THE CATHEDRALS EXPRESS - THURS 29TH JULY

Have booked a day off to go out to see this tour with 44932 all going well, via Whitstable for the oyster festival.

Should be a good run around Kent. I have searched through some old timings when Tangemere did it a few

years ago which terminated at Faversham. Does anyone have any details further?

Thanks

Mike M. (70c)

 

Timings are now on the Steam Dreams site http://www.steamdreams.com/executables/GT410WebContent.exe?ActionCode=TimesCan

 

Thanks for the link. It's doing the "top loop" on the return. Might drive over to Sole Street station to hear her climbing over the summit in the evening.

 

Is there anyone on this tour?

 

Of course there is, they would hardly run it empty!

 

Just nobody on this forum is on it to send text updates ;-)

 

I would have been if it was 30777. But having not long had a run around Kent with a Black 5 it's not one I'm that bothered about going on.

Now if we had kept an L1 or D1 4-4-0................ drool.................... The first run I ever timed in my home county of Kent was on 4th Jan 1961 behind D1 31489. Last regular working out of London for the class, the 07.24 London Bridge-Ashford and beyond. Might have to have assistance on a 10/11 car train if such a loco was available for the 29th!

 

Looks like 30777 is tied up with the "Dorset Coast Express" for the next few weeks. Sadly it is the only Southern loco in action on the main line at the moment.

 

Weather has crashed here after a lovely sunny start. So I'll just change the route of my daily walk to see this one pass near home at West Malling.

Oh dear. Can't put any effort in to photting when the sun isn't out. Does that mean I am becoming an Aztec?

Does anyone know if the Aztecs had Serving Wenches?

 

Left Victoria just about on time, 37 on the back was doing a lot of work on departure.

 

Was 6 late through Otford. One lad couple of years younger than me is a basher in the making. He had has iPad checking the 'gen' got excited when 92038 went through on a freight.

 

I hope you told him the real 92038 was a 9F class 2-10-0!

Saw 44932 running fast downhill approaching West Malling, circa 5 minutes late. Only wanted a small camera as I was out walking before and after, but grabbed the wrong Fuji! Took my Fuji S1500 which is by far the worst digi camera I have had. Hopelessly small controls for my Yeti paws. Smallest aperture seems to be F6.4 and it has a dreadful shutter lag that I just can't seem to overcome, (as I can with all other of my digis). I have only used the camera once before, when walking the Snowdonian mountains and had chucked it on the side in my study since then as to me it is virtually unusable. I had forgotten about the shutter lag, so it was pot luck guessing when to press the shutter release button! Just as well it was total crap weather. But my day was brightened by meeting and old guy with his wife who once knew Bert Hooker well. Bert was a legendary Nine Elms top link steam driver.

 

Didn't stop for water at Lenham and came through on time like a bat out of hell. Pretty impressive for a class 5 with 12 on

 

As it has 12 on I might join you at Sole St Bryan. How steep is the climb there?

 

Sole Street station is at the top of a circa 5 mile climb, nearly all at 1/100. With a very slow speed restriction at the bottom!

When 34067 came up that climb a few months ago it set new standards for noise and spectacle for me as a steam man. Could hear it a very long way off, and a friend on the train said he had to go and lie down in a dark room afterwards. So there is hope for 44932 tonight.

I'll be on the road bridge if I go out for it. After this morning's debacle with the Fuji I'll take my Nikon D80, but if the weather stays crap I won't bother, as I only use my WW11 searchlight for highlighting Bavarian Serving Wenches these days, (well, they are German).

 

Picture attached of afore mentioned bat out of hell. Picture taken just south of lenham

 

When I was at Otford one of the lads mentioned a WCRC diesel following on behind. I don't know how valid his 'gen' was. But if it did follow could it be providing assistance? I hope not!

 

No sign of any diesels when I saw the train at Lenham. By the time I had walked back to the car the only thing that was following was another EMU. Perhaps they are making contingency plans for the slog up Sole St - in which case Bryan will be most disappointed

 

In which case Bryan will be tucked up at home! LOL!

And looking at the weather outside at present that seems the most likely option.

Dark grey clouds building over Mid Kent at present.

But I can just understand the thinking behind providing assistance for the 5 up the long slog of Sole Street. Although in the 1960s many of us felt a "Black 5" was a "Black 5 and a half", or even a "Black almost 6"! Altough if she managed the long climb out of Maidstone to Lenham OK earlier today, (includes 1.5 miles at 1/60), then maybe she will be fine climbing Sole Street tonight.