Great Britain XV: 15 - 23/4/23

45690 Leander Thursday 20th April 2023

 

Footage of GBXV Friday 21st April 2023

 

Where’s Felixstowe?
On the end of Felix’s foot I believe…
Apologies for the randomness Al, It’s one of those that always makes me chuckle

 

I went over to York today to see the GBXV charter,
44932 worked York to Kings Lynn
https://tinyurl.com/5b6m9msa
earlier
45690 Leander worked from Scarborough to York
https://tinyurl.com/2x4mnk9c

Neil

 

Jubilee action from days 4&7 !

 

Filmed at March and Downham Market:
The Great Britain XV, Black 5 No 44932, Day 8, 22nd April 2023.

 

Some shots recording the tour in East Anglia this afternoon, in some decent weather.


Crossing the flood plains at Pymoor, between March and Ely.


Passing the signal box and manually operated crossing gates at Littleport.


Got another shot with a signal box at Kings Lynn, and some of the locals who had come to see the steam.


A walk round the corner into the station to join everyone else getting at photo before the ECS departed to turn at Ely.

 

44932 looks superb (it's a Black 5, so why wouldn't it?) .
Here she is at Cross Drove.

 

Climbed up the 1:90 into Westerfield from a standing start. Sounded excellent!

 

Some from eastern Ipswich this morning. I was going to drive down to Trimley but the weather took a turn for the worst so just went for a walk to the Derby Road area instead.

Approaching Fuchsia Lane Bridge with the train on the way down to Felixstowe, just past the start of the northern end of Derby Road loop.....



Meeting the branch service the other side of the bridge......





I then walked to Derby Road where the earlier crowds had cleared quite a bit, thankfully. As the water tanker was using the school car park, an announcement was apparently made at the school on Friday that the train was about today, so a load of families duly turned up to watch. Rather a torrential downpour just before it arrived as well !

Arriving Spoon.......



Watering underway.....



Departing from Derby Road......

 

And that's that!

 

Black 5 44932 heads through the Fenland on Day 8 of the Great Britain XV from York to Kings Lynn in what was some beautiful scenes along the KL branch in lovely spring weather!

Seen at 4 locations with an furiating and scary moment at the beginning of a woman walking across a foot crossing whilst the train was in view, you could even hear my mate shouting ‘there’s a train coming’ several times but ignored him, what’s worse it was only a 13 second difference that could’ve potentially ended up being something far worse but sadly this will still be a trend for rual foot crossings used by the locals, hope that this does somewhat show the real dangers of ignoring the signs at railway crossings

 

An enjoyable run through some fairly unusual territory for steam in the 21st century, making a bit of history along the way (first steam to call at the new Soham station), and the first steam to Felixstowe in over two decades. Also reacquainted myself with 44932 after a decade. It was a fine locomotive then, and remains a fine locomotive now. Thanks to everyone who got the show on the road. 44932 at Soham.

 

My belated image from Wednesday at Aberdeen. Huge thanks to RTC for running yet another successful Great Britain despite the failures of both 46115 and 45699. Huge thanks to RTC and Kelly Osborne in particular for persisting with the Great Britain year in year out. Huge thanks to West Coast for operating the trip as always as well as all the operational planning that goes on behind the scenes. Another successful Great Britain has concluded and here’s to next year.

 

Just a big thank you to everybody involved in making GB XV happen, The Railway Touring Company, West Coast Railways, drivers, firemen, guards, train staff, Network Rail, Train Planners, support crews, Water supply tanker..... and anyone I may have missed.
I only managed to see Day one so another big thank you to all who have posted photos and videos on here, its great to see each day unfold with the fantastic images and the occasional problem explained and how it was overcome. I will probably never be able to afford to travel on it but seeing this thread is a good substitute.

 

Ending the trip in style! 44932 climbing the 1:90 at Westerfield from a standing start, followed by Manningtree and Shenfield where the yellow line must've turned invisible for one individual...!

 

My photographs from yesterday's final leg. Starting on the Felixstowe branch just past the level crossing with Morston Hall Road where fortunately the rain held off until the train passed.


With the rain set in for the afternoon, I opted for the walk to Colchester station and the shelter of platform 4.


Then a trip on the next up train to overtake the tour in Marks Tey loop, and all the way to Liverpool Street to hopefully see it arrive in platform 5 under the roof. Which it did, and with nothing alongside in 6 either!








Thanks to RTC and West Coast for bringing the GB to East Anglia, it was wonderful to see.

 

I completely agree it was only my 3rd one but I still find it very special. So many people including the passengers make it a really unique & treasured tour.

 

A small selection of people who, year by year, help deliver a spectacular show of mainline steam at its best. Thank you one and all and here’s to next year.