43172 Charlbury (Cornbury Park) 18 May 2019

43172 Harry Patch - The last survivor of the trenches accelerates away from Charlbury station in the rain on 18 May 2019 with the last scheduled up HST Cotswold Line working. This should have been the 1P61 14:35 Great Malvern to Paddington GWR service, but due to late running of the earlier northbound train, it started from Worcester Shrub Hill at 15:02. As if to emphasise the sadness of the occasion, the earlier moderately dull weather turned into really dark conditions with heavy rain. The end of the Cotswold Line's double track section can be seen near the rear of the train, and Charlbury church can be seen in the background, directly above the leading power car.