Steam dreams adding three locomotives for 2012 program!

Good to hear the news about the green set as it was getting very tired.

Don

 

I missed that one! Must have been out training somewhere under "lock down" conditions in a BR Finance Department, (they were very severe with us poor hard done by trainees. They actually made us work office hours). If it had been with the S&T or Civil Engineers etc not only would I have been able to escape from training, they would most likely have sent me off with a footplate pass as well! And I couldn't have been at College. Located near Earlsfield and so easy to bunk off from to get up to Waterloo quickly in a real emergency. Like when Gordon Porter and 35028 were on the up "Club Train".

Leaving my best run with 35028 on what was a superb day in late July 1964.

Down ACE with Salisbury's Fred Hoare and Pete Allen on the footplate. 11 cars and a 2 late start from Waterloo. 1/2 min early into Salisbury. After a severe tsr at Allington and a signal stop outside of Salisbury. Net time not much more than 72 minutes for the 83.7 miles. Usual 90 though Andover. Came back With 35009 and 12 on the up ACE and the Hill/Bacon combination, (a great shame there wasn't a Salisbury driver with Sandwich as his surname). Left Salisbury around 6 late and would have been almost on time into Waterloo but for a signal stop right outside. We averaged 80.05 mph for the 50.1 miles from Overton to Earlsfield, my longest ever 80 mph average. Max of 89 mph below Basingstoke. And rather fast running through the London suburbs. But the Salisbury drivers on the up ACE took it as their right to do that if running late. Got an even time Basingstoke to Woking on the fill in turn to Basingstoke and back. Then an even time to Andover on the 19.00 ex Waterloo, with 35009 and Hill/Bacon. Nothing special. Just a good timekeeping run.

 

'Yawnado'? Oh grow up.

 

True but on certain days DBS will need 2 or 3 coaching sets, which means dragging out the 'rainbow' if the Blood & Custards are otherwise engaged, and if you need a third set that day you may even have to resort to some dreaded ex Cross Country Air Cons, certainly DBS are not in the position to be able to offer as many suitable ( as in pressure ventilated and well presented interenally & externally) vehicles as WCRC can.

 

Tornado was over a repair, to the cylinders I believe being carried out by a contractor not endorsed by WCRC, although the repair was carried out to a perfectly satisfactory level. I don't know the ins and outs so cannot and will not comment further.

 

I am a little new to this internet stuff, but I believe one of the magazines said that it was due to a contractor who WCR didn't like even though they have done other engines. Must be a bit worrying for the Great Western Society as the same contractor is shown fitting the liners to Pendennis Castle in the latest Railway Magazine, although it may not be a main line engine.

Stephen

 

Im Sure 71000 non acceptance is over seam welded tubes.

Tail wagging the dog..........

 

Tornado - unacceptable - seemed to do Crewe to Glasgow and back in a day perfectly acceptably for a state owned TOC - albeit not a UK country! and those friends of mine who were on board - was it industrial espionage?

 

The comment wasn't meant to cause any fuss just wondered whether 4079 wouldn't be approved by West Coast following that the GWS have also used same contractor.

Sorry if any offence caused.

 

With the Olympics looming, 2012 could be be a very busy year for coaching stock providers. <BJ>

 

I have read elsewhere that WCRC has just been stocking upm on Mark 2 air-cons - so perhaps they have done rather well in the tender for Olympic Relief trains......

Steven

 

Although matching sets are pleasing to the eye, multi-colour 'rainbow' sets are nothing new. I clearly remember watching steam-hauled stock in the 1960s from my home in Exmouth as they steamed through Starcross on the opposite side of the Exe estuary. Most of the time they contained both maroon and blue/grey stock. In other places a mixtures including crimson/cream, green, chocolate/cream and blue/grey wouldn't have been unusual. In fact at many times in railway history, when new coaching liveries were introduced, there would have been times of transition when rakes of stock would contain a mixture of liveries.

So I don't think it unauthentic or undesirable when we see mixed liveries today. Logistics, budgets and practicality are probably higher up the agenda than we'd like to think!

John.

 

On the original subject: nice to see SD using DoG. Let's hope she's in good health. Personally, I'd be surprised to see Clan Line on SD trains. When there has been a gap in her VSOE schedule recently, UK Railtours have had first refusal, but you never know, and I'm sure she'd be as big a draw as Tornado, if only because of her novelty value.

On the subject of coaches available to DBS-operated trains: don't forget the Riviera chocolate & cream set. IIRC, it was stabled at Bristol last summer and used on all the Torbay Expresses.

As far as mixed rakes are concerned - they don't look quite as attractive from the outside, but the important thing is what they are like inside: they should be clean and cumfy, with no flat wheels, windows that open and close where they're supposed to and working lights and heating. It's nicer if the liveries more-or-less match the era of the loco, of course. I'll just say that I'm glad to see the back of the Pilkington set - bright green Mark 1s with orange and sky-blue flashes on the ends were too garish, though the sponsorship money was welcome, I'm sure, to keep them running when they might have been scrapped.

F2G has a good point about the Olympics next year. Don't expect many steam specials while the games are on, and none to Weymouth.

BTW, what happened to the "Ocean Liner" set? I have some nice video from the mid 1990's of Clan Line with a rake of green Mk1 coaches. Proper job!

 

I think it may be condition of some of the coaches in the "rainbow" set rather than the mix of colours that has caused most comment.

 

Well yet again we seem to be going over the diesel on the back debate without moderator admonishments. Why should this be different?

 

I'm in a very similar position and would love another trip behind 35028. My first ever mainline run was behind 35028 on a Canterbury Belle in January 1998 I must have been about 6 as well then she was also my first loco I went out to see at Haywards Heath on a VSOE again in 1998 after one of my old Primary School teacher's told me her husband was part of the footplate crew. Then I went to Yeovil on The Treacle Eater in 1999 with her.

Now 34046 and 35028 double heading would be great as would 35028 and 34067 (if she's part of the SD fleet next year).

Also on the loco page on the SD site it has 5029 Nunney Castle, 6201 Princess Elizabeth, 46115 Scots Guardsman and 6024 King Edward I listed along with 60163 Tornado, 4492 Dominion of New Zealand, 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, 70000 Britannia, 70013 Oliver Cromwell, 30777 Sir Lamiel, 34067 Tangmere and 35028 Clan Line although 34046 Braunton has yet to be added. 5029 is another new one I'd thought as I don't think she's done any SD trips.

 

The Cornish Riviera 2010, Worcester 2010, Worcester 2005, Gloucester 2005 and Cranmore and Wells in 2005.