For the second week in succession, St Albans City station witnessed the passage of a steam locomotive, which arrived at Platform 2 on Saturday morning.

Herts Advertiser: LNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South AfricaLNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South Africa (Image: Archant)

Following in the tracks of the 60103 Flying Scotsman, this week it was the turn of LNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South Africa and on this occasion it stopped to collect passengers at 8.04am.

The train was the 6.31am London Victoria to York, operated by The Railway Touring Company and named “The Yorkshireman”.

Once again the engine was snapped by train enthusiast Jim Whittamore, who said: “Although the weather conditions were cloudy the A4 looked in fine fettle.”

The 60009 Union of South Africa is an LNER Class A4 steam locomotive built in Doncaster in 1937. It is one of six surviving Gresley A4s, currently operational and mainline certified. It was briefly renamed Osprey during part of the 1980s and 1990s due to political opposition against apartheid South Africa at the time.

Herts Advertiser: LNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South AfricaLNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South Africa (Image: Archant)

The next steam excursion scheduled to visit and stop in the city should be on Saturday November 4.

Herts Advertiser: LNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South AfricaLNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South Africa (Image: Archant)

Herts Advertiser: LNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South AfricaLNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South Africa (Image: Archant)

Herts Advertiser: LNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South AfricaLNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South Africa (Image: Archant)

Herts Advertiser: LNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South AfricaLNER A4 Class, engine 60009, Union of South Africa (Image: Archant)