A late evening and rather "atmospheric" shot of Laira's coaling line on Wednesday , 23rd. May , 1956 and everyone is taking a breather by the look of things.
With the setting sun over to my right the last rays capture 70021, " Morning Star "which has arrived back home at 6.25.p.m. with the 1.30.p.m. from Paddington and is being recoaled, whilst ex Works 5175 and the newly allocated 75025 alre lso seen. This latter engine in company with a couple of others in its class took over some of the pilot duties over the South Devon banks between here and Newton Abbot on the principal passenger workings , thereby relieving the " Manor " and " Grange" engines previously used on such duties.

Suitable work for Laira's four " Britannias " rapidly diminished in the late ' fifties upon the introduction of the main line Diesel types , and 70016 , 70019 and 70024 were accordingly all reallocated to Cardiff Canton in December of 1956 with this engine , 70021 " Morning Star " joining her sisters there in January , 1957.
At Canton the former Laira engines joined those " Britannias " similarly transferred from Old Oak Common , eventually making a total of fifteen of the class , including Canton's original five , allocated there from new in late 1952 .
Additionally , a number of the Westcountry " Manors " displaced by 75025 and her sisters from their pilot duties over the South Devon banks found their way to the Cambrian services running between Shrewsbury and North Wales

The inclusion of 75025 in this view is interesting as , in company with 75026 and 75028 , she had been allocated from new to Plymouth's Laira Depot and was initially put to use on pilot duties assisting the train engines on heavily loaded passenger workings over the South Devon banks between Plymouth and Newton Abbot .
With the subsequent arrival of the Diesels a few years later such " Double Headed " piloting duties diminished , and a number of these Standard Class Fours were reallocated away from their home Depots for use on the Welsh Cambrian lines working principally between Machynlleth and Shrewsbury on such duties as the " Cambrian Coast Express " .
Ousted thereafter from Wales a number of the Class Fours ended their days on banking duties over Shap Fell , being allocated to Tebay , so they had a varied life in service.