Choo - Choo !

I've had this in the diary for some time, I was excited (about a train, weird eh?)
LNER A4 Class Locomotive "Sir Nigel Gresley" came into Carlisle on a rail tour from Chester.  
First time I've seen her and it was every bit as anticipated and more. What a machine. I was captivated by the slow irregular tickover while waiting for passengers to alight, like she was resting for the next sprint, oozing power. 

There was a 3 hour turnaround at Carlisle to allow passengers to have a tour around the city.  Inevitably I went off to the pub to steady my nerves. I met a well dressed group who I thought were probably on the tour, when I enquired whether they had come up on Sir Nigel Gresley the response was "not sure, it was a blue train" 
I nearly spat my Guinness out!

Anyway back at the station she was turned around and blasted out south down the Settle line. (blip)
Not quite the same grand finish for me, I got the old basic train back down to Whitehaven , except it was terminated at Workington for some unintelligible reason and I had to call an extraction in with Jess in the car.