High Wycombe departure

Sir Nigel Gresley's A4 pacific No. 4498, named after its designer, departs High Wycombe for Stratford-upon-Avon on July 27, 1986, before the centre tracks were lifted. This locomotive (as will be obvious from my gallery) was another regular engine on the mid-1980s Marylebone expresses such as the Shakespeare Limited, seen here. Looks like nobody cleaned the top of the casing.

High Wycombe was a stopping place for British Railways Western Region expresses such as the Paddington to Wolverhampton 'Inter City' (often 'King'-hauled) but sadly I never managed to catch a Western engine here, although 'Clun Castle' was used on the Marylebone turns.