Steam Dreams 2021

Powering over the River Nene on the outward run

 

Returning from Lincoln passing Dunston.

 

Yesterday's Lincoln trip, crossing the River Nene and passing Lincoln Road in the evening sunlight:

 

Updated 3/9:

Timings are now available for the Welsh Dragon tour of 4th - 8th Sept. <BJ>

Sat. 4/9
Realtime Trains - 1Z80 0859 London Paddington to Gloucester
Realtime Trains - 1Z82 1526 Gloucester to Shrewsbury
Note: I assume tour to run top 'n tail as no light engine movement from Padd to Southall.

https://www.steamdreams.co.uk/page.php?pageid=12

 

Those day two timings are rather chaotic !

 

According to the website there will also be :-

THE SANTA STEAM EXPRESS 2021 NEW!
and
CHRISTMAS STEAM EXPRESS 2021 NEW!

 

The Welsh Dragon, 61306 Mayflower, 4th September 2021.

Filmed at Cholsey and Kemble.

 

From the website "
** Please Note that due to circumstances beyond our control the planned route from Shrewsbury to Pwllheli for today's journey has had to be amended and we are now travelling from Shrewsbury to Crewe as a one way journey. It has not been possible to use the Class 97 diesel locomotives on the revised route and we will be using Class 47 diesel locomotives instead.

Earlier this week a lorry hit a railway bridge at Machynlleth in Powys and became stuck under the bridge. This has caused the track over the bridge to move as a result of the accident and it is no longer possible for our diesel hauled train to pass over the bridge."

The return to London on day 5 will now be double headed from Crewe.

 

..... and what is everyone supposed to do after a one-way trip to Crewe? Are they taking people by bus to Wales or something? Would have thought it would make more sense to continue to Llandudno or Bangor or whatever.

 

Engineering work has the coast line shut after Chester so yes a nearly 5 hour trip from Shrewsbury to Crewe and then a bus to Wales

Andrew

 

What on earth is the point of a 5 hour diesel hauled trip to Crewe when the direct route takes less than an hour - of is that shut too?

Wouldn't be so bad if it was steam hauled but I see that Mayflower has disappeared off to Crewe tonight - the quick way.

 

Presumably for dining.

 

All a bit of Sxxt show just like its timetable over the Marches, missing out Cwmbran then its over stay at Hereford and then a random signal check at Moreton On Lugg, which the driver was not happy about. Oh and not forgetting the full thrash from the rear up to Church Stretton ! Passengers get my sympathy.

 

Yes it is for the dining but there are other issues as well.

Firstly the diners have paid for that dinner, if it isn't served on the train where would you be able to feed 200 people at short notice on Wales in a Sunday evening?

Running road coaches was checked but none were available at short notice to get to Shrewsbury any earlier than Crewe this evening leaving the same issue with getting to Wales late but with 5 more hours to fill in Shrewsbury. Bleanau was approved until the engineering work was found.

The 16 non dining passenger were offered the option of crowding onto a 158 which some have taken to go to Porthmadog.

Not a great trip but at least it is running - sort of.

 

61306 approaching the Leominster stop.
I had hoped to do better on the Marches, but you can thank TfW for the late departure from Hereford due to the late running Camarthen to Manchester train which preceded the special.
If the train was checked at Moreton on Lugg it just underlines the inflexibility in our railway network these days with loops and signalling seemingly at a bare minimum.

 

Thanks, you beat me to it, nice to chat at the site!
I'd assumed the otherwise strange omission of the Cwmbran stop would mean they'd skip the Hereford one too and procede direct to watering thereby running ahead of the late service train.

 

Much better option - at least they get to do the Cambrian Coast line which should have been the highlight of the trip even though steam is sadly no longer possible along there. Once in Porthmadog of course there is plenty of steam with the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland lines - visited a couple of months ago and even my wife was impressed !