34028 Eddystone Heads Day 2 of The Great Britain XVIII. 19Apr26

The second leg of this year’s tour takes the train from Penzance to Chester with no service stops until Taunton, giving little opportunity for two location shots before then…… Except……. ! Starting with a shot over the Tamar Estuary into Cornwall next to Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge (almost glowing in the bright sunshine!), 34028 silently rounds the headland having just passed the nearest point on the line to the “real” Eddystone (or Eddystone Rocks) which lie approximately13 miles directly out to sea. Once through Saltash Station, the train slowly makes its way onto the bridge where the stationary camera picks up the action until the loco leaves the first section and officially re-enters Devon where we get a last close-up before the train leaves the bridge with a Southern Region “fanfare” on the whistle. After quickly picking up the gear it’s back up the A38 to Exminster where the road takes a much shorter route than the rail. I have plenty of time to set up both cameras either side of the track as there is a real possibility of being “bowled” by a scheduled “down” service. However, the train has lost 10 minutes by Starcross and the danger is averted but I have combined footage from both cameras for added effect. 34028 storms past at 70 m.p.h. out of the heat haze created by the relatively cold air (14C) and a baking hot trackbed, a thrilling experience at track level! then we watch as the diesel takes a free ride on the back as the train disappears towards Exeter.