LNER Class K4 61994 The Great Marquess working up the hill between Dalgety Station and the site of Donibristle Halt. The K4s were built for service on the West Highland Railway, so were always expected to work up long hills.

The 9 coach train is worked through the site of Donibristle Halt (closed 1959), which served RNAS Merlin (“Donibee”). The locomotive is approaching the base where the signalbox was located. This morning train was 1Z52 09:29 Linlithgow – Forth Bridge – Kirkcaldy – Thornton - Cowdenbeath – Dunfermline – Culross - Longannet – Kincardine – Alloa – Stirling – Falkirk – Polmont – Linlithgow (arr 14:04).

The afternoon train is seen running downhill at the floral award winning station at Aberdour. This ran from Dalmeny at 15:08 and ran once again around the circular route.

The crew wave to the assembled photographers at the Hawkcraig Road bridge in Aberdour. 61994 was completed at Darlington in July 1938. In 1959 the five remaining class members were allocated to Thornton and this locomotive was withdrawn in December 1961 to enter preservation. After main line workings in the 1960s, the locomotive spent time working on the Severn Valley Railway, After a more recent change of ownership, a return was made to the main line, once again based at Thornton.

Leaving Aberdour

Having worked the second circular train, the locomotive brought the empty coaches across the Forth Bridge into Inverkeithing, arriving at 19:34 close to sunset. The Great Marquess came off the train at the sidings beyond the station, and the coaches were returned to Bo’ness by 47787 arriving a few minutes later.

61994 proceeds into Inverkeithing Yard

47787 "Windsor Castle" arrives to collect the empty stock