Cathex Salisbury to Canterbury Sat 29th Aug

Indeed I can film it three times before it even gets to clamp ham junction

(don't you just love autocorrect - clamp ham! lol)

 

Indeed some new running there, and a roundabout route back! There has been a movement on RTT from Southall WCR to Willesdon junction for a while, I wondered if that would come into play.

 

Having seen the route, I will be surprised if the diesel does not stay on the back all day. There are some quite severe gradients - Maidstone to Bearstead, the long climb out of Dover to Shepherds Well, and Sole Street. Maybe asking a lot of Mayflower, depending on the load.

 

Mayflower may need some rebuilding before being allowed into deepest SR territory. I think as 36016 would be quite good. Quite a lot of work to do that, but at least we can use the same numbers from Mayflower, but used in a different order.

Back in the real world, yes, Sole Street at least would be quite a nice challenge for the 4-6-0 on ten or eleven cars.

And the schedule both ways Salisbury - Andover is not that easy. 24 minutes and 21 minutes.

 

The watering schedule is interesting. West Byfleet to Barming? Newington to Willesden?

 

why is there a 30 minute stop at basingstoke on the outward leg

 

Dunno? can they water on plat 4 at Basingstoke? Assuming first watering is at WB, where they did Braunton.

 

ECS Southall to Salisbury - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50518/2015/08/29/advanced
Salisbury to Canterbury - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50519/2015/08/29/advanced
Faffing around at Canterbury -http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50520/2015/08/29/advanced
-http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50521/2015/08/29/advanced
Canterbury to Salisbury - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50522/2015/08/29/advanced
loco only Willesden to Southall WCR - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50523/2015/08/29/advanced

 

Good heavens, a water stop at Barming. I suppose I could walk over there to watch. And join the thronged masses of the local populace: all 3 of them, unless they've done any house building there recently.

But not for THAT class of loco on the Southern Region of British Railways.

 

So if there is a problem before the train leaves Salisbury it will be in order for any complainants to be told, "on yer bike".

Disclaimer
For the avoidance of doubt I do not hope for any problems and I wish all on board and all involved in running the train, especially any serving wenches on board, a very happy, fulfilling and totally trouble free day. And that the rather slow schedule allows plenty of time for gazing at the wonderful sights passed on the way and to enjoy the delights of crisp white table linen etc. Enjoying the sights even in Clapham, but hopefully not views that correspond with certain aspects of local life covered in Nell Dunn's excellent book "Up The Junction". Being a Saturday and not a Friday presumably the local young ladies will all be wearing full under garment cover, if I remember that passage of the book correctly. So there should be no need for Smallhausen or indeed anyone else on the train to avert their eyes.

 

go on, you know you want to

 

LOL!

 

47.760 acting as rear gunner today. <BJ>

 

Change to schedule going on now due west byfleet 10:15 and the water
hose is out for a fill up

Edit rumour mill there suggested held at Woking as road tanker was late.

 

Yes I agree Al, but a B1 on what I guess is a commercially necessary load will be a much safer bet with a heritage diesel lok on the rear considering some of the grades today.

I suppose it's easy for me to say that these days now that it looks like, with perhaps very few exceptions in the future maybe, my steam timing days are now over.

Won't go over to the Barming water stop. Someone from Nat Pres may be filming there and get an incriminating shot of me next to a non SR loco on the wonderful Southern Region of British Railways.

 

So, you sneaked back into the country.....

 

LOL!

Not just the country, back to planet earth first.

 

Bimbling through Winchfield with a mocking touch of the hoped-for sunshine

 

Well I have just watched it a powering up the hill through sheperdswell, the 47 on the back a mere parasite hanging on for the ride. Spoke to the crew at Faversham, all of them beaming with delight for hauling back a 30 minute delay, and they confirm the Woking/West Byfleet hoo ha was the late arrival of Gungadin. They also cofirmed Mayflower is booked for next Wednesdays Dorset Coast Express. They also dthink they have cracked the mudhole door problem