Devon Belle A1SLT/ UKRT 2nd April

Well, it seemed like most of Frome turned out for the water stop/

The exterior of some of the coaches was a bit tatty though

 

I have to say thats a bit of a strange comment. I had no idea it would rock up with a GWR headcode, and was mystified that to bore no resemblance to its real headcode, but I can't say it would ever have made me less delighted. Mind I quite like the unusual, and I hadn't traveled far.

 

We all get different things out of heritage / preservation. Some like to step back to their youth. Some just like the sound and sight of a steam loco, either in preservation or at speed on the main line, or even a heritage diesel . I like those moments when it is as if you have stepped back to 1950, 1940, or 1930, so things that disturb that, e.g., excessive orange Hi-Vis, worn for no particular purpose on platforms, or non-period headboards, spoil that impression for me.

Robin

 

If you go to photograph a train then you accept what comes and only have the right to moan if you've put in money for the privilege, e.g. a charter. In this case there was as good reason for what was done, in memory of someone whose doen more for railway preservation than most of the rest of us.

 

Well you don't go out to see a a 21st century loco, running on a live active 21st century railway expecting to see a historically accurate scene from the 50s now do you.

 

To conclude. RDG to CLJ 88m 52s. Yes really. Despite 9 late off Reading. Bonkers path. More thought needed next time please.

61 mph in the Winnersh dip and again just after Ascot. Then utter tedium.

CLJ to Vic in 19m 20s. We didn't quite reach 75....

But all in all a good if not spectacular day.

Log will appear in due course.

 

That two minute dash up the climb out of Ascot must have been quite interesting tho.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but Tornado attempts (with great success) to bring back to life a lost 1949 loco design? Not project forward to what steam locos would have looked like if built new in 2008.

And today's train was all Mark 1 coaches, so also 1950's design?

Robin

 

Oh well we will just ignore all the high intensity lights stuck all over the front of the thing shall we? Oh and the inaccurate colour schemes. Oh and try to block out all the 1990s EMUs, and the high intensity triple aspect led signalling, the lack of telegraph wires, and the modern station facias, and and and. Be sensible, stop digging and gracefully admit it was a bit of an insensitive comment that has little valid foundation.

 

Don't forget the 60's Robin...

 

I started with a question, and expressed a view, from my perspective, hopefully not insensitively. Mr Towell was clearly a special chap, important to many folk, but entirely unknown to me, until today.

Take a look at the videos posted on this thread. The contributors have, in the vast majority, chosen locations which minimise the intrusion of the 21st century into the scene they are videoing or photographing. The have done that by generally avoiding the very features you have named.

On heritage railways an issue that we have to manage sensitively, is the need for folk to mark the passing of individuals special to them, without turning every item in public places on the railway into some form of memorial. Not all visitors find memorial plaques on station items entirely comfortable, nor would you have found them on the prototypical stations that we are trying to recreate. That is a difficult balance to strike, but we don't help strike that balance by not discussing the issue. Our solution here on the WSR is to have a memorial stone in the station garden at Stogumber, a very beautiful and peaceful place, to which memorial plaques can be fixed, which appears to achieve that balance successfully.

kind regards

Robin

 

A particularly unfortunate decade, especially 1963, at Dartford West Hill Hospital maternity unit

Robin

 

If you remember the 60s you wernt there

 

Clearly it's something that means a lot to you, I suggest you bring it up at the A1ST AGM?

 

See what I mean about threads descending into nonsense ?!?


Looks like the A1 had a lovely day out - very much regretting not booking on this when I was given a 'pass' to do so by the missus!!

Just as a side issue - if I am lucky enough to get a headboard on the front of a train when I pass away - if someone moans about it I would come back as a ghost and haunt them on purpose!!!

 

Thanks to the gents travelling on the train for their numerous updates and information regarding the Devon Belle.

Unfortunately I was not able to see the train and so I really appreciate learning of how the train progressed.
It sounds as if it was a very good run for Tornado and the A1 steam trust. The report made very interesting reading.

Many thanks once again. <BJ>

 

It is sometimes possible to do things to improve pathing, even on the day.

When the Hastings Unit last came to Minehead, we were given timings that required less than an hour at Minehead between arrival and departure. Careful examination of the pathing showed significant slackness in the timing, and intensive discussions with the relevant control offices and HDL ensued to ensure that if a better path was available on the day it was offered, and if the driver had green lights he 'went'. This all worked out, and that meant that arrival at Bishops Lydeard more than 30 minutes up on schedule. The participants were then able to change into the preceding steam service, had considerably more time at Minehead and/or the rare opportunity of photographing their own train arriving at destination.

These opportunities do become rarer as the network becomes busier, however.

Robin

 

I am told that comments about the coal were overheard by another NP member at the Frome stop