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

Sounded phenomenal through upwey station, despite the delay Clan Line doing all the work with the diesel at most taking its own weight, sounded like a brilliant climb!

 

Lost a couple of minutes to Dorchester and now on way to Moreton - waiting to see if they get looped as scheduled at Wool

 

Absolutely stonker of a climb out of Weymouth- no diesel intervention that I noticed from coach B, which is second from the rear of the consist.

 

Yes it is and there won’t be much scope for reducing it. Bells and Twotones are sorely missed

 

Through Wool according to OTT maps without stopping

 

According to RTT, the 30 minute stop at Soton UGL is now only 3 minutes.

 

Shown as 'pass' on RTT.

 

It is and it will be needed after 65+ miles, probably 3000+ gallons to be taken, more if they didn't top up at Weymouth.

Cheers, Neil

PS Basingstoke is also a water stop, to ensure a full tank running into the London area. The loco and support crew have a trip to Willesden SWS on the rear of the ECS before heading back to Stewarts Lane. ( Willesden SWS is probably the easiest location to detach 35028 and Mercator. It's not got 3rd rails for staff safety, but has some lighting from outside the railway boundary.)

Cheers, Neil

 

Which locos please. Photographed them this morning but going very fast so could not see them loco numbers

 

The Soton water stop is on RTT as down to three minutes but the Basingstoke one remains at 20. Perhaps '28 was full-ish leaving Weymouth and will make it to Basingstoke without the Soton fill?

 

They're not relying on the 47 to push it are they?!

 

47614 & 47805 (as per details posted on Railcam)

Cheers

Ben

 

Clan Line over top of Parkstone Bank 31 minutes down at 1848 and going very steadily and very well with a thunderous exhaust with the 47 just ticking over or at most taking its own weight. Much whistling through Parkstone station!

Quite likely to need water at Southampton judging by the efforts being made.

 

RTT has the train passing SOU (Southampton Central) twice, split by the up goods loop. Is this right?

 

Into Soton up goods @ 1939, after a non stop run from Weymouth.

 

The last of the 3 charters to Weymouth today - return Northern Belle to Birmingham got away from Weymouth slightly early but was 5 down at Parkstone and lost more time in Bournemouth area, presumably because of the out of course running from all the problems earlier.

 

After all the earlier problems there was some good work by the crews and those regulating traffic to manage that !

 

Sounds like an excellent run. My plan to see it at West Byfleet a few minutes before sunset is crumbling!

 

So is it expected to take water again at Basingstoke or forego it to make up time?