VT – The Lickey Double Banker – 24 March 2012

Lizzie from Solihull / Dorridge to Bristol via Didcot, then returning directly through Cheltenham and banked up the Lickey incline by not one, but TWO Panniers.

The Double Lickey Banker featuring 6201 Princess Elizabeth & 7752 plus 9600 - Sat 24 Mar 2012

We did something similar a while ago – you couldn’t hear 6201 over the noise 9600 was making on the back. This time we will have 9600 and L94 shoving the Princess up the bank.

I feel I should personally knock on the doors of anyone that lives along the side of the railway and apologise in advance for the interruption to their Saturday afternoon….nahhh

This trip will leave Solihull quite early at approximately 7am so that we can get to Bristol, get the engines serviced and back up the Lickey in the daylight. The two panniers will wait at Bromsgrove and attach at the rear for the “assist” up the hill. Once we get over the top past Blackwell Summit and Bordesley Junction, the train will reverse with the two Panniers in the lead (bunker first) back to Solihull and Dorridge to drop off the passengers.

Let us not forget the outbound part of this journey that will have 6201 thundering along the Great Western mainline; with a water stop just south of Oxford, Lizzie will run non-stop through Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham, Box and Bath before finally coming to rest at Bristol Temple Meads.

We are all looking forward to a great day out!

PS – Not even a hint of a diesel on this one – why would we when we can use our two Panniers!

 

Provisional timings are now on uksteam t0324b.htm

 

Railway Magazine notes this trip as sold out -

It is NOT sold out - we have ticket available in all classes!

 

If anyone is concerned that 6201 might not be available for this tour, let me put your minds at ease.

We are expecting “Lizzie” back at Tyseley within the next 24>48 hours. It will be up to Steve Underhill and PELS, but we expect 6201 to need little or no further repairs.

So if you want to experience 6201 being given a hefty “shove” up the Lickey Incline, we still have a few seats available.

See you in a few weeks!

 

6201 is back in the yard and will be 100% ready for the Lixckey!

 

VT – The Lickey Double Banker – 24 March 2012

What are the official times of the princess leaving bromsgrove?? And what time will the panniers arrive?

 

Re: VT – The Lickey Double Banker – 24 March 2012

t0324b.htm

 

VT – The Lickey Double Banker – 24 March 2012

They are just provisional times..

has anyone received thier tickets and times?

 

Re: VT – The Lickey Double Banker – 24 March 2012

These are now the ACTUAL times. Tickets and timings arrived over a week ago!

 

VT – The Lickey Double Banker – 24 March 2012

Brilliant.. Does anyone know of a decent location on the incline..

I was thinking bromsgrove station.. Anybody got any better suggestions.. I'm thinking that all the fields will be jam packed full of enthusiasts

 

With a large portion of idiots who should remember trains coming down the incline are virtually silent and those ascending are not much louder.
Trespass at your peril.
I would not normally go on about this but, I have seen idiots climbing up to the tracks from Pikes Pool lane this has the potential to be very dangerous.
Remember you can always take more pictures but you have only got one life.

Cheers Dave

 

Re: VT – The Lickey Double Banker – 24 March 2012

The field off Pikes Pool Lane is probably the best shot on the Incline and I imagine this is where most people will congregate.

There's a shot further up the hill at Vigo, a crossing by an underbridge off one of the lanes at Burcot, but space at this location is limited and is often fully if your not there at least an hour in advance.

 

I've yet to find a good spot on the Lickey that's "right side" for the afternoon that's the right side of the fence.

 

Yep, the forecast is for glorious sunshine - not a cloud in the sky! :doh:

 

There was a rumour doing the rounds at the WSR gala that Lizzie might not be ready, and that 5043 would deputise. I really don't know the source of this - it may just be idle speculation that because "fact" after many re-tellings. I wonder if any of the good folks from Tyseley can confirm or quash the story?

 

I was down that way late yesterday afternoon looking to see if I could find the Beacon Hill location of a photo I saw from the 2010 Lickey and there was quite a heat haze. Hopefully not to be repeated on Saturday.
Alan.

 

Hopefully its too early in the year for much of a haze, unless some Brummy living by the track is having a bonfire!