A picture noticeable for the very large chalked reporting number on the smokebox of the County and the'custard and cream" early LMS coaches

Shrewsbury shed's 1025 , " County of Radnor " looks to be in fine external condition in this shot which I suspect has been taken from the lower slopes of Totterdown Park , just West of Temple Meads with that splendid water tank and Bedminster in the background.
This could very well be one of Shrewsbury's " Double Home " workings for both engine and footplate crew , normally running them and their engine all the way from Shrewsbury to Newton Abbot , from where they will work back home again the next day .
A fresh engine and crew will probably take the train forward from Newton Abbot down into Cornwall via Plymouth but by sheer coincidence I photographed Shrewsbury's 1013 " County of Dorset " with this " 318 " Reporting Number in position exactly one week later that this view , namely on 12th. May , 1956 on Laira shed's coaling line which indicates that on that day the engine ( and possibly its crew ) may well have worked from Shrewsbury right through to Plymouth for some unknown reason.
These " North to West " and return duties were shared between locomotives and crews from both Shrewsbury and Newton Abbot Motive Power Depots , the Shrewsbury crews often being given the choice of either a " County " or a "Castle " for the run down to Newton Abbot and back , whilst at Newton Abbot it was invariably one of their equally well turned out " Castles " for their footplatemen working north to Shrewsbury and back the next day.
Both Depots had a reputation for the fine manner in which their respective " Top Link " engines were maintained and turned out for express passenger duties with there being an amount of competition between rival Depots for the best turned out engines , particularly on such shared duties as these.