5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe stomps up to Birmingham Snow Hill! | The Shakespeare Express | 21/6/26

Today's video once again stars our favourite, GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on Vintage Trains' Father's Day "Shakespeare Express". The Shakespeare Express is a summer Sunday train, this time along the usual format instead of the recent extended Shakespeare formats. 5043 hauled 2 return trips from Birmingham Snow Hill to Stratford Upon Avon; outward tender first via the North Warwicks Line through Henley in Arden and returning smokebox first via the Chiltern Mainline through Solihull. The weather for today was mostly sunny and quite hot. Today I spent the day with our friends at ‪@blackcountrysteamvideos8021‬ and went to Snow Hill firstly too see 5043 making a bit of noise up the 1/49 incline from Moor Street to Snow Hill with the hefty load plus a diesel, which was unfortunately mandated by NR due to warm weather. Having said that, the 47 is much less visually and audibly intrusive so you have to take it as a win lol. Followed by this, 5043 is seen moving forward beyond the signal to allow room for her to attach to the back after he run around, before commencing run around operations. We then move to Wilmcote, where 5043 is seen powering past having just ascended the 1/75 incline! Following this, she is seen passing Dorridge bridge, which should have been a high-speed impressive pass, but the signallers once again failed to lower the gates at Bentley Heath Crossing in time and she was signal checked just before passing the camera. Thank you very much to all who made today possible and thank you to Luke for his company. Thanks to VT and 5043 and her crew and I hope you enjoyed as I did!