The immaculate paintwork of ‘Britannia’ 4-6-2 No.70037 Hereward The Wake suggests that this picture was taken in 1956 after the completion of a Heavy General repair at Crewe; it may have been working its way back home to the Eastern Region. The Pacific was allocated to Stratford depot in London from new in December 1952 until 1959. As with many of its class it moved to the London Midland Region to see out its final years at Carlisle. An absolutely brilliant shot of 70037, clearly fresh from Works and looking a picture in new colours. An early problem with the Britannias had seen several of the class suffering movement of the main driving wheels on the then hollow axles, necessitating urgent and immediate plugging of the offending axles, with all engines then in service being temporarily withdrawn in late 1951. Hereward The Wake was much later subject to a similar incident but associated with the earlier problems, when in October1965 a wheel centre fractured breaking a coupling rod which then went through the boiler, not something the crew would have appreciated ! 70037 was eventually withdrawn from Carlisle Kingmoor in November, 1966