David Shepherd's celebrity 9F class locomotive Black Prince left Toddington on Monday (28^th September) for a month-long visit to the Great Central Railway at Loughborough.  During its tenure the locomotive will take part in the Great Central's Autumn Gala (9^th to 11^th October) as well as a special 'Evening with David Shepherd' in aid of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation on 17^th October.  The engine will also be used for normal timetabled services.

While there, the engine is also expected to perform with the GCR's renowned 'windcutter' train of mineral wagons, recalling the days when millions of tons of coal were carried by Britain's railways. The 9F class regularly worked over 'The Honeybourne Line' in the 1960s with such trains and you can see some photographs of them in our feature on the class (follow the link below).

Black Prince is expected to return to the GWR at the end of October.

Meanwhile, Great Western 'small Prairie' no. 5542 has also left the line for a spell on the West Somerset Railway, when it takes part in the line's Autumn Gala, from 1^st to 4^th October.

Locomotives remaining at Toddington are no. 3440 City of Truro, 0-6-2T no. 5619 and 7903 Foremarke Hall.  All three are expected to see action during October.