No 71000 Duke of Gloucester reverses out of Euston after arriving with an express from Liverpool Lime Street on April 24, 1962.
Peter Kerslake says "71000 was built in May 1954, initially being exhibited at an International Railway Congress at Willesden before entering service at the end of that month and allocated to Crewe North M.P.D.
Not the most favoured locomotive with the footplate crews at Crewe, 71000 was initially rostered to the overnight Top Link passenger workings northwards to Perth, returning home to Crewe the following night, the loads on such workings regularly exceeding 600 tons with Shap and Beattock banks to be tackled on the 296 mile journey in each direction.
It was on these workings that 71000 gained the reputation of being a poor steamer with heavy coal consumption, these factors later being found to be due to an incorrectly manufactured set of doors on the dampers below the firebox which had limited air flow into the fire."
Photo: Patrick Russell/Rail Archive Stephenson