Mallard 75 (The Great Farewell)

Billed as a once in a lifetime opportunity, I could not miss a visit to Locomotion in Shildon to see the six remaining A4 class locomotives gathered together (including two shipped from the US and Canada) to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Mallard setting the world speed record for a steam train (which still stands) of 126 mph, so boarding a less memorable Northern Rail 2-car diesel at Heighington I joined a train full of other grey haired blokes in anoraks for a couple of stops before alighting adjacent to the museum; the six engines, here for just a week for the ‘Great Goodbye’ after the ‘Great Gathering’ at York, were impressive in their livery of green (Union of South Africa & Dwight D Eisenhower) or blue (Sir Nigel Gresley, Dominium of Canada, Bittern & Mallard) and of course the rest of the exhibits are worth a visit in their own right, so it was easy to while away three hours among a crowd of mainly enthusiasts with an occasional long-suffering wife and a smattering of bemused youngsters who must have wondered what all the fuss was about, never having experienced the sights, sounds and smells of steam travel that for me are indelibly linked to childhood journeys to exotic annual holiday locations such as Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno or Bournemouth.