10th June: Cathedrals Express to Bristol

Two short video clips of Princess Elizabeth running back to London at Bath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPMyIYItuFU

The tour on its way to Bath Station.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2tcQQ3BEd8

 

Princess Elizabeth checked slightly by the signals for the northern part of the Westbury triangle under the White Horse. We all took pictures of them, and the passengers all took pictures of the White Horse. Magnificent sight and sounds as it got away again!

 

Two shots from Sydney Gardens as the train headed into Bath.

http://michael527.fotopic.net/c1859488_1.html

 

This morning's video now up.

[youtube]<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/U7BalqnzEYY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/U7BalqnzEYY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>[/youtube]

 

Superb trip all rouind - great performance by Lizzie on a monster 13 coach train. Also enjoyed my lunch at the brasserie at Green Park station in Bath - pity I was 44 years too late for any trains!

 

Here's my video of the day's travels from various locations on the outward and homeward journeys. She seemed in great form, though was sounding a bit wheezy coming back past Wokingham, hope there's no problem!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymAs8kO9GPY

 

Looks like cylinder drain cock stuck open.
Hopefully shouldn't have caused any damage and, equally hopefully, normally an easy fault to repair.

 

So, my first run behind a LMS pacific, after all these years!

I thoroughly enjoyed a few minutes on the footplate before we left Victoria. A lovely, real "real working engine" type of cab!

As to the running. We got to Bristol on time and arrived back at Victoria on time. So, job done.

That was on a timetable that at times was quite amazingly lax, (mainly on the return), and that most certainly could have influenced the crews as to how to run. We did lose some time on the start to stop section from Bristol to Bath and then from Bath to Swindon, (possibly delaying the following service train?). I got the feeling that maybe it was combination of crews(s) not totally familiar with the loco and or route? (There was a conductor on the footplate on the return), and also that it seems the conductor was a "trainee" steam driver. Apart from the sticking cylinder drain cock later in the day, I wasn't aware of any other loco problems, but sitting on my backside in the train they do not always become apparent!

We did run quite nicely down through Lavington after a slow recovery from the same signal check at Bedwyn we had behind Clan Line, (35028 had the equivalent of 16 cars), last November, (demu terminating there). And once back on the "home territory" of our return driver, a very fast re start from Ascot.

I'll look out for a run behind this loco on her "home patch" with her regular crews as I would like to get a more balanced view as to how she can perform.

 

A couple of views getting away from Ascot on the return on a very gloomy evening:

 

refering to yesterdays run to bristol with 6201 princess elizabeth,i waited to see if bryan benn would make comment on the performance,because my friends and myself were just a little disappointed with what we witnessed and heard from the lineside,for the outward run we were at the site of wolfhall jc.the here being in our favour for 6201 could be heard coming over a great distance,in the far distance she could be heard going what seemed to be very well,all very atmospheric,but as 6201 got into the steeper part of the climb she just got slower and slower and she past us at wolfhall and working quite hard,sorry to say not quite what we were expecting!with a large powerful engine!bryan mentions 35028's run around the end of last year with its huge train over savernake in filthy weather,this was something altogether different,also past exploits over this route with 71000(one particular run with peter kirk where he was absolutely flying!)and numerous runs with std 5 73096 load 11!being driven by peter kirk,and drivers sadly no longer with us,dave davis and brian dudley ward they were all 'hellfire' performances.on the return we were near the summit of dauntsey bank, and what a disappointment,instead of a roar of 6201 lifting its heavy train train up the bank,what did we experience was almost a 'chug chug chug chug',nothing like 6201's performance over this route in march of this year albeit with a lighter train.of course i fully realise there are a number of factors why yesterdays run appeared disappointing that was why i was pleased to read bryan's comments.i've tried to find some logs on performance of the princesses when they worked on the western region for a while in the 1950s i believe vice the 'kings'.i would be grateful if anyone knows of a book where any performance details appear.

 

Quick video of her passing through Cholsey on the return yesterday evening. Not just the 8F's that suffer from cyclinder cocks sticking!

http://www.twitvid.com/MLRXF

 

Nice video. 46229 used to have that cylinder cock problem too.

 

I thought very carefully before making my posting on this. A fairly small number of people work very hard to bring us our daily steam, and think it is wonderful that we get as much main line steam as we do in 2010.

On 6th August 1960 I timed my first steam log, 30491, an H15, on the 9.54 Waterloo to Woking train!

Now, almost 50 years later I am still able to pursue that hobby.

But nowadays I feel there has to be an acceptance that sometimes, probably for very good and unavoidable reasons, those of us seeking to record sparkling performances, (whether by on board stop watching, or lineside filming), have to accept that some trips will not provide quite the interest that other trips do.

I enjoyed other aspects of yesterday. A look round the footplate at Victoria, a laugh with Pete Roberts and others back at Victoria in the evening about LMS locos and sticking cylinder drains cocks! Good company all day, especially with elder brother Don who started me on my hobby. Texting a friend of very many years as to our progress so he could be in position to film us. etc etc.

And of course, breaking my duck with an LMS pacific. Four cylinders and all!

 

Just been told that 46201 going towards Reading with support coach at around 1:20pm today (11th June 2010). Take it it's going back to Tyseley.

 

Before I shot down in flames I no expert but was told years ago that the Stanier pacifics at least, have rod operated drain cocks which is one reason why they dont always close completely.

 

That's right, we still have a paint job to complete.

 

Newton St Loe in poor light as the train runs to Bath Spa.

http://michael527.fotopic.net/c1859843_1.html

 

Steam operated on the standards as far as I know, not sure about other classes of the big four. Rods would be liable to flexing etc so sure that would not help. One of the reasons given for probs with 46229's drain cocks was sand blasting to remove all the rust after standing at Butlins for so long. As I say I no expert so perhaps someone can explain better.