The 'Duchess of Sutherland' visits Gloucestershire

I'd read that this train was coming through Stroud today, and thought I'd try  to see it as it had been some time since its last visit. But late yesterday I was told that another train coming from Birmingham was visiting Gloucester, 7029 'Clun Castle'. This has been a regular visitor to these lines in the last two years.

I checked the likely timetables for both excursions of the trains, and with some judicious Googling I found a bridge just to the north of Cheltenham Spa station, which both engines were expected to pass underneath within about fifteen minutes of each other.

I 'd only recently been given permission to drive again so it became a bit of a treat for me to go out and about. I arrived in time in the back streets of Cheltenham which turned out to be quite quiet and the bridge was a very suitable location.

7029 'Clun Castle' arrived on time and in fine fettle but not travelling fast as there turned out to be speed restrictions at this point. But it was good to see, hear and smell the classic steam train experience.

6233 'Duchess of Sutherland' was about ten minutes late. When it approached us from the station, which you can just see in the distance behind another bridge, it was accelerating from a near standing start so also wasn't travelling fast. No matter as it meant I had longer to watch it.