The happy circumstance that the Battlefield Line had two Class '64XX' Pannier tanks available of the first day of the new year 2019 suggested the opportunity to turn the last of the planned 'Mince Pie Specials' into a re-enactment of an event from 60-years earlier when the Stephenson Locomotive Society ran an enthusiasts' special as the last train between Monmouth and Chepstow.
Last Train Monmouth-Chepstow Re-enactment: 6430 (with two headboards) watering from a hose prior to taking the 13:00 departure.
6412 was actually one of the two locomotives which top-and-tailed the special in 1959 and the picture of the original event below (by G C Lewthwaite) appears on the invaluable 'Disused Stations' site. There's more about Monmouth Troy and the 1959 special here.
6412 on the S.L.S. Special in 1959 (Photo: G C Lewthwaite).
The useful 'Six Bells Junction' site also has a detailed report on the 1959 special and its itinerary here.
6412 and 6430 top-and-tailed five coaches on 1st January 2019, making four round trips from Shackerstone to Shenton. 6430 carried a Stephenson Locomotive Society headboard and both locomotives carried replicas of the 'Last train' headboards originally carried. Exposed locomotive buffers were white-painted, again as on the original special.
Last Train Monmouth-Chepstow Re-enactment: 6412 trailing on the 13:00 departure.
I visited with three friends to travel on the first train of the day. We were all impressed by the efforts made to re-create the original event and the support provided by the enthusiast community and others.
Last Train Monmouth-Chepstow Re-enactment: 6412 standing clear of the train at the north end (to allow use of the foot crossing).
Related posts on this website
All my Battlefield Line posts.
My photograph albums
Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums listed:-
Last Train Monmouth-Chepstow Re-enactment.
All my Battlefield Line pictures.
