Two notables at Camden shed, 1960

Image: © Alan Murray-Rust Taken: Unknown

To the left is Coronation class 46257 'City of Salford'. This was the last of the class to be built, one of two to be built with roller bearings. Behind is BR standard 8P Pacific 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'. This was the only one of the class to be built, initially as a replacement for the locomotive 'Princess Anne' which had been destroyed in the Harrow and Wealdstone collision, but also as a prototype for a new express locomotive class for the West Coast Main Line. With the development of diesel haulage putting paid to further development of steam traction, the project got no further than the prototype. In practice its performance was not what was expected, as it was a poor steamer, due largely to inadequate steam passages at the front end and an incorrectly constructed grate. It has survived into preservation with a redesigned front end which has enabled it to produce the sort of performance for which it was originally designed.

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