156463 Pilning 13 March 1989

156463 brings up the rear of the 2V61 09:07 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central Regional Railways service at Pilning on 13 March 1989. The train is descending the 1 in 100 gradient towards the Severn Tunnel. The entrance to what was at this time the UK's longest mainline tunnel (London Underground excepted) is hidden by one of the UK's shortest tunnels, the 97 yard long Ableton Lane Tunnel. Ableton Lane now only survives as truncated sections of road on either side, and the A403 takes its place across the top of the short tunnel.