Great Britain XV: 15 - 23/4/23

Seems to have vanished into a black hole around Carstairs?

Not sure why Rileys would be involved, but with 45699 and 45690 being based there a fair few based out of Carnforth who know how to keep a Jubilee happy out on the road?

 

GBXV Day 4
45699 seen at Forton and 46115 seen at Cinderbarrow

 

Does anyone know please where 46115 ended up last night? Carnforth or Edinburgh?

 

If you look on Traksy there is a 5Z20 which has been in the up loop at Lockerbie since yesterday afternoon. I think that's it.

Meanwhile Bahamas is nearly at Joppa --- very impressive.

 

I think that would be for the Bahamas LS to decide, I’ve not heard of a mixed support crew being used anywhere but I assume it’s possible.
I don’t think there used to be any regulations on support crew hours but now the ORR require a record to be kept of hours on duty.
There are other aspects to be taken into consideration like supplies, not just for the loco, the crew have to be fed so a quick trip to Tesco may have to come into the plan!
We have a lot to thank support crews for, in the case of 45596 working a long way from home all summer sleeping in the support coach three of four nights in the luxurious surroundings of Southall is not for the faint hearted. How the A1 Trust and the Duchess people manage with the locos working anywhere from Devon to Aberdeen I’ve got no idea.

 

9 hrs Carnforth to Edinburgh is another epic day out for crews both footplate and support, but bloody good work from WCRC and the Bahamas group to both make the locomotive available and resource its movement to Edinburgh overnight.

I see that the 47 had ben tacked on the back leaving Carlisle so it was handy to have it there to take the train forward from Lockerbie, albeit, and not knowing the track layout at Lockerbie loop, I imagine getting 46115 off the front and out the way and moving 47 from rear to front was quite the faff.

 

That is really impressive, a lot commitment from the BLS crew. Perhaps the train should be renamed Bahamas on Tour.

 

I would be interested to know how you propose they were going to do that? Take it by rail and it would have to be dragged backwards and would be wrong way around at Lockerbie. Take it by road and you would need to find a suitable place to unload it.

It's not like the Stranraer tour some years ago when 45110's tender was found to have run hot when we arrived at Carnforth and was replaced by 48151's tender.

 

I was thinking the Jubilee tour, one year out for that though. Now at Waverley more or less on time for the Aberdeen run

 

@waterbuck has already posted video on Instagram of Bahamas pulling into Waverley.
Screenshot taken from Video.


Sent from my XQ-AS52 using Tapatalk

 

On top of that the amount of electrical wiring between the engine and tender for the TPWS and other electronic gubbins would probably take a day to complete and then I assume it would have to be tested and another FTR exam done. Running mainline steam in the 21st century is not that simple as you have pointed out.

 

No. 45596 'Bahamas' working GBXV through Bay Horse to Carnforth with Peter Kirk driving, Alex Johnson firing and Roly Parker Guard



With the loco exchange complete, No. 46115 'Scots Guardsman' gets away from Carnforth with GBXV bound for Edinburgh with Mick Kelly driving, Martyn Soames firing to Carlisle/Rob Russell to Edinburgh and Matt Miller Guard



Approaching Shap

 

Does anyone know who the wreath is for?

 

It was a C-130 Hercules apparently Ralph.

 

And finally the intended shot at Beattock which was not to be. Thoughts go to the crew and passengers for a disappointing end to day 4 of GBXV. My thanks to Steve Thompson and Nigel Ingham for their company from Bay Horse to Beattock with enjoyable banter along the way

 

Yes I heard one of the WCRC support crew mention a day when someone asked why they could not turn the loco and tender separate for the trip back during a Swanage Belle trip.

 

SM ?

 

Social media, in that case a post on the Official BLS Facebook page.

 

The wreath is for Steve Peach, long-standing chief mechanical engineer with the Bahamas Locomotive Society. A real tribute that a loco that he would have spent a great deal of his time with and a very willing support crew made themselves available to help out today. Thank you Steve (R.I.P.) and everyone with the BLS and West Coast.