The Royal Wessex, 22nd May 2010

Interesting itinerary, this:
30777+70013: Paddington-Newbury-Castle Cary-Weymouth
70013+30777(banker): Weymouth-Wareham
70013: Wareham-Basingstoke-Paddington

What I can't work out, neither from UKsteam.info nor the RTC web site, is when the locos are going to be turned. It would seem to me to be logical to go to Yeovil Junction on the way down, turn both locos and re-attach "top-&-tail", return to Yeovil Pen Mill with Ollie leading, then proceed to Weymouth with 777 leading, tender-first. Or maybe only Ollie will be turned, so that 777 leads chimney-first to Weymouth? That would look better, but then she'll need to be turned before 5th June, when she's piloting the Weymouth - Castle Cary portion of The Quantock Hills Express (Eastleigh - Minehead via Weymouth).

Besides the expense, we know from past experience that extra light-engine moves from Weymouth to Yeovil J and back are often a source of delay, and the risk must be greater with 2 locos.

Does anyone know, yet, what the arrangements will be? TIA

 

Interesting questions Steamage! Approx times on RYTC site would not appear to allow enough time to run two locos from Yeovil Pen Mill to Junction to turn and back and make the trip to Weymouth in time allowed. Perhaps turn Oliver only as 777 is due to go to Swanage and could turn there ?? (will she fit the turntable) before heading to London on the Bank Holiday Monday.
That then only adds further questions of how does 777 get back to Weymouth from London for the trip to Minehead on 5th June and will Tangmere be back in time for this trip or will Oliver the Noisy One deputise??

Dh

 

RYTC website timings are, presumably, what they've asked for - not NR's final timings.
777 is too long to fit on Swanage's turntable so will have to be turned at Yeovil.
777 is currently scheduled to haul return leg of RYTC's "The Swanage Belle" on 31st May back to London. Possibly 70013 might be rostered to bring the Belle from London to Swanage.
According to uksteam.info 30777 doesn't appear to have anything else booked between its involvement in the "The Quantock Hills Express" and hauling the return leg of "The Swanage Belle" on 3rd July from Swanage to London.

 

I'd forgotten about The Swanage Belle on 31st. UKSteam.info shows 70013: Waterloo-Swanage, 30777: Swanage-Waterloo.

If 777 arrives at Wareham still facing Weymouth on 22nd, then I'd expect her to go to Eastleigh to turn, rather than back to Yeovil. To minimise the number of movements over the Swanage/NR connection (limited number per year) I'd expect her to do that on Saturday evening/Sunday morning.

She'll need a tender-first Southall - Weymouth trip between 1st and 5th June. Also (assuming Ollie is covering for Tangers again on 5th June), Ollie will need to do much the same thing in reverse. Unless, of course, 777 becomes the main loco on the Minehead train with Ollie piloting Weymouth - Castle Cary. What are the WSR expecting to turn up? Where will the other loco go afterwards? Back to Southall, chimney-first up the B&H?

Buzby2 (Peter): Do you know whether 777 and 70013 are actually staying on the Swanage Railway before / after The Swanage Belle? It would seem to make sense, but might not be the case. If they are, do you know if the railway plans to use them on any service trains while they are there? In particular, I'd love to see 777 working alongside the Beattie and the M7 on Sun 23rd at the 125th gala. (Maybe these are questions for the Galas forum?)

 

Can loco's be seperated from their tender and turned at Swanage? Perhaps not quickly or when still hot. But between tours on different days?

 

They can, but that would require a new Fitness to Run exam to be carried out.

Regards,

Dan

 

There would seem to be various options available, dependant on the final timings and I guess we will have to wait until further information emerges. RYTC's website suggests that the train will be doubleheaded beyond Yeovil Pen Mill or at least have both engines on the train. It would make some sense to have one of the engines on the rear of the train at Weymouth as a shunt release loco as propelling moves are not that in favour and it would save having to have a diesel following the train around for that purpose. Interesting!! shame I will not be able to see the various permutations resolved in Yeovil area as have a long standing committment until mid afternoon. Looking forward to seeing Oliver again on parkstone Bank in the early evening. DH

 

I don't want to detract from this thread too long, and hope very much the tour is successful and worthwhile for all concerned.

But Oh, the name! And where it starts from!

The real Royal Wessex left Waterloo at 16.35 and ran via Winchester, Southampton, Brockenhurst, Bournemouth and onto Weymouth at 19.59. Usually a Merchant Navy with 12 or 13 cars behind the tender and a Nine Elms Top Link driver.

The up working in the morning was 07.37 from Weymouth and into Waterloo at 10.50.

Until last Saturday, when it was eclipsed by a run behind 35028, it was on that train I had my fastest heavy load run from Waterloo to Woking: to a signal stop the London side as we were not booked to stop there. That was behind 35001 with 12 cars. Last Saturday 35028 had the equivalent of 15 cars and ran to the modern day steam loco limit of 75 mph, which did not hamper 35001 in 1964.

End of sermon!

Enjoy the run on the train from Paddington to Weymouth and return. I hope it all goes to plan.

 

In addition to the FTR there is the tricky (trickier?) problem of re-setting OTMR equipment which, apparently, needs very 'delicate' calibrations, etc. Not something to be done frequently I should think.

 

Mark: SR have been requested to provide an immediate path [around 15:00] from Swanage to allow the incoming loco+support coach to run tender-first to Eastleigh (where it will turn I guess). We'll just have enough time to water and, if required, coal it I'm afraid.
Edit : Not sure what is happening between 22nd and 31st I'm afraid. Whether permission has been granted to use 777 I don't know. If any news comes my way I'll try to post in time. Someone with better 'connections' might care to comment perhaps?

 

Even if I don't answer the direct questions, I will try to dispel some myths:-

TPWS/OTMR connections between loco & tender are disconnected fairly often to clean coal dust and ash out of the plugs and sockets, the system have self-test to ensure correct operation.
An FTR is needed before every run of a steam loco on mainline.
When Manston & Eddystone are turned at Swanage, we have the loco in steam so that it can be driven on and off the turntable and positioned properly to balance the turntable.
Certain other steam loco "owners" have agreed for their locos to be split from tender, in order to turn their locos at Swanage, if there is a gap of a few days between jobs.
Swanage Railway are in negotiation with 5305 Group with regard to using 777 during week of 22nd - 31st May. Nothing to report yet.

(Will that do James?)

 

Times for this trip now up on Uksteam at http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t10/t0522d.htm

After all the speculation the answer is relatively straightforward (ish)! 70013 and 30777 from Paddington to Yeovil PenMill - 70013 to be detached there and follow light engine and support coach later - 30777 (?with diesel assistance?) Yeovil to Weymouth - 70013 banked by 30777 to Wareham and then 70013 to Paddington and 30777 and support coach to Swanage.

Well at least it appears straightforward until you add in 70013's current non-availability, which may not be a quick fix - we need to wait patiently for boiler inspector's report now, and 30777 facing wrong way at Swanage for trip to London on 31st May. We wait and see! DH

 

Not surprisingly 70013 is now shown as unavailable for this trip. With the Weymouth - London loco being shown as TBA.

35028 is in use on the 21st and I just wonder if the MNLPs are able to stretch their very limited human resources to keep it in steam for an operation on the 22nd as well. (As well as a long day to York due at the end of May). If they are, I may well be getting in touch with RYTC about a late ticket! Others will tell me if 35028 has run over all of the route OK in recent times and is therefore cleared for the route.

 

Don't forget that the MNLPS' preferred TOC is DB Schenker, which would rule out using 30777 as they do not operate vacuum braked locomotives. Let's just wait and see what happens before speculating?

Regards,

Dan

 

I believe the replacement for 70013 will be coming from up north, but I am still awaiting confirmation !

David at www.uksteam.info

 

whats the betting it is a black 5??? i have a vision of it being a black 5.

 

As a MNLPS member my preferred option is very much to see 35028 work more non VSOE trains when possible. But ONLY if that does not stretch resources too far away from being able to operate the core contract that is so vital in keeping that superb loco in main line service. And I will express that view here from time to time, even if others consider it to be speculation.

I just hope that something is sorted out for those who have booked onto this trip. I suspect a lot of midnight oil is going to have to be burned to get a steam hauled train all the way to Weymouth and back next Saturday now that 34067 and 70013 are both out of action.

 

Well done!

That was a a good bit of speculation Lord Nelson, (wink).

I did actually time a Black 5 over part of that route once.

29th July 1965!

11.25 ex Weymouth, a train that became a 2 hour express up from Bournemouth, (slightly longer by then because of electrification works).

It was 44691 and I travelled from Wareham to Waterloo behind it. Not a very good run, I think a slow climb of Roundwood Bank and circa 72 mph max afterwards.

I shan't repeat the experience by buying a late ticket. Not that keen on travelling behind a loco now limited to 60 mph, ( I recorded a 90 behind one coming back from Carlisle to Crewe in 1968). Especially as I may have no choice but to travel behind it in Kent on the 26th May as I am booked on a trip that was booked for 70013 and may find that loco instead, (Ooops, speculating again!).

Anyway. I am glad a solution has been found and very much hope all goes well with the trip on the 22nd.

 

44871 is the replacement for 70013 on this trip.

Dave B

 

I am brilliant!!!! thats exactly the engine i had a vision of coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and bryan, you can compare your results with that of the '60's.