Ex-London & North Western Railway Bowen Cooke 'Prince of Wales' class 4-6-0 No, 25656 'Shark' (pilot). Built at Crewe in January. 1916 as L&NWR No. 1084 and withdrawn in August 1938.
Unidentified Stanier '3P' class 2-6-2 Tank (train).

A fine combination of locomotives await departure from one of the North Bays at Rugby in June 1938 rather strangely sharing the work with a relatively new Stanier 2-6-2T. The train cannot be heavy as the bays were not that lengthy so perhaps this is to save a light engine movement and get one of the locos back to Coventry or Nuneaton shed. Just look at that pristine platform, a dire warning from history about our modern-day love affair with chewing gum, paper ephemera and a plethora of plastic packaging.

© Les Hanson-David Hanson Archive