WITH a huge plume of steam and smoke, a freight locomotive turned back the clock by three decades on the Settle-Carlisle line.
Excited enthusiasts watched and camera shutters clicked as the steam-hauled train of 20 ballast trucks crossed the spectacular Ribblehead Viaduct to mark the final stages of a £50million upgrade of the route.
The former London, Midland and Scottish Railway Stanier 8F engine -- similar to the ones that used to operate in East Lancashire -- became the first steam locomotive for 32 years to haul a working freight train on the network.
Railtrack booked the locomotive to haul the ballast train along the Settle to Carlisle Line, which survived the threat of closure ten years ago.
The scenic 72-mile route, kept open after a long public campaign, has been upgraded over two years to cope with an increase in freight traffic and relieve pressure on the West Coast main line.
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