92 Squadron

I was up relatively early and dived straight into some report writing - and actually managed to finish one (the first of many that are now due) by coffee break. Pete and I then decided we needed some exercise so went to Orton Mere and walked from there up through Orton Woods and back through the Nene Park. 

As we arrived at the Nene Valley Railway pedestrian crossing, a steam train drew into Orton Mere station. As there'd been nothing else very photogenic on our walk I decided to wait and take a few shots - I mean, who can resist a steam train?

The locomotive is an ex-British Railways Bulleid 'Battle of Britain' class pacific locomotive Nº34081 92 SQUADRON, named after the famous Spitfire squadron based at Biggin Hill during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Entering service from Brighton works in September 1948, her all-too-brief mainline career ended when she was withdrawn from Eastleigh shed in August 1964 and subsequently sold to Dai Woodhams scrap yard at Barry Island in South Wales.


Purchased from there by the then-named Battle of Britain Locomotive Preservation Society in autumn 1973, she arrived at Wansford on the Nene Valley Railway near Peterborough on 7th December 1976 where restoration commenced. In 1998, some 22 years later she moved under her own power at the NVR for the first time since 1964 and became a regular performer on various Heritage Railways until being withdrawn for overhaul at the North Norfolk Railway in May 2008. 34081 returned to service on the NVR on 25th February 2017.