Bahamas to Margate - 11/11/22

Indeed so, and it was a good USP. Still, it's something to do on an afternoon.

 

The RTC 11 November trip with 45596 is shown on their web site as returning via Bromley South, but on RH as being via Redhill. It's a way off yet, but does anyone have anything definitive (I would tend to believe the web site more)?

 

I was looking forward to seeing a Jubilee at Redhill. Ah, well - the dearth of steam in Surrey deepens...

 

I notice from RTT that the stock for this trip arrives at Victoria at 0746 and departs at 1015! Is something being done to the stock at Victoria? It seems a very long dwell there. I note that RH STILL has the very out-of-date routeing via Dartford, despite also attaching RTT times showing the revised route. Is it really so difficult/time-consuming to correct things like this while including the RTT links, I wonder?

 

Slight change in the times for tomorrow if anyone had made plans and not noticed, shorter Faversham stop now and a 20 odd minute stop at Whitstable added. Margate arrival 2 minutes later, return times the same.

 

I was looking forward to doing this trip with a couple of family members as I haven't travelled behind Bahamas for many years. Unfortunately I have been struck down with a viral infection and can't now do the trip. Luckily when I contacted RTC yesterday to cancel my booking they kindly said they will keep my payment as credit towards another booking sometime. My travel to London and back was booked with LNER as advance tickets and they are refunding that in the form of an E voucher. So apart from missing out on what should be a good trip with good weather forecast, I haven't lost out financially.

Dave B

 

ECS shown as cancelled to Victoria according to RTT (due to "a delay not investigated"), but then a duplicate RTT entry shows it running early! Anyway, it appears to be at Victoria already, but the link on RH seems to be an abortive one.

 

There always seem to be two paths for ECS movements from Southall to Victoria. Which one is taken depends on whether the loco needs to be turned on not (through a triangular movement in the Willesden Junction area). So one of the paths is always cancelled.

 

17 late from Victoria, seemingly because the driver was turfed off a curtailed service train en route (owing to disruption from a signal failure) and had to make his own way to Victoria. May be apocryphal but it was the story circulating at Herne Hill. Having arrived about 15 minutes early as ECS, the train spent nearly three hours at p2 at Victoria! As steam stock has previously arrived at Victoria in the peak, I don't understand why this was booked to be there for so long. Loco masquerading as 45606 'Falkland Islands'. 8K video capture attached.

 

A bit unusual as the driver normally arrives on from loco from Southall. Could be that as the ECS move was so early another driver accompanied it (a WCRC driver told me they have to have a driver on board even if the train is being towed by a diesel). Strange that the ECS move was so early - I thought they didn't like charter trains taking up platform space for more time than necessary. They usually leave Southall early then wait around Willesden for an hour or two.

 

I think I saw Bob Baines on a Thameslink service at Herne Hill, or at least, someone in overalls etc who certainly looked like they were on their way to crew the loco. It was said he was on the footplate out of Victoria, not driving though, but advising the 'driver'.

Anyway, point is you don't get to Victoria on Thameslink from Herne Hill, but as @Deepgreen said there were signal problems, thus he probably got delayed and had to go to St Pancras and underground.

 

More likely Blackfriars and District/Circle, perhaps.

 

On the climb to Martin Mill

 

All lines were blocked Vic to Brixton until about 1020 and there were reactionary delays across Kent until 1600.
Cheers, Neil

 

Indeed, but I'm still bemused by the planned nearly 3 hour dwell at Victoria.

 

Leaving London passing Wandsworth Road with the ever changing London skyline in the background

 

Five locations today, Longfield, Faversham, Chestfield and Swalecliffe, Sandling and Otford. On paper should of been a good one, one of those days!

 

I noticed the cabside number was 45696.

 

It was 45606 on the fireman's side at Herne Hill - I didn't see the driver's side. Was each side different?