A generous slice of the action in Pitlochry on Saturday afternoon, was to be had at the railway station, where a returning leg of THE GREAT BRITAIN VI rail excursion arrived shortly after 3pm, a few minutes ahead of schedule.

The photograph, taken from the newly-painted footbridge, shows both engines' crews hard at work, involved either in raking coal forward in the tenders or ensuring hoses from a nearby tanker were delivering water to the locomotives as required. It was encouraging to see that some parents had brought youngsters along to see the scenes that were more the "norm" more than half a century before they were born!

June this year marks the 150 anniversary of the coming of the railway to Pitlochry & I believe there is another steam excursion passing through on the 15th of that month.

Many will now regard steam as slow, dirty & inefficient, but it is well to remember that the record-breaking speed achieved by the locomotive "Mallard" of 126mph in 1938 is currently the maximum speed permitted for high speed trains on the entire U.K. network (Eurostar excepted).