Bahamas 2021 Railtours

Could you expand on that?

 

"Operational reasons" covers a vast number of things.

 

45596 has steadily lost time to be 21 late at Basingstoke. Is all OK - is it just service delays?

 

I don’t ever recall a single DCE ever running to time south of woking... and we’ve had everything from Britannias to Bulleids and Jubilees. Everything is probably fine.

James

 

Back on time after Southampton, just service checks before. Lovely sprint between Basingstoke and Eastleigh.

 

Both down lines had blocks between Byfleet & New Haw & West Byfleet for about 5 minutes. No idea why

Anyway here is Bahamas joining the SW main line at Byfleet Junction

 

Whoops! Nothing from the Swanage Railway on the front later today, then.

 

I imagine it's a fair assumption that the rest of the season's DCEs will feature diesel at at least one end from Weymouth?

 

Possible fire risk traversing the New Forest perchance ?

 

You must be joking. Current fire risk is -1.5 and it has rained in the area on most days in the last fortnight

 

Arriving at Bournemouth yesterday and on the back waiting to head off to Southampton during the return leg.
Had the U been involved the climb out of Weymouth could have been very interesting (and noisy) as it has rained most of the 3 hours the tour spent there.

 

One of the wettest summers in recent years/decades would seem to point firmly away from that.

 

Nice shots. The heavy rain would probably not have presented any adhesion problems as the rails would have been washed clean rather than made slippery by drizzle.

 

Not sure what it may be now, (although yesterday was really the only wet day this week and then really only from about 1130 to 1700) but at the start of the week fire risk was still high down here on the Swanage Railway. Not sure if there has been more rain in the New Forest than Purbeck.
There was a fire on Corfe Common as I drove to Wareham yesterday, it may well have been a controlled burn, but may have been railway related.

 

Another great filming outing with Bahamas on yesterday's Dorset Coast Express run, seen at Wandsworth Town, Farnborough, accelerating away from Southampton, followed by Andover with it pushing its 75mph limit, and Barnes Bridge:

 

Back under Victoria's rather nicely restored overall roof last night after a great run with Driver Bill Monteith on the regulator again. Arrival on time despite being held at Longhedge Junction for a freight to cross our path. Thanks to all those who bought raffle tickets and for all the kind comments about the engine.

 

Good d.o.f. there - fine shot.

 

Thanks, it's one of the advantages of a full frame camera. The D800 has a 14 stop dynamic range at 100 ISO so I could use a fairly stopped down aperture, seriously under expose the dark bits and restore them in PS.

 

My plea for a return trip down south in 2022 (even if you have said on page 3 of this thread that it's a tall order) is perhaps a reflection of the very favourable impression 45596 has created down here and also a personal desire to travel behind it on the main line, which for various reasons wasn't possible this year. Still, I do realise that it's not much fun for support crews sleeping in a carriage next to the busy GW main line, but the efforts made in enabling this fine loco to operate a long way from where most of them live has been most appreciated

 

I think if you asked the support crew last night they would have given you a two word answer but with a good night's sleep and a few beers things look a bit different!