A steam train that was first put into production in 1948 will travel through south west London on Saturday morning and evening.
The Merchant Navy Pacific 35028 ‘Clan Line’ is running from London Victoria to Southampton as part of a Belmond British Pullman steam train day trip.
Part of this journey will see the train run through south west London during the late morning on its outbound journey and early evening as it returns to London Victoria on Saturday and promises to be a sight to behold for any railway enthusiasts.
Caution is advised, but those wishing to catch a glimpse of the locomotive will be able to see it pass through the area as it travels from Brixton through to Surbiton in the morning and then Hounslow through to Clapham Junction in the early evening from a safe vantage point of the railway.
The Merchant Navy Pacific 35028 ‘Clan Line’ was first built at Eastleigh Works in 1948 and was used on Southern Rail until it was retired in 1967 and it then came under Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society ownership in August of that year.
The train was restored and was one of the first restored steam trains to be operated on the used on the steam tour from Basingstoke to Westbury in 1974 after British Rail rescinded their ban of privately owned steam locomotives being used on the British rail network in 1972.
It was also used in 2018 to haul the Royal Train, as it brought the Prince of Wales to Cardiff.
It has been used by Belmond British Pullman to do tours of Kent, Surrey, Oxford, Bath, and Bristol since the 1990s, pulling the restored Pullman carriages.
The train will be passing through these areas at the following times:
Outbound
11:44 – Victoria station
11:52 – Brixton
12:02 – Streatham
12:11 – Wimbledon
12:25 – Surbiton
Return
17:30 – Hounslow
17:45 – Barnes
17:52 – Clapham Junction
18:09 – Victoria station
Featured image credit: Loco Steve, Flickr
