Cathedrals Express to Swanage, Thu 30th June

Bob and Val? They're my next door neighbours!!

I might go to Farnborough tonight though, just to try somewhere different.

 

Thanks Steve Guessed it was something like that DH

 

Tangmere and support coach up top of Parkstone Bank at 1620 in a cloud of smoke
48151 reported away from Corfe about right time- Ta to EGH on WRGEN
DH

 

48151 stormed over top of Parkstone Bank with 13 on sounding and looking very good - not fast but appeared very well in control - cant remember last time I saw a steamer with 13 on up the bank! DH

 

Any updates is the 8F off to Yeovil tonight still ?

 

Yes its on its way

 

Travelled from and to Woking. Tangy and crew did their best on a very muddly schedule on the way down. Lovely climb out of Woking before the checks started. And a lovely climb out of Basingstoke with a gentle build up of speed down Roundwood reaching a very nice 75 mph through Winchester.

Been a bit under the weather recently, so after Bournemouth I mainly enjoyed the scenery and the fish and chips at Swanage until Salisbury this evening.

Problems with getting the train brakes off, (I think), and the need to set back as the loco was past the departure signal, (as the train was left after the 8F hauled the very long 13 car train in), contributed to a 27 minute late start from Salisbury.

Nice running to signal checks at Worting and Basingstoke, (I think an up Winchester-Woking fast train in front), and then maybe just a little bit subdued onto Woking, with a check outside. I'm not "in the loop" these days but would guess water consumption may have been a consideration for a Light Pacific on 12 doing a Salisbury - London via Staines etc without a water stop.

But non stop Salisbury-Woking on the fast line all the way!

Up to the permitted max just after Andover and a lovely climb over Enham Bank. Good solid climb of Porton. Circa, (need to check all my GPS readings ect), 45 over the top was nice.

Would be interested to know which route the train used up from Woking. It didn't cross over onto the slow line there, and I don't know if it could have done so at Byfleet Junction?

Oh. I was told second or even third hand we didn't stop at Basingstoke on the return as here were no customers due to alight here.

Tangy looked and sounded superb. Only got a glance at the 8F as we passed it on the way into Swanage, but that looked lovely too.

 

Hello Night Owls / Morning All,

The light was fading badly by the time the train came through Farnborough so my pictures are no more than a record of the occasion. However, they're now on Flickr if anyone is interested to see them :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/

 

My pics & vid from this afternoon & evening - we all had put 2&2 together that there was a problem with Tangmere when she was getting later & later, couple with the station announcer at Andover constantly apologising for the late running of the 2045 service which was due to a preceding broken down train.....

Tangmere's move to Salisbury:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bSSrsOdTCs0hxLVG34MO2g?feat=directlink

48151:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PHe7q4SrwrfjlqGTD1_2cg?feat=directlink

Tangmere splendidly racing along:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyRV4XHWF0k

 

Ah Sweetktg, guess you were the guy in the black t-shirt then at Dunbridge. I was the young chap on the opposite side. Will upload my video's from Millbrook & Dunbridge in the next couple of days.

 

Alan,

Brother Don was timing by stopwatch from the correct side of the train. And I was using his GPS on the wrong side, taking a speed every 20 seconds or so, (ie no mileposts). And was having a bit of a fight with the lineside vegetation that was hitting the coach side and trying to grab the aerial from time to time! Plus a couple of GPS freezes. So I only have a very long list of times and speeds and a few locations, and no mileposts at present. The minimum I got on Porton with the GPS was 44.6 mph 10.40 secs from the start. Don and I will sort out a final log between us: we've been doing that since 1960!

And yes. I was delighted the up London train wasn't sent up in front from Salisbury. Good on NR for that! Wonderful to get the fast line from Salisbury all the way to Woking. And the loco crew may have known we were going to catch something at Woking? So, even though the up Salisbury train was right on our tail, knew it wasn't worth running at 75 mph just to sit outside of Woking. Or "Stop All Junction" as the Salisbury Top Link crews used to call it!

Whatever. That was my first run with a "Flat top" fast from Salisbury to the Woking area since Freddie Hoare's wonderful 9th April 1964 11 car up ACE run with 34002. Just over 76 minutes net on the 80 minute schedule. And Fred at Waterloo commenting in his broad West Country accent as to the quality of the signalmen who stopped us for several minutes near Brookwood! 47 on Porton and 71 over Enham.

Bryan

 

After doing the Salisbury bits I arrived at Farnborough, 34067 stormed through on the fast

in a thick cloud of black smoke. Really bringing back memories of the Flat tops in the sixties for me.

Great stuff.

Mike M. ( 70c)

 

Typical Flat Top! Loads of black smoke. Could smell it in the train of course. Wonderful.

The crew had just opened up through Farnborough. Just under 64 mph through there, 66.5 at Sturt Lane Junction and 65 over MP 31.

 

Very good day out yesterday thanks to every one involved,looking forward to the Weymouth trip if she can keep to the schedual there will be some fast running

 

Video now up guys, nothing special but not often you see the 8f down here in the south!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Shoddy127?feature=mhee

 

I had an overnight in a travel inn near Farnborough so just managed to get out to a nearby overbridge between Fleet and Farnborough. The link below is to a simple "record shot" of Tangmere on the fast line just after Fleet. The light was fading fast and the bridge jumped about as cars passed so not a masterwork but the smell lingered on and on and ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIWed_LY1H0

Chris

 

Another couple of views here from NE Hants. First on the return at Fleet, not sure if I've caught anyone's relatives in this view. 34067 seems to be displaying the correct disc code for its destination, London Victoria, correct me if I'm wrong. Then at Winchfield in the morning, a view showing the fine orange and black lining on 34067. Ron, it looks like the old bridge at Farnborough has been removed without trace.

 

The new footbridge at Farnborough is now in use although you can still see where the old bridge used to be. As the new bridge has glass sides at 'camera level', I'm not sure how good it would be for pictures. Perhaps I'll give it a try sometime.

 

Some pictures here including "through the windows".

http://notroswell.com/2011/05/farnborough-station-has-a-new-footbridge/