An absolutely first class picture of Laira shed's 6017 King Edward IV storming to the top of Dainton bank, with no grubby pilot engine to spoil this lovely image so the load is doubtless within the ten coach limit for an unassisted King on the banks between Plymouth and Newton Abbot. This is a working from Plymouth heading to Paddington, with both up and down sidigs visible and it is worth remembering that those sidings are on the level, which shows the steepness of the 1 in 36 gradient here. One of Newton Abbot shed's large Prairie tanks is just visible, probably after having banked a freight up to here from Aller Junction and it is now waiting to cross over to run bunker first back down to Aller, or home to Newton Abbot once the line is clear. The large mirror clearly seen above the leading coach was for the signalman in his delightful little signal box to check that all was in order on workings coming up the bank and heading into the tunnel when his view may have been obscured by a train passing in front of his box on the down main line. 6017 left Laira for Stafford Road in February 1959, following a Heavy General Overhaul at Swindon in September 1958.