LSWR L12 4-4-0 No 417 down train at Holmethorpe between Merstham and Redhill on the Quarry line, probably in the early 1930s given that the tail traffic looks pretty ancient (the fruit van still has pot lamps, and there is a horsebox behind it). The coaches look loke an ex-SECR 'Trio C' set. The Quarry Line is a loop line that comes of the main line (London - Brighton) at Couldson North and rejoins it at Earlswood (South of Redhill). I think this area is now a nature reserve.

Furthermore this image seems to be one of at least two taken on the same occasion. There is an almost identical photo in Locomotives Illustrated No 105 taken by the same photographer from the same spot, judging by the identical viewpoint and vegetation visible in the picture. This second image shows rebuilt River no A797, also heading south. Irwell Press' The Book Of the Southern Moguls Part 2' tells us that the rebuild to a
2-6-0 was complete by June 1928 and it was renumbered to 1797 in December 1932. Therefore, this similar photo must have been taken between those two dates, and by analogy, this image was taken on the same day, rather than mid-twenties as previously captioned. The Locos Illustrated caption of the U class photo doesn't give an exact date, merely saying 'c1930' but which is right in the middle of the date range.

Photo: Bernard Whicher / Rail Archive Stephenson