I'd been wanting to do this shot since the trees opposite Hednesford box were removed at the end of May 2013. The later the better really,
so that the sun wasn't too high when my preferred train passed by. In the end I got it with two days to spare before the box closed, and
only with some luck. My target was 4V47, the 11:15 Rugeley - Stoke Gifford, which wasn't running much in early August. Things looked better
on Tuesday 20th August, a day with some sunshine, and with 4V47 running. I had to be away by 11:30 at the latest for an appointment elsewhere,
so needed it to run on time. In the event I had to pop away from the bridge for 10 minutes around 11:00. On my return I was pleased to see
a coal train waiting at the up home signal, and a decent sized hole in the cloud approaching from the south west. Sure enough 66599 was
duly bagged at 11:15. Only later did I realise that I'd photographed a very late running 4V06, the 08:52 Rugeley - Stoke Gifford. 4V47
was 40 minutes late, and I'd long gone by then. 66599 re-appeared on Thursday
22nd August, when the last freight trains passed Hednesford's semaphores.
