A staple of the heritage steam railway calender is the ‘Giants of Steam’ event held by the Sussex based Bluebell Railway over 3 days between Friday 13th-Sunday 15th October 2023, this years event would bring 2 Southern Bulleid Pacific’s together, including Swanage Railway’s Unrebuilt Battle of Britian no 34070 ‘Manston’ & Severn Valley Railway’s Rebuilt West Country no 21C127 ‘Taw Valley’

The pair would work alongside the Bluebells home fleet of 6989 ‘Wightwick Hall’ 72 ‘Fenchurch’, 73082 ‘Camelot’ & 80151 (working only on Sunday)

Filmed on Saturday 14th October in some perfect autumnal condition from the lineside, my captures of the gala includes a variety of locations and angles of the 2 Bulleids, Hall & Std 5 working hard, viewed at Freshfield Bank, Horstead Keynes area, Shaftholme Tunnel & Imberhorne Cutting culminating in a spectacular double header of 73082 & 34070 at the end of the day in superb lighting (despite getting ‘cowed’ in the shot!)

Thank you to Thomas for his assistance during the day for this being my first ever Bluebell experience and I will certainly want to come again for more!