60009 - West Somerset Express: 12/08/17

The run up past Crofton

 

My shots of the Streak at Upton Noble and Cole near the old S & D line, including a sped up shot of what she should have been doing yesterday evening. Enjoy.

 

It has been done - I remember travelling on the West Somerset Express with Tangmere a few years ago. It worked right through to Minehead although piloted by 53808. Not sure how long the layover at Minehead was but there can't have been more than 2 hours for servicing. It's definitely not the preferred option these days - the mainline loco always seems to come off at BL or even at Norton.

 

WSR very kindly allowed anybody who didn't care for 47 haulage to use their manor hauled service train instead and it put up fine performance both way so no complaints from me!

 

I understood that whilst the support crew were prepared for USA to have gone to Minehead it is too heavy for the turntable, (rather than too long) so the best was made of the situation. It was lucky that the WSR do have one air braked diesel otherwise the pub in BL may have been very busy that afternoon. The WSR should be praised for finding a driver for it a short notice and bringing it down to BL, as my father who was in the morning said it arrived double headed with the 4F on a service train. Guess it was either at Minehead or Williton. Also an excellent gesture to let passengers ride FOC on their own service, one of which they had already retimed to accommodate the tour anyway.
Interesting that most passengers seemed quitter fine with the situation, more concern was over the possibility of a group of Reading passengers not making the last train to Basingstoke and if they did not they seemed to think it was the responsibility of the tour to get them home. Funny if I book a Wareham to London return and SWT are late it is hardly down to them to get me back to Swanage if I miss the last bus is it!
Ralph W that explained a day in the life of a steward accurately. Nice to get chance for a sit down lunch for once.

 

Well said Ralph. I volunteer in a number of different capacities, not all steam/rail-related, and I can say without doubt that my solitary (so far) stewarding venture was by far the longest and hardest day in my 40-plus years experience. This includes p/way work etc

 

I echo the comments about number 9 sounding fantastic at Crofton - accelerating hard after signal checks before Bedwyn waiting for a Turbo to cross into the turnback siding

Unfortunately she was on time Could have done with another 10 mins so the sun was out. Had to resort to B&W otherwise the loco disappeared into the scenery

Black and White A4 by Stephen Dance, on Flickr

 

Lovely shot D1059.
I guess a Black British India Line is less likely to merge in with the trees in the background! (waits for cries of derision!)

 

I think the only loco that wouldn't have disappeared into the scenery in the light we had available that morning would be Galatea !!

I'll get me coat !

 

Indeed. A big thank-you is certainly needed to the two DEPG volunteers who rushed up to Minehead and started D1661 in time to replace 53808 (the charter loco) as pilot to the 4F on the 1010 from Minehead. And to the WSR's quick thinking on Saturday morning when made aware of the approaching issue. Running the A4 through to Minehead at such short notice was a no no as a large loco would need gauging and weight checking by the civil engineer (and before anyone says, just because x class of large loco ran on the line y years ago does not mean it can run now without appropriate checks.....).