Farewell No. 9

One of only six survivors from the original L.N.E.R. fleet of 35 A4 Pacific locomotives the retiral of 60009 Union of South Africa has been announced due to necessity of difficult boiler repairs and with only a short time left on its boiler certificate anyway.
60009 was Scottish based throughout its L.N.E.R. and British Railways career so its fitting that her Scottish owner since 1966 plans to house her in a Fife museum. Four other A4s are already in museums in USA Canada and England. Good news is that 60007 is nearing its several years long extensive overhaul returning to steam in 2022.
The photo was taken by me at Stirling station on a Fife Circle S.R.P.S. tour 2014 where we crossed the Forth Bridge from a Linlithgow start..
Extras from that trip one with the owner on the footplate