LSL diesel railtour. 6/12/20

When you're getting as desperate as I am to see a steam charter, the next best thing is a pair of English Electric diesels. <BJ>

RTT info gives traction as 37.521 and 37.667.

5Z37 Crewe HS - Oxford via Coventry and Leamington Spa:
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U91059/2020-12-06/detailed

1Z37Oxford - Crewe via Bristol Parkway and Hereford:
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U91060/2020-12-06/detailed

1Z38 Crewe - Oxford via Tyseley and Leamington Spa:
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U91063/2020-12-06/detailed

5Z38 Oxford - Crewe HS via Leamington Spa and Coventry:
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U91064/2020-12-06/detailed

 

Route learning?

 

Not as a class 1. I’m of the understanding it’s a private charter.

 

It is a private charter: thumbs up


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Immaculate class 37 locos D6817 and D6851 in BR green seen passing Westerleigh Jn. at 12:43.
6 coaches (5 in crimson and cream). A dozen coaches would have been preferable making the English Electric blast a little louder. <BJ>

 

They don’t look right in green in that condition though do they? If that was my little empire I’d be breaking out the cans of paint for triple grey or railfreight red stripe. (2 of my favourite livery’s on a refurb tractor)

 

Double-headed 37s in BR green remind me of the series of non-stop high speed 'timing' tests between Bristol, Bath and Paddington in 1966 ....yes, I do recall seeing them as a nipper.

Reading about this today produced the following :

''The locos were temporarily fitted with spare Deltic bogies geared for higher speed operation. Stock was mk1s with B4 bogies off the Bristolian, 105mph+ was apparently achieved, and some of the information gained used in compiling the HST timetable a decade later''.

''The EE Type 3 diesels had a permitted top speed of 90 MPH, but worthy of note is a short-lived project pioneered by the Western Region. From 18th April 1966, the WR trialled a new high-speed service to reduce journey times between Paddington and Bristol. This involved modifying eighteen locomotives for 100 MPH running, and these would double-head on services. Evidently, the system was not a success, for it did not last beyond 1966. After its cessation, the services were assumed by a single Class 47 operating to the original 90 MPH speed limit''.

Locomotives Converted: Nos. D6875 to D6892

Double-Headed Services:

08:20 Swindon to Paddington

08:45 Paddington to Bristol

11:15 Bristol to Paddington

12:45 Paddington to Bristol

14:45 Paddington to Bristol

16:15 Bristol to Paddington

18:15 Bristol to Paddington

<BJ>

 

The immaculate 67s passing Leiminster South signalbox in this afternoon's gloom. Nice to see Pullman car Pegasus in the train too.

 

Erm, 37s passing Leominster, sorry about that...

 

Fat fingers?

 

Yes...and being summoned for dinner with a half of Landlord...

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/164039623@N04/

 

So why does RTT show it as ECS?

 

I read it as
- Crewe - Oxford (ECS- 5Z)
- Oxford - Crewe - Oxford (charter - 1Z)
- Oxford - Crewe (ECS - 5Z)

 

Ah yes of course. I should have looked more carefully.

 

TBF Al if that’s a luxury private charter Id guess the Mk2’s are for catering/staff, and the Mk1 thoughtfully marshalled on the back is to provide the power and heat to those awful Mk2s (Until LSL invests in some of those nice 37/4s)