I HAD been keeping an eye on the RailwayTouring Company’s Atlantic Coast Express as this is an annual event normally hauled by Merchant Navy Pacific No. 35028 Clan Line and which always runs without a diesel locomotive on the back. As the 4-6-2 is still under repair, I wondered what would work the train and it was soon known that the replacement engine would be the hard-working double chimney Class 5XP Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas, which, although I had a couple of recent runs behind, none had been diesel free.
As soon as assurances were received that the train would run diesel-free, I booked two seats. It is rare for steam to work down the main line from Waterloo to Woking and I was determined to be on that section, even though it meant catching the 5.20am from Southampton Airport Parkway to ensure an arrival at Waterloo in good time for the 7.14am departure. South Western Railway was behaving itself and a three-minute early arrival gave us plenty of time to walk over to Platform 16, just as Class 47 No. 47802 was
