Laira Depot's 5541 had only three months left in service at the date of this fine portrait ,being withdrawn in July of 1962 but happily being restored by the Dean Forest Railway in Gloucestershire following purchase from Barry scrapyard in November of 1972 .
5541 was destined to spend just its last two years in B.R. service allocated to Laira , the majority of its working life having been spent allocated to Machynlleth from where it served some twenty years on the Cambrian network before its move down to the far Westcountry at Plymouth's Laira Depot in January of 1960 .
5541 is heading an impressive freight here at Whitchurch , on the Plymouth to Launceston branch line , the location being situated between Tavistock South station and Yelverton , the little hamlet of Whitchurch having been serviced by workings on the branch line from 1859 and providing a regular supply of passengers and freight northwards to Tavistock and further south down to Plymouth .