A2 60532 Blue Peter

Could this be compo from BR back when 532 nearly flew apart?
Pat

 

A short video of sole-surviving Peppercorn A2 60532 'Blue Peter' making her return to the ECML today. Amazing to see such large crowds coming out to see her today!

 

Dents? Honourable battle scars.

 

It was - the little overbridge in what is now a country park I went to had over a dozen people there, including families with small children. It's quite possible to go there and be alone, or sometimes find a few others but by comparison, this was busy.

 

If you recall, 60103's whistle can be a bit 'reedy'...

 

Great to finally see this grand machine in the flesh! Captured at Langford, Helpston, Tuxford Crossing & Selby, with the added bonus of 46100 prior:

 

I went to Alexandra Palace via The Cross to see 60532 for the first time. I hadn't accounted for 60532's train being shorter than the 91 in platform 7, I'll know better for next time! I'm definitely looking forward to seeing and riding behind this loco more in the future.






And here's a video taken on my phone:

 

It sounded like they threw a basket of hamsters in the firebox in lieu thereof

 

Here's my footage of 60532 Blue Peter flying through Grantham at around 75mph on her inaugural run. You can see how fast she's going by how much Blue Peter oscillates over the tracks just before the station. Hope you enjoy it.

 

A rather eventful day out on the road with @JDTTRAINS and @TheModster chasing 60532 Blue Peter on its debut on the ECML, captured at Langford, Lolham, Tuxford and Burn

Also included is 46100 Royal Scot on the climb of Saunderton, somewhat away from the limelight of Blue Peters appearance

 

There has been muttering about LSL operating their own series of Aberdonians. The Ferryhill shed plate seems to confirm that.

 

Sounds like Lolham (my usual haunt, along with Woodcroft Crossing) was quite busy.

I'm still curious how "chasers" keep ahead of a train (and safely).

 

Railtour capped at 75mph, but with a schedule that had numerous stops and on a line which is largely followed by a main dual-carriageway (A1) would likely make a chase like this relatively easy (but said with no personal knowledge of the exact locations and traffic conditions). As long as the photographers are well versed in not wasting time during the unloading, setting up and then reloading of camera gear, it can become seamless....

 

The A1 can be busy with HGVs on a weekday, the two lane section around Doncaster particularly so but providing there aren’t too many taking a couple of miles to overtake it’s possible driving at the legal limit plus a bit!

 

Eh? How'd you work that out? You're either driving at the legal limit... or you're not. There's no grey area.

 

Well, here's a map of Lolham (Copyright Open Street Map) with where the photographers/videographers were probably standing, marked by the red 'X'.



A point worth noting is unless you've parked at that corner on the B1443 and walked up towards that marked point, you'll have had to approach said point from the Stamford Road in West Deeping as the road is one-way from the ECML crossing onwards towards West Street - it is a single road with passing places once you leave West Deeping. It must have been 'fun' getting to/from the A1 to get there in a timely manner, given that crossing the ECML via the various level crossings is a 'mare at the best of times - when I was waiting for the train, it struck me how busy the ECML now is compared to my mid-late 1970s youth.

 

It depends if you include the 10% +2mph grey area.

 

Self explanatory I would have thought.

 

What makes you think that BR would be paying compensation (I assume that’s what “compo” means) to the owners of Blue Peter for their loco failing and blocking the ECML for hours due to Blue Peter’s driver error? If anything it would have been the other way round.

If JH has managed some clever dodge to get the taxpayer to contribute to the work on his private toy I’d hope he has the civic-mindedness to pay it all back. He can afford it and we need the extra police officers and doctors. But seeing what else he chooses to fund, I doubt it. Nice loco, and I look forward to travelling behind it when it gets a new owner.

 

If you don't see how the British taxpayers contribute to this... I'm flabbergasted and I suggest you don't travel on any heritage trains or visit heritage sites whatsoever....