70023 Venus, had gone to Old Oak Common as a new engine fresh from Crewe in the summer1951 and was one of the Britannias drafted on to the Southern region for a month in May1953 when a number of the Merchant Navy class were stopped with axle problems Venus being shedded at Salisbury during this short period of time. Returned to Old Oak Venus was used on the Paddington to the Westcountry passenger rosters, as well as working down from the Capital to Bristol and South Wales, although the majority of express duties between Paddington and Cardiff were in the hands of the five Britannias allocated from late 1952 to Cardiff's Canton Depot. Like all its sisters at Old Oak, Newton Abbot and Laira Venus was moved down to Cardiff Canton in early 1957, spending some four years there before going to Carlisle Kingmoor in September1961, the home for the majority of the class in their final years of service with 70023 being condemned from there in December1967