Cath Ex - Canterbury Thurs 28th July

I see now that this trip is with 70000, although Steam Dreams confirmed it was definitely going to be 34067 yesterday. The letter today states the reason of the change was because 34067 has been taken north by its owners to cover for locomotive shortages. Obviously booking an engine many months in advance means nothing, especially when it can be booked on other tours meaning it would not be in a position to work the original booking. I can understand last minute loco changes due to failures etc, but to have one due to the advertised loco being booked on another trip the week leading up to the tour, when there are several other available engines is very poor and should not be accepted.

 

Annoying it must be. And I've been waiting for the times to see if they are worth a long day out behind Tangmere.

But I doubt such a change would be made unless it was really needed.

And I'm currently thinking about a trip or two on the Tuesday Weymouth train, (with brother Don). Would like 70000/34067, then 30777/34067 if the Arthur joins the roster later in the summer. So I need to watch this one carefully as I most certainly do not want to travel to Weymouth behind a sharp pointy machine! Etc. Just have to risk booking at the very last moment I guess.

 

The thing is, do you run one train as booked and one train with a Diesel, or do you rejig what's rostered and run both trips with a Steam loco ?, annoying as it must be to lose the advertised loco, i'd still rather have a steam loco of any description than be lumbered with a 47, so i think what WCRC has done is the lesser of two evils.

 

There are other available engines to work the Scarborough Flyer/CME without having to use 34067. Why remove an engine booked and advertised on a tour for months, when there others available which have not been advertised to work certain trains (part of pools)?

 

While there might be other engines available, support crews might not be available. I believe it was suggested elsewhere that a class 7 or 8 loco was required for the Scarborough Flyers' which would limit the options available.

 

It's all a bit of a mess at the moment and I can understand Duke71000's frustration at this. It depends what you want - I tend to go for routes I want to do behind steam rather than for specific locos. Just as well as only 2 of the last 10 tours I have done have been worked by the originally advertised loco. It makes you wonder why they bother to advertise a loco for a particular tour months in advance when the chances are that it will have a) failed, b) been nicked for another tour or c) not got its mainline certificate yet. I'm just grateful that none of my trips ended up box-hauled though!

 

Did it last year behind sharp pointy thing and can assure you that I survived the experience. Just keep saying "at least it's not a box" for 5 hours and you'll feel much better. Return trip was better as it was with 30777 except that I slept through some of it having consumed too much beer in Weymouth!

 

LOL!

I'm just not interested in travelling behind sharp pointy things on my old patch. To me that would be no different to having a box on the front. Sharp pointy things should be running North out of the Cross, when a pathway can be found for them!

I'll accept a Brit though, they did get into the SR, ie., Kent, and in a very grand way.

Just going to have to hang around waiting until almost the day before each trip to see what will haul it and if I can still get a seat. Indeed to get the locos I want I'll stand all day if I have to.

 

Looks as though,judging by UKSteam,this trip in stopping at HOUNSLOW...yet on the SteamDreams site..nothing!
...Ah!the ghost station,maybe Harry Potter is boarding...anyone know why?

Thanks.

 

Presumably now the film series has ended he's got to go somewhere else for work?

Or he's fed up with getting mileage behind 5972 and wants a run behind a Brit?

 

Water stop, she won't get from Overton to Canterbury on one tank.

 

Yes,been confirmed,Duke....Hounslow is one of the 5 stops for water on the trip.

 

Some fairly tight timings on the trip between Salisbury and Woking in both directions.

15 minutes from Farnborough to Basingstoke, start to stop in the evening is pushing it for a heavy train. Just over 14.5 miles.

But it's quite hard for me to fit in, and in any case I'm going to Minsmere tomorrow in the hope of seeing a Bittern. The bird. Not the A4! LOL!

 

cant do midweek trips because of work so will have to see train on its return i often watched black standards restart heavy commuter trains from farnborough cant believe nearly 50 years on i will be able to do so again!!!! even though this black standard has an extra pair of wheels and no name

 

Hope to catch the trip around lunch time

 

Are you sure you're not looking for a Dominion of New Zealand bird? Can be confused with a bittern but is distinguishable by it's blue feathers and red feet. It's natural habitat is up the East Coast but sightings in the South West have become increasingly common.

 

Running a few minutes late at Pirbright at around 9:48.

 

My picture of her this morning crossing the St Mary Bourne viaduct:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e0-6lScYDKDRZYGUfTfeqQ?feat=directlink

 

My efforts from this morning near Fleet; they are in the set dated 28th July :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/collections/72157627090322278/

This is the 'Stop Press!' collection for new pictures; they are also in the 'Main Line Stream' set : http://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/collections/72157627155603462/

 

And a view from Pirbright this morning, although I need to edit out the track worker(s) at some point: