Kicking up an absolute storm at Clapham Junction is preserved London and North Eastern Railway B1 61306 'Mayflower', applying the power whilst working the Cathedrals Express from London Victoria to Eastleigh.

The LNER B1 Classes were built by the Thompson company between 1942 and 1952 as a mixed traffic equivalent of the highly successful LMS Black 5 and the Great Western Hall Class locomotives. The class made their initial start on the Great Eastern Mainline between London Liverpool Street and Ipswich, Harwich and Norwich, becoming an immediate success and being employed on London - Harwich 'Boat Trains', and the cheap construction costs ultimately resulted in 410 members of the class being built. The locomotive's had a relatively short life span much like many of the later LNER designs, with the final examples being withdrawn between 1961 and 1967 with only two members of the class preserved, including B1 number 61264 and 61306, which was initially never named but later donned the name of 'Mayflower' in preservation after the demise of original name bearer 61379.

61306 was in fact a British Railways built example, emerging from the North British Locomotive Works in 1948 after Nationalisation of the Railways earlier that year, and worked a charmed life in the Hull area throughout the 1950's before being transferred to Bradford in 1967 and withdrawn soon afterwards. The locomotive was immediately bought for preservation at Carnforth, where it was given the name 'Mayflower' and painted into LNER Apple Green, a livery it never wore due to the lateness of its construction. It was then transferred to the Great Central Railway between 1978 and 1989 before going into overhaul until 2006. The locomotive has recently undergone a 2 year overhaul at Washwood Heath in Birmingham and has returned in British Railways Apple Green similar to that worn by 60163 Tornado between 2009 and 2010.

Firstly though, and adorned in its lavish British Rail Blue with Union Flag to commemorate H.M. Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, West Coast Railways owned Class 47, 47580 'County of Essex', leads the empty stock of the Cathedrals Express into London Victoria from its Southall base after a quick jaunt along the West London Line.

Prior to departure we get some quick examining shots of the beautifully restored locomotive as it is prepared for its jaunt across the South of England.

We then move to Clapham Junction, where as before steam forms mini-eruptions through gaps in the underpass before the train in a shroud of black smoke rumbles through the station towards Staines. And just to top-off what was already a fantastic day, 47580 gives us its own little eruption of smoke as it pushes the train up to speed, it's Sulzer engine rattling and screaming beautifully!

P.S. Happy Valentine's day everyone! I hope you all enjoy your day with the one you love most!

Enjoy!