Saturday evening 19th June: three steam expresses in the Thames Valley !!

Just thinking that if the timings work out well, then 44871 on the Bath and Bristol through Basingstoke, 6024 on the GWR175 through Newbury, and 6201 (plus 5043? Not sure) at Didcot are all spottable within 35 miles of each other on Saturday evening. Must make sure I have enough petrol in the car!

 

44871 on the Bath and Bristol through Basingstoke - uh uh (trying to do that "Family fortunes buzzer sound" ) is via Chichester
6024 on the GWR175 through Newbury - 19:41
and 6201 (plus 5043? Not sure) at Didcot - North Junction 20:11

Still, as Meatloaf once sang, two out of three ain't bad.

 

I'm a big Meatloaf fan and thanks for the info. Maybe I will settle for two. Apologies now for the totally rubbish title of this thread :doh:

 

You'd better pray that the A34 is clear if you want to get shots of both - it's do-able, but it won't take much to screw it up


STEVE

 

Red Dragon times show just 10 minutes from Wantage Rd water stop to Didcot North junction, so she might be a few minutes late. A34 is usually OK by that time on a Saturday. (Friday evening is the worst!) Beware of the traffic lights on the link road between A34 Milton junction and Didcot. Even that time of the evening, you might have a long wait. Better perhaps to cut through Milton village and Sutton Courtney to either Appleford or Culham stations - nice view from the main road bridge immediately south of Culham Stn.

There's 40 mins scheduled in Hinksey yard (may be shortened, of course, if there's an earlier path) and you shouldn't have trouble getting to the north side of Oxford by 21:10. The Wolvercote viaduct is now clear of roadworks.

The text-updates service could be really handy tomorrow.

 

I think maybe I'll now chase Tornado in the afternoon and 6024 in the evening

 

Increasing vegetation is beginning to cause problems from this bridge. The view, especially from the western side of the line is getting ever narrower. The last time I was up there for steam someone had parked right up against the armco on the western side at the prime spot and there was no room for anyone else.

STEVE