If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Whistling Ghost V 17/06/17

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by NathanP, Jun 5, 2017.

  1. Groks212

    Groks212 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2009
    Messages:
    997
    Likes Received:
    761
    Location:
    Nottingham
    Charlie Barber is the one next to Ray Poole in your 5th picture.

    Dave B
     
  2. eggbert

    eggbert Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2011
    Messages:
    273
    Likes Received:
    154
    Occupation:
    IT
    Location:
    Gloucestershire
    IMG_0111.JPG My gf's photo of the Duchess at Hullavington
     
  3. GC Met

    GC Met New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2014
    Messages:
    73
    Likes Received:
    200
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer

    Two shots at Cogload Junction , someone said it would be too warm to see any smoke tonight , how wrong they were !
     
  4. AlexGWR1994

    AlexGWR1994 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2015
    Messages:
    417
    Likes Received:
    1,350
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Bristol
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer


    The Duchess looking absolutely splendid in the evening sunset as she ventures back to Tyseley filmed at Yatton and Winterbourne. Enjoy.
     
  5. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Messages:
    3,619
    Likes Received:
    1,637
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired SPM
    Location:
    Close to Spike Island
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  6. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,283
    Likes Received:
    2,650
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired Rolls-Royce engineer
    Location:
    Bath Green Park / Mangotsfield
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    There were delays at Swindon for the Duchess on both the outward and return legs of it's journey. Those pesky Great Western Railway folk at Swindon are still playing havoc with any train engine without a copper cap. ;) <BJ>
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2017
  7. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    21,072
    Likes Received:
    20,779
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Despite the problems at Swindon - the fire on a train outbound and signalling issues on the return - it was a good day yesterday. The folk on the WSR were slick in handling the charter especially on the return. It only took 15 minutes to change engines at Bishops Lydeard and that included having to sort out a brake problem with the rear coach. (Network Rail - please note.) The Duchess made light work of the 11 coach load and the lively 46 minutes from Taunton to Bristol was just outside even time due largely to a slow approach to BTM. Nevertheless it was a long day for everyone, especially the on-board staff and stewards who will have been with the train back to Tyseley. Andy Taylor and the rest of the crew did well to get the train back into the depot more or less on time. So thanks to all who were involved.

    The way that VT manages their passengers reared its head during the day, if that's not an inappropriate link! It was hot on-board and some people just wanted to be up and about and standing around along the train. Apparently someone had come 'equipped' with goggles and didn't take kindly to being told that he couldn't hang around in a vestibule at a window, as actually would be frowned upon on any steam charter. There is no doubt that VT applies the rules rigidly and far more stringently than other tour operators, including on WCRC's own trains. They clearly would prefer everyone to be seated except when collecting refreshments or visiting the toilets. It sets a tone, not an unpleasant one, but a different one from other steam charters. Everything changed at Bishops Lydeard, of course, although that was ironic, as in a few places the lineside vegetation could have given someone a nasty smack if people were not careful, despite the obvious vegetation maintenance that was apparent on the line. Nobody thought to politely mention that fact to passengers as we enjoyed the Hall blasting along the WSR with its load of nine, no problem. Handling people is a subtle business but also needs to be a consistent one.

    I don't blame VT for applying steam charter rules to their satisfaction. It's their train and people who travel with them have to understand how they will be managed. There is a choice on such matters; the same as those who avoid some charters because of the almost routine involvement of a diesel. At least with VT, steam means steam. :)
     
    gricerdon and Will RL like this.
  8. Will RL

    Will RL Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2017
    Messages:
    714
    Likes Received:
    1,060
    Location:
    Midlands
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    This has certainly got to be one of my longest tours. For those who boarded at Solihull it was nearly 400 miles to the coast and back, and with the delays at Swindon making it over 14 hours onboard. I think we should appreciate the work put in by the staff and volunteers of the day who had the extra distance to Tyseley and still managing to provide an excellent day.

    Given the the Torbay Express has set out with a diesel pilot today we should be glad to have had 11 coaches unassisted in such weather. The return run did see some extended periods running in the mid 70's, however I wouldn't take my GPS's max speed as gospel as I think there was a slight glitch between Bristol Parkway and Wooton Basset.

    IMG_1203.PNG IMG_1195.PNG IMG_1202.PNG
     
  9. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2005
    Messages:
    12,910
    Likes Received:
    1,387
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Birmingham
    Hopefully some sensible allowances would be made in weather like this, Sometimes you have to get to somewhere where you can feel a draught to cool off, Remember we had a guy collapse during the Horseguard parade or whatever it's called due to the heat, So I imagine particularly those not so young would have been feeling a little uncomfortable, Certainly in such conditions other operators will let you stand in a vestibule to get some air providing your not leaning out.
     
  10. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2005
    Messages:
    12,910
    Likes Received:
    1,387
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Birmingham
  11. Selsig

    Selsig Member

    Joined:
    May 6, 2007
    Messages:
    861
    Likes Received:
    365
    Location:
    Coventry, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    It certainly was an extremely long day, but an excellent one, marked mainly for me by my son Dylan's ability to cope with the length of the journey so well (at 16 months it was a bit of a worry), though he got a lot of compliments for his train dungarees as he made yet another circuit of the train. Apologies to anyone who got annoyed by a toddler wandering up and down but we figured it was better than him screaming...

    John
     
  12. NathanP

    NathanP Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2017
    Messages:
    695
    Likes Received:
    820
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Worcester
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I suspect you must have been in coach H with me, as a lot of talk from the female steward (the head steward) revolved around this particular gentleman. Apparently he told her she had 'ruined his day' and he would 'never travel with Vintage Trains again'. There was then some further argy bargy when apparently the steward in another coach told him he could look out of the window if we were stationary, so she then went off to find that steward and have a word with him. It ended with her going off and getting the RAIB report on the Gatwick Express incident last year and reading the specific comments in there about passengers putting heads out of the window. Whilst the handling of the situation could well have been better, both in terms of ensuring consistent messages from the stewards and being a little more understanding because of the heat, for this gentleman to expect to hang out of the window on the mainline all journey wearing his goggles was nothing short of absurd.

    These stewards are all volunteers and without them these trips simply couldn't operate. I'm enormously grateful to them for what they do and I think incidents like the one yesterday are few and far between.


    There were several comments I heard about how well behaved the lad was, considering the length of the journey. I think he was a credit to the next generation of steam charter passengers.
     
  13. The Man

    The Man New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2010
    Messages:
    153
    Likes Received:
    442
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Railwayman
    Location:
    RUGBY
    Phil Cowley was the TI with Ray P on the outward. Me and Dean Morris on return with Pete Collins conducting Westerleigh to Didcot.A
     
  14. Argus

    Argus New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2010
    Messages:
    75
    Likes Received:
    30
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    No fireman on the outward journey then??
     
  15. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2005
    Messages:
    12,910
    Likes Received:
    1,387
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Birmingham
    Think someone upthread said that was Alaistair Meanley.
     
  16. D1059

    D1059 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2008
    Messages:
    421
    Likes Received:
    289
    46233 passing the site of Ashbury Crossing at Shrivenham - the hour delay in Challow loop meant that by the time it got here the sun was impossibly high and harsh and only much jiggery pokery in Photoshop has saved any kind of usable image.
    Glad to hear the rest of the day went OK, despite Network Rails best efforts !!

    [​IMG]The Whistling Ghost V by Stephen Dance, on Flickr
     
  17. eggbert

    eggbert Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2011
    Messages:
    273
    Likes Received:
    154
    Occupation:
    IT
    Location:
    Gloucestershire

    My video effort in the baking heat
     
    Mick45305 likes this.
  18. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2013
    Messages:
    2,882
    Likes Received:
    3,590
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    TBC
    Location:
    Birmingham & Arley
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Great show as usual from the Duchess, the highlights for me, from the lineside were the climb out of the works early morning and the midnight romp up Hatton Bank ! Enjoy :)
     
  19. KristianGWR

    KristianGWR Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2011
    Messages:
    905
    Likes Received:
    1,251
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swindon


    A short shot from yesterday morning. Filmed near Rodbourne, just east of Hullavington.
     
    Mick45305 likes this.
  20. gricerdon

    gricerdon Guest

    He is a smashing little chap and I was amazed at how well he coped. He fell over and hit his head near our table and I expected tears but no he just carried on. I am used to young grandchildren and he was very well behaved indeed for one so young. Believe me.
     

Share This Page