60532 Blue Peter on the S&C. Looking for a date

I was wondering if anyone might be able to help date this photograph. It is not mine, but the author has given me permission to post it here.

I think the blue nameplate may help, as it wasn't on the loco that much, and the chocolate and cream stock is quite rare for a pairing with the A2 over the S&C. Virtually every other photo I've seen of 60532 on the S&C, it has been matched to maroon stock. The modern lamp on the front would make it no earlier than Autumn 1993 and judging by the trees, it is very late Summer or early Autumn time of year.

 

Idiot question-- which direction is it? I'm guessing northbound. If so, possibly 4 Sept 1993? Nothing on Six Bells, but that run is on the S and C list.

 

Northbound, looks like it's just north of Lunds viaduct.

 

Yes, it's northbound just north of Lunds. 4th September '93 is a possibility, but I've not seen any other photos of that date to say it matches up.

However a southbound run over the S&C a week later there are some photos online and it has the blue nameplate, so 4th September 93 is quite possible.

 

Having done some more searching, I think it is quite possibly 25th September 1999.

I think Neil is on Nat Pres:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/neil_harvey_railway_photos/5517167051/

 

If it helps, all my shots of her in 1993 and up to the n/b l/e movement on 7th May 94 show her with blue plates. When next seen on 11th June she had red plates which was the case at the start of the Aberdonian on 21st August but the plates appear to have changed in the course of that trip.

maybe superceded by the last post. But a note of caution the plates may be different colours on each side.

 

Thanks Scott. Yes 93 to May 94 seem like a period it had the blue nameplate.

However I would say Neil's photo at Foredale (posted above) suggests 25th September 1999 is almost certainly the date as the coaches and nameplate both match.

 

Normally black in NELPG’s tenure, 532’s nameplates were painted a light Caledonian blue ( as per its last days in service), for Scottish tours.

It latterly had a darker, French blue plate on the left-hand side only, which I applied at Hellifield on 24/04/99, just before an out & back over the S&C. The blue survived the apple green repaint at Barrow Hill.

I also lined the smokebox number plate in white, which would occur with the photo being taken in 09/99.

JS

 

According to my records 60532 worked northbound CME on 2/07/94.

 

Ian I can confirm the picture was taken on 25/9/99 checked my old vhs footage from Aisgill coasting under the road bridge, blue plate, chocolate and cream stock in the same formation nige.

 

Many thanks for that James. 24th April 1999 was the spark arrestor trial? I've seen some photos of that, but all from the other side with the nameplate in black. it all matches up, especially with the additional information about the smokebox number plate being lined in white.

 

Spot on, cheers for checking back Nige.

 

The S&C trip was actually a form of loaded test-run but with pax; the spark trial was the evening before, when we went from Carnforth to Preston and back, thence over to Hellifield for overnight stabling.

48773 & 45407 were also out on the S&C that day, so John Hunt and I had an entertaining time photographing the northbound runs before travelling back south on 532!

JS