Black 5 45231, an old stalwart of the GCR, but sold in 2002 to raise much needed funds for the railway, has returned for a short stay. Facing north, meant opportunities for utilising some different locations such as Rothley Bank, the trains climbing from Rothley station up to Swithland Reservoir.
The GCR ran a special timetable for a special Brownies event - you can see and hear a group of them in their red hats as 63601 takes on water. Apparently the event was far more extensive than the railway imagined and the pre-2002 timetable was put into operation with three locos in steam - Black 5 45231, O4 63601 and Standard 2 78019. The latter also performed on the driver experience trains.
63601 at Lougnborough, Woodthorpe and Swithland; 45231 at Swithland and Woodthorpe; 78019 at Swithland, Woodthorpe and Birstall. (less info)