61306 - The Cathedrals Express 01-03-15

Marcus went through the train asking for feedback but missed out me and my mate. We passed on our views to another SD rep though. A number of people did say that the "no planned diesel" statement was the deciding factor in making the booking and needless to say we were delighted that turned out to be the case. The SD rep said there were exactly 300 people on board and indicated that they were satisfied with that. Spot on. 61306 + 9 = a sensible load and a sparkling performance. 61306 + 9 + box would have spoiled all the fun on Sapperton in all likelihood and assistance would almost certainly have been required plus the almost inevitable help when departing station stops.

 

Some marvelous images and videos of this train, the B & W photo of the train crossing the Thames at Maidenhead is a doozer, many thanks for sharing. It obviously turned out to be a storming performance by 61306 ably supported by some very keen crews, well done to them.

61306 looks set to be a bit of a performance revelation on the main line, one wonders who was the C.M.E. that was responsible for the creation of such a wonderful machine?

Cheers

Alan

 

Not bad for a northern machine not a patch on the great western but I digress


https://www.flickr.com/photos/tguppy37401/16065513554/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tguppy37401/16067894183/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tguppy37401/16686806472/in/datetaken/

 

My travelling companion is an inveterate Swindonite and stated that this was his best ascent of Sapperton to date and markedly superior to both Hagley Hall and 5051 amongst others. My only previous ascent was with 6024 in c.1992 and she ended up being pushed up the bank by the ReS 47 on the back.
All joking aside, yesterday was a good example of that can be achieved by matching load to loco. Yes we may rejoice in tales of a Jinty taking 16 unaided up Shap etc. but on the modern network yesterday's combo made a great deal of sense.

 

What you have wrote there Spamcan is the key, especially the words "matching load to loco". Now Mayflower looks like a real piece of kit, looks and sounds great and hopefully it's around for a long time but it needs to have sensible loads placed behind it. Nine over Sapperton was sensible and clearly within its limit, but loading it with 12 for example is asking too much. Granted Mayflower would cope but working the engine unnecessarily harder due to the loading doesn't help the loco, maintenance team, owner, TOC or paying passengers as that is when a diesel has to come into the equation, and rightly so within today's modern network.

 

Looked great yesterday. Against the sun and in very draughty conditions, leaving TWYFORD . Plenty of interest, the number of keen kids around was brilliant, as can be heard !!

 

I was with the large gallery at Ashbury Crossing, Shrivenham. A wonderful sight, very nicely turned out and sounded good too. Well done everyone involved.

Nearly got bowled by a small cloud in an large expanse of blue that got very close to the sun at just the wrong time. Several people there were chasing it to the other side of Gloucester, looks like there was no sun to be had further west.

Mayflower in March 2 by D1059, on Flickr

 

Thanks Alan and others who liked the pic. Never had a pic called a doozer before! I have enjoyed other posters efforts too.

 

I was at a party at a hotel in West Ealing on Saturday night and stayed over so popped out on Sunday morning to catch a couple of shots:

 

Had a great day chasing Mayflower...managed 5 shots but missed on the climb to Sapperton..great day though..nice engine

 

Excellent day all round with the B1 clearly master of the job. It was fun to be the first? steamer over the new Reading flyover. Good running saw the climb to Sapperton tunnel dismissed at over 50mph west bound and apart from a sticky restart from Gloucester Mayflower was never troubled, always within a couple of minutes of time and mostly early. I de-camped at Lydney for my first (but not last) visit to the Dean Forest railway - gorgeous country. Again the return was seemingly effortless. The main event of the day, the East bound climb to Sapperton, saw the B1 extended but still comfortable. We ran througn Stroud about 5 late and after speed initially increased to about 56 along the valley bottom speed tailed off and the tunnel was entered at around a very respectable 30mph. Ray Churchill knows how to time a train and with some fast running on the now doubled track Swindon was reached a minute or so early without exceeding the 75 limit. Two more interesting points were the run through Didcot at 60 from a dead stand at Steventon (about 4 mile away) whilst, I suspect, trains crossed Foxhall Junction, the only time during the day we were significantly late and nothing to do with us and as mentioned in a previous post the start from Tilehurst reaching 60 in 5 1/2 mins approx.
Thanks to the 2 Rays, the guys on the shovel who do the real work (sorry don't know their names), Steam Dreams, the stewards, Network Rail, the main line support crew, the Dean Forrest who kept the line open late for us and allowed us to sit on their nice warm DMU whilst Mayflower was making it's way up the Severn Estuary and to Mayflower's new owner who, I hope, was well pleased with his day and any one else I forgot to mention. Wow only needed to mention my agent and that would have done for an Oscar acceptance speech!
All figures quoted above are approximate and based on GPS timings so please allow a degree of latitude.

 

Very nice Mr. Bell.

 

My footage from yesterday's run. Seen at Coates, Highnam and Frampton Mansell.

 

It's good to see this trip went very well. I think WCRC have been underestimating the ability of 61306. But I have to say it's a little frustrating for those of us who had forked out money for the Valentines trips (runs for cover...........)

 

Can anyone enlighten me as to why an LNER loco running on the GW was carrying Southern-style discs?

 

Discs were also used on the Great Eastern during daytime.

 

A worthy successor to 73096 perhaps?

 

Good comparison. Very similar from my experience.

 

My soundtrack of Mayflower storming up Sapperton at night.

 

She could well be. The performance of 73096 surprised a lot of people in 1998, even former Steam Drivers.