Steam Dreams 2019 - New Summer and other tours

A double header. With a possible steam ban it will be interesting to see where they stick the diesel!

 

Seriously though. Would Steam Dreams run this trip with three locomotives and three crews? Probably end up cancelled or diesel hauled.

 

I hope not, the weather forecast looks wet and alot cooler this week so fingers crossed it runs double headed.

 

Any news on today’s Windsor trip?

Thanks

 

They'll need a diesel on the rear as in the timings the whole train is being turned on Newport's Maindee Triangle. It will then be diesel hauled to Cardiff. Then the train is being towed to the Barry Tourist Railway for the layover. That's the WCR way. They don't use Cardiff Canton Sidings for the layover and servicing and then turn the locomotive(s) on the triangle.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55487/2019/08/01/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55488/2019/08/01/advanced

 

I thought I had read on a different forum that it is now no longer possible to use the triangle, hence the need to turn at Maindee. Not sure if that is true or not.

 

That's the triangle around Cardiff Canton. The locomotives have to go from Cardiff to Maindee to turn as happened on both Saphos Trains' Welsh Marches Expresses on 4th May and 20th July.

 

In the morning a train arrives at Paddington just four minutes after the charter departs. There's no time for a light engine departure to Southall. <BJ>

 

At least we shouldn't have to worry about the diesel assisting with 2 steam locos at the front

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55487/2019/08/01/advanced shows the train going to Maindee East, then North, then West. I can't make sense of that, as it would leave the train still the same way round.

Edit: Blame brain glitch. I was somehow thinking that the train would be approaching from the north, whereas of course it arrives via Chepstow, so makes a single reversal at Maindee North.

 

I think you'll find that if the train is turned on all three points of a triangle ie. Maindee east, north and west, the train will have been turned.

The link you gave is not for the turn at Newport by the way. <BJ>

 

Yesterday's Windsor and Sunset Steam Express runs

 

Todays Royal Windsor Steam Express and Sunset Steam Express runs, hauled by 61306 Mayflower. Black 5 44871 was due to haul this for the last time but mvoed to Scotland a few days ago. Every clip has Mayflower powering!

 

Really nice afternoon and evening yesterday following the Royal Windsor and Sunset Steam tours, Mayflower working hard on every clip. Wraysbury, Virginia Water, Chertsey and Gomshall...

 

Mayflower & Jim Martin at Wraysbury yesterday...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/48480928897/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/48480772086/in/dateposted-public/

 

Video from Chertsey and Purley last night and a pair of photos in the fading light at Chertsey. Not long from now, it'll be dark for the water stop there...

 

61306 and 33207 out and about today again for the Windsor and Surrey Hills trains. Seen passing over Richmond Bridge around 5 mins late on the evening circular.

 

Lovely sound of the B1 as it accelerated through Redhill station to attack the climb towards Merstham. 33207 just ticking over.

 

Can a light loco not 'bank' to the platform end and depart once it gets a yellow, as is done elsewhere? Surely that is achievable in about 1.5 minutes (given the close signal spacing at Paddington), leaving 2.5 for the incoming train. Academic now, but do-able?

 

Here are the times for tomorrows trip to Weymouth from West Brompton. As ever Mayflower is motive power, with diesel on the rear for the Weymouth to Eastleigh section.

Outward
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U52333/2019/08/15/advanced

Return
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U52336/2019/08/15/advanced