Geograph - photograph every grid square

Looking east towards Codsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham from Husphins Bridge, which is an accommodation bridge which also carries a public footpath. The line was originally built by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway company in 1849. This merged with the Great Western Railway in 1854. Some scheduled trains go beyond Shrewsbury to Chester, Holyhead, Pwllheli, Aberystwyth and Wrexham.

This train is being hauled by the steam locomotive Britannia 70000. Several test runs are being made, to help give trainee drivers and firemen more 'on the job hours' towards become fully qualified and operate steam locomotives on the main line. It is running a circular route starting and finishing at Crewe, taking it via Chester and Shrewsbury, before it skirts round Wolverhampton and heads up to Stafford. Bringing up the rear is the Class 37 diesel-electric locomotive 37688 Great Rocks, built in 1960.

Britannia 70000 is of 4-6-2 wheel configuration, was built at Crewe and completed on 2 January 1951. It was the first British Railways standard locomotive to be built and the first of 55 locomotives of the Britannia class (Wikipedia). Link