In the years before 1914, the Brighton line ran a direct train via Willesden Junction over the LNWR to Rugby. It was called the ‘Sunny South Special’. Here, on a sunny day in 2024 is my (not very realistic) attempt to re-create the scene in Gauge 2:
Video here: Sunny South Special
I don’t know of any evidence that ‘Abergavenny’ ever worked this train, but other LBSC tanks certainly did, with LNW stock. The vehicles shown here represent my collection of Greenly designed wooden LNW stock and while not authentic in the choice of vehicles, are true to history in another way - everything in this train was made before 1914.
The entire train is 17’ long by the way and it’s known
that the rearmost vehicle was made for a certain Mr Brabazon,
later Lord Brabazon of Tara, the first man in England to hold a
pilot’s licence. See the picture on the title page.
This coach was made by a Mr Jervis and shown at the 1916 model
railway exhibition. The other coaches might be by Winteringham,
but appear to be by different hands. All the coaches are of heavy
wooden construction using Bassett Lowke's machined timber
sections. It's a real tribute to the quality of these coaches and
their builders that they have survived intact and undamaged for
more than a century, and run as well today as they ever did.