B1 61306 Paddington - Bristol. Sunday, 29th November, 2015

Because its been the "always available, more or less totally reliable, get you out the schieße, thank god for Mayflower" loco. Had it not been, southern steam would have been totally decimated this year.

 

My footage of Mayflower along The Kennet and Avon Canal near Crofton in the strong winds.

 

That would make perfect sense, were it not for yesterday's Marches trip where the diesel similarly provided necessary assistance some of the time but from the back.

 

My footage of Mayflower storming through Keynsham tonight.

 

Is that spelt K-E-Y-N-S-H-A-M?

 

Should've gone to Specsavers. <BJ>

 

Not our best video but going well at Chippenham this evening....

 

Aarrgghh!
Something to do with Radio Luxembourg? I haven't heard "spelt K E Y N S H A M" for flipping years!

 

Dredging my memory Horace Batchelor? Some sort of scam for winning the football pools.

 

I believe you are right, but his method was mentioned by The Bonzo Dog Band.

http://www.bonzodog.org/bonzos/keynsham.htm

 

Just to underscore the points being made about Mayflower's busy schedule of main line appearances this year, today's outing will have been the 23rd, no less; and with a further six that are planned for December (5 x SD/ 1 x RTC), the overall tally for the year will surely surpass everything outside the collective of the repeat itinerary committed locomotives i.e. the Jacobite trio and the Carnforth stable that supports the Dalesman/Fellsman season.

Which probably means that, yes, Mayflower may well indeed hold this year's record for assisted outings, at 13 in total. But the ten that weren't isn't too shabby a figure either, definitely rivalling most other possible contenders .

So its difficult to imagine what the main line steam scene in the south would have looked like this year without Mayflower's massive contribution - "totally decimated" is no understatement. But the real question now is - just what does 2016 hold in store pending any potential contribution from returnees/ re-entrants e.g. 6201. I gather Mayflower is likely to be out of commission for a couple of months due to planned maintenance at NNR. Lets hope that its return isn't long delayed!

 

The Infra-Draw method!!

 

Pffttt A 47 is sometimes better turned out than some of the tatty POBs around!

 

Horace Bachelor had a 15 mins(?) slot on Radio Luxembourg with the Deep River Boys to promote his method for winning the pools.

 

Correct. Once heard (or maybe 100 times heard!), never forgotten.
Happy days, listening to Radio Luxembourg on a Philips 'tranny' under the bed clothes.

 

Which is the RTC trip?

 

Bonzos still around and creating havoc. Saw them a couple of years back as '3 bonzos and a piano'
http://www.theo2.co.uk/events/detail/the-bonzo-dog-doo-dah-band

 

Quite agree. we did 3 excellent runs with her, 1st March with 9; then the Oxford-Kingswear and Paddington-Stratford with 10. I would have thought her well capable of 11 on routes like yesterday where there were only relatively gentle banks like Savernake. Guess the issue is on the GWML and probably more to the time she takes to get anywhere near 75. Even on Sundays it is hardly a quiet railway. I just hope with the big engines coming back next year (????) there will still be work for her. Personally I'd pay a premium on fares for 10 coach loadings to travel behind her.