Heads are turned to see GWR Castle 4-6-0 No 5090 Neath Abbey with the 5pm Paddington-Weston super Mare arriving at Bath Spa on 13 June 1959. Note the concrete post and timber arm signal and the special buffer stop for the small turntable at the end of the Down platform.

Peter Kerslake says "This is the 5.p.m. from Paddington, probably handing over to a lighter engine at Bristol Temple Meads although it may possibly be rostered to work through to its destination at Weston super Mare. Beneath the track here is the curved St. James 's bridge built in about 1840, stone constructed, located above the river Avon and rebuilt in 1927.
5090 was rebuilt in April of 1939 from 'Star' 4070 of the same name which dated back to February of 1923 and in its rebuilt 'Castle' form was allocated to Plymouth's Laira depot before moving to Old Oak Common in October pf 1960 from where it was condemned in May of 1962"


Photo: K.L. Cook / Rail Archive Stephenson