Theale to Bedford

Our mission on this trip is another special - special in that it ran with a “Z” headcode. 6Z91 was a positioning move from the yard at Theale through to Bedford. 66607 was deployed to return 26 empty HIA hoppers to Tunstead as they were needed for quarry work there. Some lovely footage covering the GWR, round the freight only line from Acton to Cricklewood and I’m informed that this is so far the only YouTube video to feature the North Brent Curve and Hendon Line through to Coldstream Junction. Onward on the MML Down Slow where we witness many more trains whizzing by on the Fast Lines. I suspect that this video features more trains than any on this channel. We arrive at Bedford where our relief is waiting and of course you can see the rest of the journey in the Bedford to Earles video. WARNING. The CCTV/CGI images just following Southall Station may be distressing to some viewers. Addendum Oh my word, how could I get the master’s name wrong. Isombard should be Isambard! The footage at Southall is partially computer generated. Coldstream Junction - eh? Should of course be labelled Silkstream Junction. Thanks to John Webb for pointing that out from the wonderful St Albans South Signal Box Group. I’m advised that Sonning Cutting was quadrupled after the end of the broad gauge. In fact, the fast lines were broad gauge, which had been converted to mixed gauge in the 1880s when the quadrupling was done. The relief lines were always standard gauge but were added before the abolition of the broad gauge in 1892. Thanks John Speller.