The Devonian 22nd October

Incidentally, the forecast for Friday night is showing a large band of heavy rain stretching across Ireland, northern England and Scotland. I don't think fire risk will be a problem, certainly not on the return!

 

This close to departure date, the "actual timings" posted on RTC's site today should be reliable. It would be unusual (but not completely unknown) for them to change in the last 5 days. The inclusion of Bristol times is interesting. I had assumed it would be routed via Castle Cary, though the on-line description doesn't say which route they take between Westbury and Taunton. It's quite possible for steam to haul the train from and to Westbury via Bristol.

Final timings are supposed to be confirmed at least 2 weeks before the tour, and in theory shouldn't be more than about 20 mins different from the approximate times in the original description. However, they often do show up to an hour's difference, usually departing earlier and returning later than first suggested. Sometimes, Network Rail's first "final" times will be unacceptable to the tour promoter, e.g. departure is before the first connecting train arrives, or the route has been changed for some reason. In this case a bit of horse trading occurs behind the scenes, such as adding an extra pick-up (to get a better connection) or juggling loop stops. This further delays publication of the final details.

Wandering into the realms of speculation, it looks to me like there was a problem using the Castle Cary route (Gauging? Engineering? Pathing? Who knows...), and so now they're going via Bristol instead. In order to cover the extra miles with steam, they have to leave earlier and return later. The alternative may have been diesel traction between Westbury and Bristol but keeping nearer to the advertised times. Malc or Melton North may have a better idea of the background and the options available in this case.

 

If those times are correct there is no connecting train for me at Eastleigh unless i want to risk a 3 minute connection.

 

With a departure time from Westbury at 08:57 and a departure from Bristol TM at 10:15 , I assume water will be replenished at Bristol. <BJ>

 

uksteam now showing 6024 and 70013 running light to Bristol not Westbury on Friday. Suggests steam from Bristol only?

 

4 days to go and still being finalised, great

 

No problem, still time to paint the locos a different colour!!!

 

I have got some timings,they may be final,they may not. Either way,they will give a good idea,they are below:

1Z71
Poole 06:09
Bournemouth 06:22-28
Brockenhurst 06:48-07:00
Southampton Central 07:18-20
Eastleigh 07:30-32
Salisbury 08:09-21
Westbury 08:53-57
Bristol Temple Meads 09:44-10:15
Uphill Jc 10:38
Bridgwater 10:52
Taunton 11:04 (Booked through on middle platform)
Whiteball 11:17
Tiverton Loop 11:23-12:03
Exeter St Davids 12:19 (Booked non-stop Plt4)
Dawlish Warren 12:30
Newton Abbot 12:39
Dainton Tunnel 12:44
Totnes 12:56
Plymouth 13:29

5Z72 (We all know what this move is!)
Plymouth 13:45 (Plat 8)
Lipson Jc 13:50
Mount Gould Jc 13:54-58
Laira Jc 14:05
Tavistock Jc 14:13-15:58
Laira Jc 16:06
Plymouth 16:14 (Plat 7)

1Z73
Plymouth 16:29
Hemerdon 16:41
Ivybridge 16:49
Totnes 17:01
Dainton Tunnel 17:07
Newton Abbot 17:11
Dawlish Warren 17:22
Exeter St Davids 17:35-18:13
Whiteball 18:38
Taunton 18:48-58
Bridgwater 19:09
Bristol Temple Meads 19:49-20:19
Bath Spa 20:31
Westbury 20:53-57
Salisbury 21:24-37
Romsey 22:13
Eastleigh 22:34-42
Southampton Central 22:52-56
Bournemouth 23:32-35
Poole 23:46

Very long day from Poole!


Cheers,
Mark

 

UKsteam.info has just been updated to show steam from Bristol instead of Westbury.

(later) Outline times now on UKsteam "to be updated". Steam from Bristol at 10:15.

 

Darn it, there goes my visit to Westbury

 

deleted.

 

Are they turning the whole train then?

Tickets confirm Bristol-Plymouth steam.

 

Looks like it to me, a Class 5 headcode is 'empty stock', light engine is class 0, that said class 5 is used for engine & support coach moves.

 

Put it this way. Its turned the last 2 times steam has double headed to Plymouth and its not just WCRC that do it before anyone thinks I am blaming them solely.....

 

I was on the Mayflower last year with Nunney and Bittern, that wasn't turned, was it this year?

 

Will the King be on the front?

 

The Nunney/Bittern trip this year which was extremely annoying,to the extent that a group sat near us threatened never to travel again. If you ask me its like paying to sit in the front room..............

All depends which way the stock is to start with or if indeed it does turn at all,if its at the front both ways WCRC/RTC/NR will be heroes if stds at the back all day they will be the target of much annoyance from those passengers who actually want to hear the loco. Instead of those who prefer shoving food down their throats relentlessly.....

Just having a think back and maybe it was just this one trip that turned,it was a DB trip a couple of years back with 71000/67 which was turned but this was more down to operational problems I believe.

Either way it gives people a good reason to not go on the trips if all they are going to here is the wheel flat on the back coach!

 

Could it be anything to do with NR not allowing/charging extra for the stock being left in the station rather than taken out to the servicing point?

 

When 4965/5043 went to Plymouth the stock was left in plat 8 while the loco's went to service and turn and that was a WCRC working so whatever it is, it appears not to be a issue of the TOC's making.

I should also add that on that day there were 3 charters in Plymouth at one point as well as regular traffic (the 67 hauled VSOE and 40145/D1015 if your wondering about the other two) so it appears station 'congestion' is not a regular issue.

 

Letter from RTC today revealing a slight change in the times on the return run after Salisbury, now arriving about 1/2 hour earlier.