Weymouth & Bournemouth steam: July 2021

Checking the platform clearance at West Byfleet! Cropped severely, hence (lack of) quality.

 

35018 seemed to have been held back all morning as there was little noise from her (I didn't even hear a whistle) and little exhaust and not just because it was hot. She arrived in Weymouth 88 minutes down, despite having nothing in front of her after Woking.

 

What’s the point in lots of noise if the engine is being checked every 5 minutes? Oh that’s right, there isn’t a point.

James

 

All was perhaps not as it seemed with the timekeeping on the down run. 35018 was certainly from what I saw on the maps heavily checked at Basingstoke to allow other trains to get ahead with all the disruption from the broken rail at Micheldever. Then held to await her turn on the single line past Micheldever. By then almost 50 late. Was delayed at Southampton for other service trains to get ahead and then again a long delay at Poole for 2 trains to overtake

 

Apart from a broken rail at Wallers Ash meaning some wrong line running. When steam loses its path its usually totally stuffed

 

47245 and 35018 on way back to London over top of Parkstone bank at 1753 having halved late start from Weymouth due to the earlier very late arrival

35018 to lead from Southampton via Andover

 

With BIL in tow is the train limited to 60mph? The 47 is losing time with nothing ahead of it now at Brockenhurst and I'm wondering it's hampered by a 60 limit.

 

Think it may be 75mph limit with steam loco being towed if the loco is passed for 75 running but not sure. Certainly I think would be 60 mph with a 60 mph limited loco

looking at the schedule I think it is tighter timings east of Bournemouth than west of Bournemouth so that may also contribute

 

Yes, and there is no pathing allowance at all from now on to Woking, with BIL 20 down at Romsey. I was thinking about a quick trip to Woking by train from Dorking via Guildford (as the connections happen to work well there and back), but 20 late will break my North Downs connection too painfully late on a Saturday evening! Was hoping to see BIL roar through Woking, whistle screaming (or creeping through almost unnoticed, depending on the state of the line then!).

 

60mph is the limit on tender locos being towed in reverse.

 

I did think this was the case but wasn't sure. The 47 didn't get a chance to make up time really other than the 18 minutes or so of various pathing allowances on that stretch.

 

RH has a note proudly saying they've finally corrected the Waterloo departure on the 9th to Victoria...but it's still shown as via Weybridge. Only one thing at a time.

 

Thanks for the confirmation of the speed limit!

 

RTT shows what might be a 'spirited' run up the 'racing stretch', back to only 14 down now!

 

It was certainly hammering through Fleet on the return trip. I videoed both the down and up trains there and the resultant footage is now on my YouTube channel. If anyone would like to have a look, here's the link:



Hope you like it.

TTFN,

Ron.

 

Just a pity that it was held outside of Brookwood for a service train that should've been behind it. It was great watching it on Open Train Times make up the minutes!

 

35018 on yesterday's run, seen at Wandsworth Town and Woking on the outward, and climbing the gradient into Barnes Bridge on the return

 

Agreed re. making up time, but it was still 15 or so late. I would say it was correctly held before Pirbright Jn to allow the Alton/Waterloo service train to precede it, and make it's booked call at Brookwood on time at 2046, had that not happened the service train would have been delayed 15 or 20 min. behind it.

 

Unfortunately it does not look like it was much of an "Express" yesterday. I wonder if the other two SR Anniversary runs this week with 60163 and 35018 are going to be affected in the same way by the the problem at Micheldever?

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