A few weeks earlier, on 27th May, the photographer had experienced a footplate trip on this locomotive from Paddington to Reading. The train was the 3.25am Newspaper train made up of 13 vehicles weighing 383 tons.

Peter Kerslake adds "Built at Swindon in August 1938 and renamed from Drysllwyn Castle to Gladiator in January 1941, it was allocated to Old Oak Common at this date ,moving to Southall from June 1964 from where it was withdrawn in September 1964".



Photo by and copyright of David P Williams