The Mancunian with Bahamas - 21/10/23

I don’t think I’ve ever processed a shot and posted it before the train has reached its destination. I’ve done shots at this location before but normally looked at them later in the day

 

As you know I’ve been on quite a few Bahamas trips, either on sales or support crew and none have disappointed. The highlight must for me was being on the footplate up to Sapperton Summit on a wet rail in 2021, there was no help from the diesel on the back as we didn’t have one!
Perhaps it’s time to have a thought for the support crew, they would have come down from the north on Thursday to light up, clean and prepare the engine yesterday, up at around 03.30 today do the trip and not get back to Southall until gone 11 tonight, dispose the engine tomorrow morning and then back home. I can assure you that sleeping in the support coach in at Southall is not for the faint hearted either.

 

After seeing Royal Scot at Crewe on Saturday I headed back home via Manchester Piccadilly to see
45596 Bahamas with 'The Mancunian' arriving at Manchester Piccadilly
https://tinyurl.com/4yrxkb8z

Neil

 

You didn’t say anything critical, It was just a general comment about the behind the scenes effort that goes into making mainline steam possible. The tour operators also put in a lot of work as do Network Rail and others.

 

Bahamas rounds Queensville curve just south of Stafford and seen in the UDGL taking on water .

 

When I took the last shot of 45596 from the canal towpath there was a chap stood with me operating a drone.
I've just found his footage of the tour on YouTube. If you pause it at 7:23 you might be able to see us on the towpath!
The light coloured blob is my dog!

 

As much as I'd of preferred it to be "steam only" I absolutely understand the risk of running it as such as well as stock movement.
Indeed having had ten minutes of rain/drizzle when the stock arrived into Euston and without the assistance from the diesel this may of caused some "fun" getting up Camden bank with a relatively cold engine...
I can honestly say it was a great tour to be on and we both had a throughly enjoyable day with some superb "unassisted" running.
Special shout to all those at the high end numbers of Coach G, to all the members of the Bahamas support crew (especially the gentleman who I had the pleasure of chatting to at Euston and Rugby - hope your journey home was a lot smoother than your journey to London on Thursday!) to RTC for organizing and finally to WCRC for supplying all the staff involved with the running (for my own notes can somebody please name those involved if allowed) I have some name of those involved, but I wouldn't want to specifically name check those and miss someone out (Thank you in advance).

Cheers everyone, Phil

 

Can anybody advise the number of the 47 please?

 

47804.

 

Thanks