I expected that the "Santa Express" ECS would return to Quorn as soon as possible once the diner had cleared the block section. However, although the Loughborough up-line advanced starter cleared promptly it was a long time before the tell tale exhaust steam announced that the train had left Loughborough with the stock to form the 13:50 service from Quorn. The train had just passed under the A6 road and was approaching Woodthorpe hauled by BR Standard Class 5MT 4-6-0 73156 on Sunday 5th December 2021.