Tangmere Steam Locomotive passes through Blackburn Station.

On Wednesday, August 27, East Lancashire steam aficionados were treated when a legendary steam engine that originally operated high-speed trains like the Golden Arrow from London to the South Coast went through Blackburn.

A green-painted Tangmere, a Battle of Britain class locomotive with the number 34067, went through the station before departing for Scarborough.

The locomotive, named after the legendary fighter ace Douglas Bader’s RAF station during World War II, towed conventional Pullman cars.

Julia Ann Walton sent the wonderful images of the train to the Lancashire Telegraph via the Camera Club.

She stated: “Full steam ahead for The Tangmere Steam Locomotive as she steamed into Blackburn today, collecting up passengers for Scarborough.

“She arrived early, building up steam before setting off.” The Southern Railway first debuted the train in 1945; it was created by Oliver Bulleid and operated from Stewarts Lane in London, Salisbury, and finally Eastleigh.

Tangmere was retired from service in 1963 after nearly 700,000 miles and has since undergone extensive repair, primarily at Ian Riley’s engineering facilities in Bury, Lancashire.

At the time, the train was embracing various new innovations in British steam technology, and was one of the first to use welding in the manufacturing process, as well as steel fireboxes, which meant they could be more readily produced under wartime austerity.