3440 'City of Truro'

With the loco expected to return to main line running during this year, the centenary of it's record breaking run, here are a few recordings made in the 80's.

After eventually appearing and working a few trains in 1985 GWR 4-4-0 3440 'City of Truro' became a regular performer on the Severn Valley Railway.
On 21st June 1986 3440 was part of the line up for the SVR enthusiast weekend and is heard in this recording departing from Highley and climbing the rising gradient away from the station heading for Bridgnorth.

Late in the afternoon on the same day 3440 is heard in this recordings on Eardington Bank where almost 2 miles of 1 in 100 gradient provide the longest climb on the railway.
The 4-4-0 sounds to be having no difficulty with it's 7 coach load on the gradient.

During the summer of 1986 the one loco that we were looking forward to riding behind on the Scarborough Spa Express was 3440 'City of Truro'.
In the past this loco had only once been used on the main line by itself (that one was the loco’s inaugural train and at a very high fare!) as it was not considered powerful enough to be able to handle a more than a few coaches and for that reason had always been used double headed.
However, the route from York to Scarborough has no steep gradients so it was decided to give the loco a try.
As we expected the loco performed admirably and is heard in this recording recovering from a signal check near Haxby with the morning train from York on 10th August 1986.

On 20th December 1986 the GWR 4-4-0 3440 'City of Truro' again made two return trips from York to Scarborough. These trains were run in connection with a Dickensian fair at Malton.
In this recording 3440 is heard soon after departing from Malton returning from Scarborough to York with the morning train.