Peter Kerslake says "Sunshine and shadows at Exeter St.David's as one of Newton Abbot's Viscount Portal heads Westwards with the weekdays only 9.06 a.m. from Liverpool to Plymouth, which it will probably work through to Plymouth, although it might possibly come off at Newton Abbot. This was one of the "North to West" expresses, running via Crewe to Shrewsbury where a Western Region locomotive would replace the London Midland Region one, the replacement quite likely being a Shrewsbury or Bristol Bath Road 'Castle'. The 'Castle' and 'County' locomotives regularly rostered on them did, worked through between Shrewsbury and Newton Abbot in both directions, the engines and footplate crews lodging overnight and returning home on their same engine the following day."