What an absolutely superb shot of the pride of Gloucester shed in the form of an immaculate 5017 , now renamed " The Gloucestershire Regiment " as she storms non stop through Swindon with the prestigious " Cheltenham Spa Express " , bound for Paddington , complete with a splendid Headboard and clean Reporting Number.
Starting from Cheltenham this train would have had to reverse at Gloucester's Western Region Central station where 5017 would have taken over from a lighter engine running from Cheltenham.
Famed in railway history by driver J.W.Street in his book " I drove the Cheltenham Flyer " this working ahieved some record breaking runs in days past with "Castle " class engines being used almost exclusively between London and Gloucester in both directions.