A4 'Sir Nigel Gresley' Storms Over Shap Unassisted At 51mph !

Following on from last month's Cumbrian Mountaineer with Blue Peter, this time the baton was handed to LNER A4 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley to see what it could do unassisted over Shap on it's lightly loaded train. As the title states the A4 topped Shap Summit with a minimum of 51mph making it one of fastest summit speeds in preservation, though you have to take into account the load of nine coaches, which was the same as Blue Peter and one coach less than the Duke Of Gloucester. Full times and comparisons will be shared in due course once these are confirmed by our on board timers. This was the 3rd special by Saphos Trains aimed at enthusiasts and once again it was sold out. In this day and age pure unassisted steam has become a rarity but thanks to Locomotive Services and Saphos, they have breathed life back into the steam purist. The action captured starts off at Greenholme, at the bottom of Shap, then a brief shot half way up at Salterwath and then near the top just after Shap Wells, as you can see the A4 was flying. I hope you enjoy the rare sight of an A4 over Shap ! #steamtrain #trains #trainspotting #railways #railways #britishrailways #locomotive