The Swanage Belle - 15th October 2011

UKsteam now shows 70013 leaving Swanage on the 21st Oct:http://www.uksteam.info/tours/lem11.htm#twk

 

This tour has made it on to the BBC news website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-15320775

 

My video from Pot Bridge this morning:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqnyMPseBuM&feature=feedu

 

Until I opened the link, I thought it is was for all the wrong reasons. Even so it is typical media codswallop, "The 60yo Oliver Cromwell" like they are talking about a person. I think they have their figures wrong as well, 60 years old which means it was built in 1951-not sure if that is correct or not. Whatever,they said it ran a 10 year service after they already said it was withdrawn in 1968. So it was either built in 1958! Or withdrawn in 1961. Both totally wrong as we all know. Finally, is it a NRM engine? Don't know who took it over after Bressingham. I'm sure it belongs to the 5305 Loco Association.

 

Yes it is an NRM loco,as is 30777.

 

From Wikipedia. So not too bad reporting.

 

Just to be absolutely clear both 70013 and 30777 are maintained by 5305 LA on behalf of the NRM

 

70013 seen passing Addlestone this morning.http://stephenleek.smugmug.com/Rail...Steam-2011/17580045_BxQB2R#1530906982_xF4bRCZ

 

In fact the BBC were rather more accurate than their critic!

 

Just back from excellent day around the Corfe Castle area watching 70013, 34028, 34067, D6515 and the DMU set. 11 heavily loaded coaches on the special so I bet it sounded good up Parkestone Bank this evening.

One query - why was the Mk 2 B/end (S9392) that was the last one in the rake on the southbound down run shunted from what would have been the 2nd coach on the up train to again being tail end Charlie on the run back? Is this a post-Clapham safety limit on the number of Mk 2's allowed at the head end of a mixed rake as Tangmere's support coach is a Mk 2 (and that was up front on the way back) or simply that S9392 was carrying the guard and therefore shunted to the back for that reason.

As 70013's support coach is also a Mk 2 b/end therefore the train both ways had a Mk 2 top and tail with the Mk1s between.

 

John, as far as I know if the rear vehicle is a mark 1 it must be unoccupied so many charter run with a mark 2 as the rear vehicle.

 

My vid from this evening:
http://youtu.be/nznx3hlJ4s0

 

Tangmere stormed up Parkstone bank this evening with copious amounts of steam to spare and doing a very creditable impression of a volcano very spectacular! Oliver ssounded very nice briskly accelerating away from Branksome at dinner time. DH

 

A video of the return working approaching Harman's Cross on the Swanage Railway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO0RxOX3AjM

Dave

 

Thanks Spitfire, I had a feeling it was due to the Mk 1 rules post-Clapham but couldn't remember what the constraint was hence the query.

 

I managed to get a couple of clips of Ollie on todays tour, sadly the audio seems to have been playing up a little

[video=youtube;uTLVUaHD_TE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTLVUaHD_TE[/video]

 

I'll vouch for that. I've just got in from this trip and it was an all stops out climb. A real cracker.

 

Evening gents

Some photos from this morning at Winchfield now uploaded to the 2011 Mainline Steam gallery

http://railwaygalleries.smugmug.com/MainlineSteam/Steam-tours-in-2011/

Looked great although the passengers on the 10 minute late 450 held at the preceding signal didn't look pleased!

 

D6515 haulage of the whole train back to Southampton had been considered apparently but it was decided to use two steam locos instead. I'm sure the railtour passengers were glad that Plan B seemed to work well on the day.
Provisionally 70013 [+ support coach] will leave Swanage, for Bristol depot, on Friday in readiness for "The Devonian" on 22nd [double heading to Plymouth with 5029 ].
Nick, No doubt you'll be viewing the trip thundering through Taunton (around 1100?). Peter