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RTC - Christmas Sussex Belle

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Jorge Gorman, Dec 1, 2014.

  1. bonniville

    bonniville New Member

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    thanks i'm only a beginner, 37's also known as tractors i believe.
     
  2. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Tractors or Syphons - both are nicknames for a 37. To an old got like me it's an English Electric Type 3.
     
  3. Hurricane

    Hurricane Member

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    What a day for spotting whilst about my normal business… this morning everything via Eastleigh was delayed so I drove to Basingstoke and got on a Reading train in order to change and go to Paddington.

    Out of Reading I always sit on the right hand side to see what is on show at Southall steam shed… on the way in about 9.30 sitting outside was Union of South Africa, my luck was to get better as by chance I happened to be looking out the left hand side around Ealing Broadway where I see Tangmere sitting up high on a cross over gleaming in the morning sun. Thinking my day could get no better on the way home (just before it got dark) I saw Bittern sitting outside Southall with her support coach.

    Not bad when I didnt set out to see any locos today!
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2014
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  4. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    Don't be, I love Apache
     
  5. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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  6. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    The outward journey captured at Cooksbridge



    And the comings and going at Bopeep Junction and the return (albeit somewhat delayed - a chilly time on West St Leonards waiting for this one)

     
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  7. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I know that the lens makes it look worse but this video is worth sending to Network Rail with a message asking when they are planning on getting a contractor to sort out the track through the station.
     
  8. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    Seen much worse than that!
     
  9. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    So, your next task is to take similar film at such a location.:)

    Watching the first of your clips I was starting to wonder how you managed the second clip. Thinking that at least the SD card survived. :eek:

    ;)

    And.... If there has to be a diesel involved one that looks and sounds like that 37 is quite acceptable to me. :D
     
  10. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    Hmm - Have one somewhere in the fens i think, a wet bed appropriately enough! - I will hunt it out.
    Now that I want on my gravestone "His SD card survived"

    gloriously agricultural sounding.
     
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  11. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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  12. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    The problem with Eastbourne nowadays is that now they have removed the third side of the triangle above Willingdon Junction you are stuck with a reversal as the nearest triangle is at Brighton.

    Luckily, I covered all the track in that area (and some that isn't there any more) on The Wealdsman Tour in June 1965. It was a great day with a fascinating route. (See http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/650613lc.html). But that was when it was ok to run 31411+31803 tender first (at 50+) between Hastings and Eastbourne. But the highlight of that trip was 33027 and 33006 double headed at 62 mph between Christ's Hospital and Cranleigh. Just as interesting was 60 on the SWML just before Raynes Park!
     
  13. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    Absolutely...

    I noticed on departure from Victoria yesterday the number of people hanging out of the windows at the back of train.... looking back...
    I think the 37 was used appropriately in moderation yesterday, it helped us out of Victoria, and at Clapham then sat pretty quiet all the way to Eastbourne... letting Tangmere do the rest I'll upload a couple of videos shortly of the climb from Streatham to Selhurst... (thats a bit of a climb), then also starting from a Red outside Balcombe tunnel (quite a lot of slipping).

    On the return run we were steadily losing time, despite having a clear run and a good run, from St Leonards to Sevenoaks was just too fast to have been solo..(we had fast runs, but kept slowing as we caught the service train).
    I have a video of what a real shove from behind feels like at one point.....

    After Sevenoaks it was all Tangmere and all green lights and a good fast steady run all the way in (in between intermittent high speed slipping on occasions).


    Was the 37 justified... yes.. Tangmere seemed to lift it self off the rails every set of points and spin profusely, and every occasion from a start up.. Ive not been on a mainline trip before with a loco that wheel spins so often, almost every time Tangmere handled it, but it was easy to see the speed go down and how it could have gone awry very quickly, but that said, the 37 was held at bay and left the crew to get on with it...

    Apart, from slipping Tangmere was spot on, I don't see what all the fuss is all about, it was a good solid loco that did it's job well, steamed well, load 10 and a 37 it handled very well that run back to the capital was as fast as any other (indeed I've never approached London at high speed all the way to Battersea on Greens on the fast line through Nunhead, Denmark Hill and the non-platform lines at Wandsworth road, behind steam at speed).. it basically arrived into the capital just like an express train should.
     
  14. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    That's hardly surprising. A Class 7 with the equivalent of 13+ on or 14/15 in old money is going to trigger something before the diesel pushes. And they are not called 'light' pacifics for nothing.
     
  15. twr12

    twr12 Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure how the trip would have worked without two locos!
    It would have made the tickets very expensive to have another steam loco for what was effectively a shunt release!
     
  16. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Could run it in a similar fashion to some of the NE branchline trips, but I suppose that restricts the top speed in whatever direction you go. However, I'd be happy to pay extra for a bit more steam mileage. Alternatively, a casual look at the railway map and no consideration for timetabling suggests steam to Brighton area, diesel to Eastbourne, steam back to London via Ashford and Maidstone. Sussex is a part of the network I've yet to tackle by steam.
     
  17. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    Not sure where your going with that comment, I don't recall saying it should be done without a 37, but it could without difficulty..

    Train arrived plat 1 at Eastbourne, which has a run round loop, as does Hastings.. so a Tender first run between Eastbourne and Hastings would have been easily possible.
    But again.. never said that's how it should have been.
     
  18. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    Here's a few video links from the passengers eye view yesterday...

    Climb between Thornton Heath and Selhurst and over the West Croydon lines towards East Croydon, A unit passes us at 2.20, and 34067 kicks in at 3.00 (with a slip of course and again at 3.48).. then climbs pretty strong onto the bridge (with another slip at 6m)..


    Standing (slippy) start into Balcombe Tunnel.. this is a pretty nice starting - speed sound track.


    diesels need loving too... Willingdon Jn


    Departing St Leonards + Slip under the bridge (you can make out the English Electric Orchestra assisting in this departure).
    http://youtu.be/B9DEXmuQ-LU

    (I think this is Bromley... if anyone can help ?) + high speed slip on entry to station
    http://youtu.be/2pEqkr-TnJw

    arriving into Victoria - didn't slip this time...
    http://youtu.be/NYjfiZXuo9c
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 11, 2014
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  19. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    Steam has not run between Hastings and Ashford since work was carried out in Ore(?) tunnel. The Sussex Belle's used to run London - Ashford - Hastings- London , but changed to the current route after the work was carried out.
     
  20. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Your Bromley looks like Shortlands to me.
     

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