61306 - The Cathedrals Express 01-03-15

Yes a brilliant and storming performance from Ray Churchill, he is the master of bank climbing with his great knowledge, expertise and skill there is no one else like him. and this is the first time he has driven Mayflower.

 

For those interested, here are more timings and speeds of the day. If you haven’t been to Reading lately it’s really interesting to look west at the “ramp” that is the flyover. It makes for the need for some serious working to get over the flyover at a reasonable speed. On the day, with 61306 with load 9 and Ray Poole driving we ‘topped’ it at 27mph. Down the other side, on the main, speed increased to 67 by Pangbourne, 5 miles or so out, and to 74 just after Goring. 73/4 was held to Moreton Cutting Junction on Didcot approach. Didcot was passed noisily at 55 and speed increased to 64 at Steventon before slowing slightly to 60 to enter Challow loop. After leaving the loop speed rose quickly to 66 by Shrivenham. After our Swindon stop we used the double track to Kemble to good effect. The track is superbly engineered, smooth running in the extreme. Speed rose rapidly and hit 74 just over7 miles out. Kemble was passed at 71. The bottom of the 1:100 was passed at 68 and had fallen to 62 at the start of the mile long 1:94 to Sapperton Short Tunnel. Speed into the tunnel was 53. The max between Standish and Gloucester was 68.

We had a bit of bother getting away from Gloucester on damp rail but got to 67 approaching Newnham. The departure from Lydney was noisy and brisk, speed rising to 67 on the level 5 miles out. Chepstow’s departure was equally good, max of 64, 4 miles out. We were slowed through Caldicot, 34, but speed was picking up by Severn tunnel junction which was passed at 48. Acceleration was good and we were doing 67 by Bishton Crossing. The max between Newport and an on time arrival at Cardiff was 63.

On the return, the max with Ray Churchill now in charge was 62 near Marshfield. A signal check affected our run from Newport but we’d picked up to 57 by Bishton. We were slowed to 42 at Severn Tunnel Jc; speed rose to 49 by Caldicot, with a max of 63 down past Portskewett. There was a noisy climb away from Chepstow up the short 1:100, speed rising to 20 by the tunnel. We accelerated away from Lydney noisily, up to a max of 73 near Awre. After the water stop there was a brisk departure from Gloucester. We passed Standish Jc at 45, with speed rising to 49 by Stonehouse and increasing to a max of 54. Speed had fallen to 51 through Stroud. We held 51 noisily up the 1:250 bank to Brimscombe and used the short downgrade to reach 57 at the start of the 1:100 climb to St Mary’s Crossing. The mile of 1:75/70 to Chalford saw speed steadily fall to 49. The next mile of 1:74 saw speed fall to 39. The sound was amazing. We crossed Frampton Mansell at 35, speed only falling slowly as the sound echoed around the Golden Valley. We entered Sapperton Long Tunnel at just under 30, and from the beat of the loco, held the speed to the summit in the tunnel. The run down the bank was rapid and we flashed through Kemble at 75 and maxed at 77 a mile after Kemble Tunnel. Speed was held at 75 for 6 miles until Swindon was in sight.

We felt sorry for people who had to leave the train there as we roared out of the station and got to 74 by Uffington before slowing to enter the loop and water at Wantage Road. Unfortunately we were slowed at the road crossing but once out of the loop proper, Ray was a man on a mission again. We roared through Didcot at 62; Cholsey 70; Goring 72; and Pangbourne at 75. I was leaving leaving the train at Reading but the 2337 Pad-Bri beckoned as with we retired folk what does it matter if we don’t get back home until 3 in the morning?

To say it was a good choice was no exaggeration as we blasted away from Reading and got to Twyford in just under 10 minutes. The departure from Twyford had the recorders migrating to the front vestibule. We were up to 60 in just over 7 minutes and were going well until we were slowed for Heathrow Airport Junction and then held for a minute. The recorders returned and speed rose to 57 through Southall, and 71 through Ealing Broadway. Speed was still 59 as we passed Royal Oak and our arrival at Paddington was only a minute and a half behind booked time. The B1 stood at Platform 10 in glorious isolation after a superb day out. Huge thanks to Marcus and Steam Dreams; to David Buck and his support crew for turning out 61306 in such superb condition; and to the Rays and their firemen for getting such good performances from the locomotive. Sorry if this is a bit long but it was a seriously good day.

 

I meant in glorious isolation at Paddington - hope the photo off my phone looks OK.

 

So were you in coach L?

 

Yes.

 

We must have passed each other at some point. She certainly made some lovely sounds.

 

Don't apologise. That was a very good report. Thanks for sharing. <BJ>

 

Great report from The Shireman. Thanks.

 

I wondered if that as the case as the departures from Cardiff, Chepstow and Lydney were cautious by Ray's standards, as though he was getting the measure of the beast. Seems this was the case. From Gloucester onwards it was fireworks all the way in Ray's usual style.

 

Looking at this clip from Gloucester, I wondered whether there was a snag with the sanders.

 

They couldn't get the steam through to power the sanders for a while by the look of your excellent video.

 

61306 during the Gloucester stop.
61306 &#x27;Mayflower&#x27; by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr