60019 Bittern (4464)
A very unusual combination, and possibly the first time ever an A4 and 'Brit' have double-headed, well certainly in the far west anyway! LNER A4 Pacific 4464 Bittern + BR Standard 7MT 4-6-2 'Britannia' Pacific 70000 Britannia absolutely storm Hemerdon Bank with the 1Z28 1611 Plymouth - Paddington 'Mayflower' on 15th September 2012. This was definitely one of the fastest ascents of Hemerdon Incline I have witnessed to date with a 7MT & 8P/6F combination, making the power equilivent to a class 15! Wow! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRdUXaPnm8g
In an unusual Pacific pairing, LNER A4 4-6-2 4464 Bittern pilots BR Standard 7MT 4-6-2 70000 Britannia at Exminster with the 1Z28 1611 Plymouth - Paddington 'Mayflower' on 16th September 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPpbXcn47H8
LNER A4 Pacific 4464 Bittern, in the iconic LNER Garter Blue livery, looks superb as it leaves Kingswear with the return 1Z28 1650 Kingswear - Bristol Temple Meads 'Torbay Express' on 7th September 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIiayLbBtxg
LNER A4 4-6-2 Pacific 4464 Bittern with a beautifully restored rake of LNER / Great Northern Railway teak coaches storms Eardington Bank during a 30742 Photo Charter organised by Martin Creese on 27th March 2012. Hard to believe this was almost 5 years ago! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trKvi6MiEg4
LNER A4 4-6-2 Pacific 4464 Bittern is seen hauling a beautifully restored rake of LNER / Great Northern Railway teaks on the Severn Valley Railway on 27th March 2012. This was filmed on day 2 of a two day photo charter organised by Martin Creese for 30742 Photo Charters and was believed to be the first time a LNER Garter Blue A4 had been paired with a complete rake of teaks in over 60 years. Certainly one of my personal favourite charters to date! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vp3s2LFn9k
This was believed to be the first occasion since Nationalisation that a LNER A4 Pacific in Garter Blue livery hauled a complete rake of LNER teaks, and we see 4464 Bittern at work on the Severn Valley Railway during a 30742 Photo Charter organised by Martin Creese on 26th March 2012. Certainly one of my all-time favourite photo charters that I have been on to date! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kioyg12VtHw
In a curious combination, we see GWR 'Castle' 4-6-0 5029 Nunney Castle + LNER A4 Pacific 60019 Bittern double-head as they climb Hemerdon Bank working the 1Z30 1615 Plymouth - Paddington 'Mayflower' charter on 11th September 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDIcto3Q8gM