70000 Britannia Cuts a Dash on the Torbay Express. 30 Aug. & 13 Sept. 2015

The 2015 Torbay Express season is brought to a close in the capable hands of Derby designed B.R. classic 70000 Britannia which has proved to be by far the most reliable traction in this part of the world and consequently features on most of my clips this year. “Brits” were always my favourite locos as a lad and I could produce quite accurate drawings of them from memory to adorn the classroom wall in my village junior school. Today, nearly sixty years later, those near perfect proportions at the head of a speeding train still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end! Combining the last two tours we go to the Teign on the 30th Aug. then Powderham & Churston on 13th Sept. The new foot/cycle bridge over the line at Powderham provides an interesting view as 70000 approaches at 75m.p.h. in strong winds. On the Teign the local sailing school is getting started on the days training, the high tide helping with the transmission of sound across the river as we get a nice view of the driver apparently taking things fairly easily! The return captured at Churston under the shelter of the station canopy was a last minute change of plan as the heavens had just started to open as I was setting up further down the line. Finally back to an idyllic River Teign where a castaway family are having fun on the sandbar at low tide and the low sun forms a dreamy backdrop, the train catching the late afternoon light as it dashes down to Teignmouth on the way back to Bristol.