2019 The Waverley Re-Union

50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance at different stages during The Waverley Re-Union tour run by Pathfinder Tours, a total of 672 miles for the one-day trip.

The tour started at Birmingham New Street and travelled to Tweedbank using the West Coast Mainline (WCML) via Carstairs and Edinburgh. It was staged to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the closure of the famous Carlisle to Edinburgh former Waverley Route.

Upon arrival at Edinburgh 50007 was run-around and re-coupled for the top-'n'-tail working that was required. The tour then proceeded to its final destination of Tweedbank which is situated at the end of the reopened 31-mile north section of the Waverley Route. Research suggests that a few members of the class did work over the route back in 1968 during periods of industrial action or as WCML diversions.

Both locomotives masqueraded as two now-scrapped members of the class, having different TOPS numbers and nameplates fixed to one of their bodysides. 50007 temporarily sported the details of 50006 Neptune and 50049 those of 50011 Centurion. These locomotives were chosen as they had been the first two to be withdrawn and condemned back in 1987.

Date: 2019-01-05