On 6th June 1932, the Cheltenham Flyer headed by 5006 ‘Tregenna Castle’ broke railway speed records with a time of 56 minutes 47 seconds at an average speed of 81.6 mph.  This was from a standing start at Swindon to a complete stop at the buffers at Paddington, making it the fastest railway journey in the world.  In September 1932, the schedule was further reduced to 65 minutes, giving an average speed of 71.3 mph, the first occasion in the history of railways that any train had been scheduled at over 70 mph, hence the title “The Fastest Train in the World”.  With the imminent work on the electrification of the main line from Paddington to Bristol and South Wales making steam runs into and out of Paddington virtually impossible, Vintage Trains, in collaboration with Network Rail and First Great Western, set out to commemorate the “Flyer” with a fast non-stop run from Gloucester to Paddington and return on Saturday 11th May 2013.  It is seen here with ex-GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 No. 5043 ‘Earl of Mount Edgcumbe’ on the 1 in 60 climb approaching Sapperton Tunnel from Gloucester.  This loco, carrying the original 1930’s headboard, was the natural choice for this run, having been a regular performer on “The Flyer” after its construction in 1936 (then named “Barbury Castle”).  Note the buffers burnished with GWR emblems.