34046 'Braunton' at Worcester.

[TimBrown]

Yesterday, Thursday 15 November 2023, Worcester Shrub Hill station played host to the Saphos Trains 'Cotswold Explorer' charter from Peterborough. It was diesel hauled to West London where Southern Region 'West Country' Class Pacific 34036 'Braunton' took over for the journey to Worcester via Swindon, Kemble and Cheltenham with Locomotive Services Class 47 Diesel D1924 (47810) 'Crewe Diesel Depot' bringing up the rear to assist in the case of problems and also to facilitate the turning of whole train around the Worcester triangle. The charter returned via Evesham and Oxford. Note 165137 in the second photograph arrived on time from Bristol and should have gone through to Foregate Street then Henwick set-back loop before returning back to Bristol. In the event it was terminated at Shrub Hill and ran round to platform 2 allowing the very late running charter to detrain a horde of passengers, then run ECS through Foregate Street to the turn-back loop in above mentioned turning manoeuvre.

Apologies that some of the shots not up to standard, but RHTT (Rail Head Treatment Train) MPV DR 98975 parked in centre line to the south of station and an engineer's road rail excavator/digger in the stabling point to north of station adjacent to semaphore signal quadrant restricting favoured photographic spots. I was also caught out by the steam returning through the station platform 2 rather than access to the yard mentioned on RTT website.

[MattW]

Nothing wrong with those mate - she looks well!