Devon Belle A1SLT/ UKRT 2nd April

Pity about the slow schedule to Basingstoke. Was rather hoping Waterloo - Salisbury would have the same schedule as laid down for Braunton on 13/09/2014 but brought forward by 2 hours and with a stop at Basingstoke from say 08.44 - 08.46. FWIW the schedule laid down for Braunton was:-


London Waterloo d 09:55 Clapham Jn 10:03 Surbiton 10:12 Woking 10:23 Farnborough 10:33 Basingstoke 10:43 Andover 11:10 Salisbury a 11:33


This tour left from plat 19 at Waterloo so had a bit of a weave to gain the down fast but was through Basingstoke in 46m 58s despite a slight tsr at Brookwood. It then inevitably caught up the 09.50 Waterloo - Salisbury which is all-stations after Basingstoke.


When all the works are finished at Waterloo the Windsor line trains will be in the International plats 20-24 so plat 19 will be a lot more convenient for the down fast! Only 3 years to wait...

 

That's good news. Looking forward to a good trip out as I've treated myself for my 68th birthday, 2 nights in London, 1st class train travel there and back (cost less than a standard class return ), and full dining on the day, just hope the weather behaves.

Be my first steam trip since late 2014 but hopefully not the last this year.

Dave B

 

Enjoy it!

 

The Tornado/UKR trips are an absolute treat. You will have a great day.

 

It might appear to be slow to Basingstoke but that's not necessarily the case Woking to Basingstoke. Tornado appears to have been allowed 22 minutes including the crossover from SL to FL at Woking* and FL to SL at Basingstoke (*RTT shows crossing to the FL from Surbiton but then Platform 5 at Woking, which is the SL). The fast electric 444s to Weymouth are allowed 18 minutes, no crossovers and no stopping at Basingstoke either. On leaving Woking, there is a scheduled Exeter train just 6 minutes behind Tornado, reduced to 4 minutes by Farnborough and 3 minutes by Basingstoke. No margin there for any delay.

 

I am quite sure the A1ST crew and DBS will be on top form as always for this excursion, they seem to make a habit of it!!

 

Yes, a ringing endorsement for both of these very positive views of what’s on offer with the Devon Belle. And for that very reason I do sometimes wish that UK Railtours would push the boat out just a little bit further with the number of steam trips that they offer. Nothing too dramatic, mind, and nothing that would add up to over-exposure for a justifiably acclaimed “product”. Perhaps something along the lines of a re-run of 2014’s “Solent and Sarum” would make a great start??

But in the meantime, who would argue with an outing specifically promoted under the strap-line “A Tornado in the Land of the Three Cylinder Pacifics”. This will be only my second trip along the entirety of the Waterloo-Exeter line (the first having been with Hoover haulage some 26 years ago) and the pleasure of anticipation of this trip is right up there with the best of the best.

I take further encouragement (if any was needed) from Big Al’s post summing up of the last (August 2014) Devon Belle outing with Tornado when he wrote. “You just have to pinch yourself when any DBS crew accelerates Tornado away. It is as if a turbo kicks in after the train has started to pick up speed. It's exactly the kind of performance that you need on a busy main line…………..Tornado is definitely a tribute to the engineering design and tweaks that were made when she was built (WCR please note) and I'll go again with her whatever the colour she is painted”.

Final thought on the theme of locomotive performance in "The Land of the "Three Cylinder Pacifics" ….

I seem to recall reading over the last month or so that, UK Railtours may getting together with MNLPS to hatch plans for some sort of 50th Anniversary “End of Southern Steam” spectacular next year, always assuming Clan Line’s overhaul is completed in good time. MNLPS-DBS-UKRT…a coalition of the mighty indeed!! But if (or when) this does materialise as a railtour, what a great forum this would make for an on-board book-signing event. “Southern” has never really been my thing, but I would definitely go out of my way to make an exception for this!!

 

As was the case when Fred Lewis was in charge of Tornado on 14th February of this year. It was Fred's final steam turn.
The UKRT charter was returning from Worcester to Padd via Bath and proved to be a fantastic run. <BJ>

 

And in case this hadn't already come to everyone's notice, Mike Hedderly's "Top Link" column in the next issue of Steam Railway (#453 out 22nd April) will be featuring this much-praised return leg of the Red Rose (complementing the excellent coverage devoted to the outward leg via Oxford that has appeared in this month's issue). It should certainly prove to be an impressive valedictory.

 

A while ago we did Edinburgh to York with Tornado, and I back up the comments above, from a start to 75mph, she is the master of her task.

Built for the modern mainline, performs almost faultlessly, operated by crews fully conversant with her.

From that perspective the A1ST have it very right, in terms of operation and TOC used.

 

Which will also help rid itself of the 'Yawnado' tag....

 

I can only assume that those who refer to 60163 as "Yawnado" do not appreciate what a fine pice of engineering she is nor experienced her at her imperious best.

 

If you want to see superb engineering, immaculately prepared and turned out, and watch effortless performance with minimum of fuss and drama, then Tornado is the one to follow.

 

Well said to all above, except one "clem", the Tornado/DBS link is a proven performer, something others can only hope to emulate.

And no diesel accompanying, and good schedules, fast running, in the knowledge that her crew, and the loco, can deliver on a modern railway.

Long may it stay that way, with familiarity comes a good day out for all, and not left in some backwater for hours awaiting a path, after loosing it due to "circumstances".

Hope everybody has a good day out, you know they will, its become the norm with this operation.

 

No finer example of this than the Paddington to Kingswear trip on 23rd March 2013. Minor problem fixed by the support crew (air pump I think) that meant it left Slough around an hour late. You could see by the way it left Slough that it was on a mission. Arrived early at Kingswear. A pleasure to see it, anytime.

 

Thanks, I'm sure we will, my first steam out of Waterloo and the LSWR to Exeter, the proper way ! The nearest I have been previously is E&C Marylebone-Clapham Jct 34092, where they stuck a Crompton on the front to drag us to Woking for the 150 celebrations

 

Well said everyone. When the project was announced I couldn't understand why anyone would want to build Blue Peter with big wheels, however the engineering that's gone into it and it's performance inspired me to become a founder of the P2. The one they always should have built, Tornado was the trial run.
Anyone who calls it Yawnado should have been at Shere Crossing on March 12 watching it romping up Gomshall Bank with 13 heavy Pullmans behind the tender