6024 King Edward 1, The Royal Duchy, 1st May 2010

A group of bikers head for the annual Paignton Bike Festival as KE1 tackles the final climb to the summit at Marley Head before skirting the foothills of Dartmoor. Although visually challenging now the leaves are beginning to appear, the echo in the valley and ray of sunshine over Rattery viaduct more than compensates. Caught out by a new and ugly phone mast stuck straight in my favourite view of the climb from St Germans, I resorted to mounting the tripod over the fence and reaching across barbed-wire in order to cut out the offending item. It turned out to be unsatisfactory and more painful than I had expected (in more ways than one!), so if I ever go back to this location, I will have to try something else - even the Lucky Cornish Piskie on the Kings lamp bracket didnt help! The return journey features a view from Liskeard station to the A38, where the line crosses no less that three viaducts: Liskeard, Bolitho and Cartuther, and is probably the best sequence of full blooded acceleration I have filmed in a while, further evidence that this loco is simply the best when it comes to filming. Finally, the classic view of the climb of Hemerdon Bank, always busy because this location is hard to beat. The only space left on my arrival being the one right over the track, but it did remind me of my childhood when I used to try to drop farthings down the chimney! The day was humid and showery, creating extremely greasy track conditions, which the footplate crew clearly had in mind by treating every climb with respect, not to be confused with struggling as I overheard at Hemerdon, just good, safe driving and a credit to those involved, as I didnt hear a single slip all day!