ready to work an upcoming rail tour. Two of the once 70-strong class survive in preservation, though none in their original Fowler form. The two preserved examples are both in fact Rebuilt Scots, with 46100 having received her Stanier rebuild in 1950. The class were given new frames, cylinders and boilers and so it could be argued that they are a new class in their own right. The rebuilds did however much improve their performance and certainly the preserved pair have put in some extremely good runs since their respective restorations. On this warm morning there was barely a wisp of smoke or steam from "Royal Scot" as she slipped past us. After a quick friendly wave from the footplate crew, the engine opened up and her three-cylinder beat echoed on the breeze as she accelerated southward. Another lovely engine!

                              Please note that the above image was taken from land outside of the NR boundary fence.