Sandy in Bedforshire is where, for a short distance, the former L&NWR Bedford to Cambridge 'Varsity' route (closed in 1968) and the GNR lines that are now part of the ECML run in parallel for about half a mile but do not connect. Both companies had separate but adjacent stations with a shared island platform, this is now merged into one station. Living up to its mixed traffic design, ex-LNER Gresley 'V2' 2-6-2 No. 60862 is heading north in August 1956 with a down van freight on the ECML. 60862 was built at Darlington in June 1939 as LNER No. 4833 and was withdrawn in June 1963.

© Les Hanson-David Hanson Archive