End of Southern Steam (RTC) - 9/07/22

No times up for this yet but one thing is sure Weymouth is going to be one busy place for charters that day.
There is a WCRC trip from Birmingham where the ECS goes to Pen Mill, and a Statesman trip from Norwich where the ECS goes to Dorchester South, both diesel of course.
Assuming this tour operates as previous years (LE follows the train later from Pen Mill) that will end up with four additional movements on the Weymouth to Pen Mill route, most of which is single track and prone to late running GWR service trains.
Guess there may be many up at the tunnel with cameras for that lot.

 

Yes, with the WCRC trip slightly misleadingly called 'Weymouth Harbour'.

 

Might be a difficult end to the journey now.
I wonder when the last time (if ever) there have been three charter trains through Poole on a late afternoon/early evening.

 

Nothing on RTT yet, but the RTC web site describes the times shown for this run as "actual times", suggesting they are now set (i.e. 0843 from Victoria, 1005 at Woking, etc.).

 

Tickets sent out last Thursday so presumably R.T.T. just not loaded times

 

1005 is a standard steam pick-up path at Woking, and the second tour of the morning to Weymouth passes almost exactly an hour later at 1106.

 

Northern Belle from Birmingham International and Coventry to Weymouth:
Outward: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63156/2022-07-09/detailed
ECS to Yeovil Pen Mill: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63157/2022-07-09/detailed
Return ECS to Weymouth: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63158/2022-07-09/detailed
Return: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63159/2022-07-09/detailed
Apologies for thread drift.

 

Some confusion on RTT: two of the ECS workings to Dorchester South have the same reporting number 5Z81.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...2022-07-09/0600-2000?stp=S&show=all&order=wtt

Edit: Now explained. I should have realised that those are two entries for the same train.

 

This is same train as I read the schedule goes into Jersey Sidings for servicing after arrival then back to station then to Dorchester as empty stock. Not enough room these days to hold 3 excursions in the Weymouth sidings !

 

Especially if it is like previous years the steam will have to attach to the London end in the sidings and hence both lines would be in use for the steam tour.

 

I should have thought of that.

 

Still no timings?

 

Indeed not, but with other tours on the day having been available for days now. Fingers crossed.

 

Rtc website shows what are stated to be confirmed timings showing Weymouth departure at 1709. How that will work in with SWR trains from Poole onwards have not worked out yet Hopefully we will have times in next couple of days !

 

The last two times this tour ran the outward timings are basically what is shown in the confirmed times (and would actually mean the tour would leave Pen Mill when once the NB ECS arrives which would also align with previous years arrival times.).
However the return at 17:09 is earlier than the 17:39 & 17:40 of the last two runnings. The 2019 tour left 48 late ( I was onboard) and last year 16 late (waiting at Bincombe Tunnel), so 17:09 maybe a "sporty" departure time. Will be interesting to see when the times are published and what happens on the day.

 

STILL no timings on RTT. Am I alone in my unease?

 

NR timings confirmed yesterday afternoon.

 

Hopefully will be uploaded to RTT either this evening or tomorrow evening. Nothing showing as yet.
RTC website still shows Weymouth arrival at 1524 and depart at 1709

 

Seems hardly worth the trip for an hour and a half in Weymouth, although I suppose that for many, the trip itself is the reason for going. I have done a couple of 9th July trips to Weymouth in the past which still managed to have a 3 hour break there so I'm not sure why this is not possible this time. Seems a shame not to have a longer break as Weymouth on a good day is a nice place to be.