The Midlander, Sat 17th July, with 6201.

Wow Jonathan - that's a fine photo. Thanks for sharing it.

 

My efforts from outward and return can be found at..

http://rickeborallphotography.fotopic.net/

Lizzie certainly was doing the business. I'm sure everyone on board must of had a great day!!
All the best......

 

Some fine shots there Rick!!

 

What a memorable day...., too tired tonight to give a full assesment of the day without it sounding like complete jibberish so will address that tomorrow, in the meantime here's the rough draft of a few pics from the day : http://david1984.fotopic.net/c1872888.html , thought the content would outweigh the presentation initially, i'll tidy it up when i have more time tomorrow.

 

I hope Vintage run more trips with 6201 this year, I reckon I can clear 47773 for 1000 miles of shovage. Pushing up Camden bank, understandable with load 12 + class 47 on rear. Bletchley to Milton Keynes was farcical! 66mph passing Milton Keynes after a standing start from Bletchley down goods loop. Hmmm.

The amount of work the 47 was doing put a bit of a downer on things. It had the makings of being a great trip, and some of the noise and running from 6201 was very good, but the amount of work 47773 has done on the last two trips with 6201 I've been on makes it all fairly pointless.

Well done to Vintage Trains and WCRC for getting steam out of Birmingham New Street and in and out of Euston, but the use of the 47 on the rear needs to be controlled, or at the very least, explained to the passengers. I'd gladly pay a bit extra if it meant the 47 trailed behind and didn't assist.

 

Very sad to read that. I'm about to take the plunge and start booking tours behind some of those fine LMS locos working on their own patch. Actually get me away from my beloved SR for a day, (noise of Ralph collapsing again!). But not if I end up bashing boxes for pushage miles. At least Steam Dreams have got through their fire risk problems and are back, (so it seems from today so far), to having any box needed for just part of the day only on the train when actually needed.

 

I'd of thought the unscheduled water stop at Nuneaton would of explained 47 shovage personally, like you i was a bit baffled and unhappy about it, before after Nuneaton it suggest to me there was a low water issue, be it enough wasn't taken at Bletchley or Lizzie was using more than expected for whatever reason, it was quite obvious the 47 was shoving away from Bletchley and Rugby but if there were issues as the Nuneaton stop seems to suggest then fair enough, i expected one out of New St and Euston due to the Gradients (not sure on New st but one of my pics shows what it's like visually at least).

Other than that a great tour, making a bit of history and fairly sociable times by Railtour standard, the astmosphere and excitement was something special at New St and from what i could see everyone was fairly well behaved, i have to say well done to the station staff who handled the day exceptionally well, highlight of the day for me was flying throguh Coventry and Rugby at high speed, how often can do that on any train, let alone a tour.

Thank to VT and 6201's support crew, i think Lizzies won a few fans in the West Mids over the last couple of months.

 

http://railways.mjspencer.com/gallery/v/TheMidlander/

Was an excellent tour. Plenty of fast running especially throught Coventry. Certainly one of the best tours I have been on in a while. Well done Vintrage Trains, WCRC and 6201's support crew as well NR for allowing steam out of New Street.

 

A very good day out thank's to Bob and the lizzie lad's the up run was very good with a lot of maximum speed for a number of mile's, the down run was a bit dissapointing from Blechley but i hap a good day

 

Couple of pics of Saturday's "The Midlander":

Up-working at Hemel Hempstead:
http://aa.photosnaps.org.uk/p65996945.html

Down-working awaiting departure from Euston, in glorious evening sunshine:
http://aa.photosnaps.org.uk/p65996942.html

Cheers,
Alisdair

 

Nice shots Alisdair

 

Yes, lovely photos. Thanks for posting, and welcome to Nat Pres Forum.

I was going to ask how you managed to get an empty platform to take the second photo. But I'm worried in case you used the same tactic as one of the golfers at the Open this afternoon. When the commentator said about the player, without any inflection in his voice, "he looks like he's about to really let one go......"

 

I know a lovely little Black Pannier Tank that would lick her lips at the prospect.:biggrin1:

 

Thanks for the welcome, and kind comments; I let the travelling passengers get their shots first, before they dashed back for the train, and then had a much easier time to get a clear shot, just as the sun popped out.... Small video clip is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUd4GoGJlGw
which is a small-size version of an HD video I took on my SLR (was just having an experiment with using it!)

Cheers,
Alisdair

 

Yes but 5786 is on the SDR Kevin:smile::smile::smile:

 

As advertised,I believe "The Midlander' was to have been based at Clapham Yard during the interval.I've seen since it went via Wembley.Any idea when the plans were all changed...?.
It was by chance I'd gone there,but something seemed to say that afternoon "Don't bother" and Im glad I took note.I wonder if others were caught out in the same way.

 

Emergency engineering work at Clapham apparently

 

With what was planned to be only a morning linesiding at a new location to me outside Northampton, soon changed to a day out and a visit down south. Many thanks to Mark for updates throughout the day on a run that i regreted not booking on, but my northbound shot of Lizzie certainly made up for it. Dont think i will be getting another shot like this anytime soon!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oli_g_15/4809293294/sizes/l/

Cheers