CATHEDRALS EXPRESS LONDON - YEOVIL - WEYMOUTH 9 JULY

Full credit to the organisers of this trip. It follows on from the railtour on Sunday where Tangmere could not reach Weymouth because of the severe flooding and the organisers quickly diverted the train to Yeovil Jct and Salisbury. This has been a very good week for Network Rail and the tour promoters. <BJ>

 

Funny old day! Rob and myself set off from Eastleigh in the morning not knowing where we were to end up going.
We were in the signalbox at Salisbury looking at the Network rail photographs of the mess down at Axminster when we got the tip off that the line down to Dorchester had reopened.
On a personal level, it would not have bothered me if we had had to come back up via Salisbury. I do like working the route and it can be quicker than the bournmouth line.
The SWT train service pattern had been changed due the the line being shut beyond Yeovil so we were to wait for an up sevice at Tisbury rather than rattle through there. Under our origional pathing a short wait at Wilton would then have given a straight through run to Yeovil, which would have been a lot quicker climb up to Semley.
Having said that I supose the distant would still have been on for Gillingham! Even though there was nothing in front of us.
The climb up from Templecombe to Milborne Port was alot better than I had hoped for. Rob was egging me on to use more steam to save here from blowing off. Who was I to turn down that request!
We were up to 75 not long after the top so I was on the brakes down to Sherborne.
And for those who wish to think about it, we could easily got into the 90's without any effort.
150 psi in the steam chest at 25% cut-off would have got us there no trouble.
But not only are we not allowed, she's an old girl now and although extreamly well maintained, I don't want to break her.
I wish to have many more trips with her.
I did not go all smoothly though, for all our best intentions, we did get it wrong out of Weymouth!
Rob was in the hot seat coming home with me looking after the fire. We had her just as we would have wanted her at Weymouth, so we thought, but we picked the water up at Radipole. Hence Rob shutting off and opening the drain cocks.
Very quick response is needed in the cab by both driver and fireman to save any damage being done. No hesitation, no discussion, instant action by both of us. We were back under control within seconds and no where near getting to a critical position, but it knocked the stuffing out of us having a good climb. Dave, on the 66, gave us a little help but not much more than taking the weight of the 66 off us. We probably would have got up to Bincombe un-aided but it would have been a struggle and after all the 66 was there to to help us. We also had a schedule to keep.
Everything was 'back as we would like it' by Dorchester with a pretty straight forward run back to Eastleigh for us.

Glad everyone on the train enjoyed themselves.

Wayne Thompson

 

Totally correct about steam running in the 80s and 90s in real steam days. There were never schedules anywhere that demanded that. It did happen sometimes with late running trains, or crews that just wanted to have a go. And then for the SR swansong which was unique to BR, a combination of a lot of young steam crews and a good number of steam enthusiasts not much younger they had got to know very well. Even then the really high speeds were rarely maintained for any distance, with some exceptions.

I did get my best spell of speed on the up ACE after a 6 late departure off Salisbury one day. We averaged 80.05 mph for 50 miles, with a max of 89. Then got clobbered in the London area so were still 6 late into Waterloo! But that average over that distance was unusual. Even back then you'd catch something, somewhere on most days. Usually at Woking, or the Bils being put out onto the main in front at Surbiton. Their turnround at Waterloo was very short, so an inbound delay meant a delayed outbound. Not so with a steam hauled express which had lots of time at Waterloo before the stock came out on the next working.

On the SR a two hour Bournemouth to Waterloo train could be timed without hardly going over 70. The ACE in either direction to Salisbury from Waterloo without touching 80. Indeed work I have done on the 75 mph limit shows a MN and 11 cars could just do Waterloo-Salisbury in 80 mins with no more then 75 mph, including the 40mph tsr after MP 31. But would need dispensation to run at 80 mph for an 80 minute run now because of extra steam speed checks around Clapham and Earlsfield. I don't think that would cause too many problems if it were ever permitted. With 35028 of course. The MNs showed they are a very fast, vey capable steam locomotive even when badly run down in the last few months.

Oh, the nostalgia continues!

 

Many thanks for that Wayne.

From the lovely climb up the grade away from Gillingham I have to say my suspicions are on a signalman there with a tape recorder. LOL! To get up to and the hold 46½ on the 1/100 was rather nice. It sounded superb from the front of the front passenger coach.

Yes, we have been dreaming about a MN running very fast again here. We do from time to time, it's much better than getting on with the things we ought to be doing. But we know it will almost certainly only ever be dreams. They showed how fast they can run in the last years of normal steam. Well, no, that's not right. No one actually knows what one will run up to. But we only have one left on the main line, and we sure join you in your sentiment about it not getting broken! I think rather a lot of us here are quite keen on you getting a good number of future trips with Clan Line too.

Very helpful info about the climb out of Weymouth. And from the back coach we did feel the diesel was doing little more than taking it's own weight.

Anyway Wayne. It was a quite superb day. My group of 16, nearly all of whom were together timing steam on the SR in the 1960s, had a truly wonderful day together again, (almost noisier than the loco at times, that was me, and I do apologies to those unfortunates seated near us). And that great day was all down to you and your colleagues. Thank you.

Cheers,

Bryan

 

As hoped for prior to the tour I was able to earwig when Bryan and his mates were talking about the old days! I was sitting in the next bay of seats. Just one complaint, Bryan. Next time try not to allow everyone to talk at once!
It even gave me the chance to thank Jim Lester for writing his book "Southern Region Engineman" which is due another read.

Regards,

Paul

 

Not much I can add to all that has been written, except to say that really the 75 limit is a bit silly for engines of the calibre of Clan Line. As Wayne wrote it would have been very easy to have let Clan Line run up into the 90s down past Sherborne. Not a lot of strain on the engine from this or indeed from running at 80-85 instead of 75 up the racing stretch from Basingstoke.

Yes a day that will live long in the memory. I could hardly believe the unchecked run over such a long distance and that wonderful dash down past Woking. Averaged over 70 mph for over 60 miles.

Brother Don

 

Many thanks Wayne,

As ever your post tour commentary adds further value to what was already a fantastic and very memorable day.

I was at the back of the train leaving Weymouth so not aware of all that was going on at the Front of the train. Surprised therefore to read of your anxious moments at Radipole. Obviously, you and Rob contained the situation superbly and averted potential damage so well done both of you for using good old fashioned experience and skill and keeping the show on the road so to speak.

Monday was my first steam special on the LSWR for over 10 years. Clan Line has always been my favourite main line steam loco, and is a tribute to those that look after her. That said, I've always been aware what a difference the footplate crew can make, and yours and your colleagues efforts on Monday were truly representative of the "cream"

I think I speak for all on this forum, and elsewhere, when I take pleasure in joining you in looking forward to many more great trips with 35028 and others in the future.

Many thanks once again, and pease keep posting on here. It's great reading !


Best wishes,


Hamish Hallewell

 

A cracking day out well done and thank you to all those who made it happen.

Does anyone know how many alterations had to be made to the SWT timetable to give us a clear run in? I think we passed 3 units on the slow, were any held in stations to let us through or is there a decent path at that time of the day?

So how are Steam Dreams going to top it next year, 35028 to Exeter with a decent path?

 

I leap frogged 35028 3 times by service train, and had a good half hour at Southampton.
Nothing was delayed or held.
i was on the XC service from Southampton, ahead of the XCservice at Southampton, (immediately, with approx 1 minute gaps) was 1. 66070 (light engine ex 35028), 2. 66+train), 3. 35028 and finally the 4. 2000 SWT Waterloo service..

XC was on time but was held for a few minutes at Eastleigh (assume it was to get everything safely in the loop + crew change), we passed 66070 south of Eastleigh, then a distance ahead of Eastleigh we passed 66frtliner together 35028 in the same loop.

At Basingstoke 35028 was on the fast, nothing I front, one stopping service on the slow ahead of it, then 8 minutes behind was the frtliner66 (it had put a considerable distance ahead of it) .. Finally another nonstop SWT EMU came up fast nonstop... But considerably slower...

In short 35028 was on fire ! Leaving everything behind and all clear up front.

 

Great reports guys from what seems a very memorable trip!

Not that an excuse is needed but I'm going to post this video again, taken from Woking on the return...... WOW!!!!!

End Of Steam Special: 35028 at speed at Woking - YouTube

Always great to hear the info from the business end up front, thanks Wayne and a pat on the back to SD for organising a great run!

 

On fire? Don't start me off again! LOL!

But the late Gordon Porter lived at Basingstoke and knew quite a few of the staff there.

And when he was on the 19.15 ex Southampton, (Up two hour Bournemouth express), they used to have one of those staff he knew standing by with a wide broom, shovel etc.

As, with a 60 mph restriction at Worting, rather a lot of regulator and quite a long cut off was needed to get from 60 mph at Worting to anywhere near the three figure mark below Winchfeld. So as we went though Basingstoke in the 80s the loco usually left rather a lot of cinders, some still on fire, all over the up fast patform! It was a stupendous experience on the train seeing an almost sheet of flame bouncing down onto the platform as we raced through, whistle sounding, train rocking and rolling all over the place.

Not quite as good if you were on the platform and had your best clothes on, but in those days unlikely as there were no other trains around. And not many people could afford best clothes anyway!

Maybe Gordon should have eased back a bit as he only did get the 100 at Winchfield once, a max of 103 - 104 behind 35028. Possibly having left too much of what should have been steam raising fire on the up fast platform.

Brother Don was on that 100 mph run. It was one I missed. I can only think I had been padlocked into the classroom at college that day. Or I was out on location as a trainee with the only person in BR that actually enjoyed having us trainees tagging along behind all day, rather than taking the first chance to tell us to b..ger off home so they could get on with their work as was more usual.

Although sometimes, as happened with me in the S&T department when I was training there, the "staff" b..ggered off with me. Armed with a couple of footplate passes, and we went and travelled down on the Merchant at the head of the 10.30 Waterloo-Bournemouth. One of the aforesaid footplate passes finding it's way in to my pocket afterwards. Only to be taken away by my training officer some weeks later when news of my 106 mph footplate ride on 35003 with Fred Burridge on that fabulous night in Late June 1967 got to him. "Future Chief Accountants do not need such passes and should be at home studying and not riding around on steam engines at night". Or similar. Amazing that I did actually become Chief Accountant some years later, especially as my many steam loco bunk offs etc from college got me the worst report of any in my class that year, "And Bryan is definitely the worst at accounting", said the College Head, (but damned good at timing very fast steam locos from the footplate I said under my breath). LOL!

Oh dear. These 9th July trips always have me wallowing in nostalgia for days afterwards. Sorry.

Cheers,

Bryan

 

No need to apologise - it's fun for us young ones to hear your stories from the "good old days". One wonders what Elf and Safety would make of hot coals being dropped all over platforms these days!

Personally I'm still on a high after Monday's run - my wife thinks I'm on the happy pills!

 

Can I tell you Ralph that I never got a balance sheet to balance once during my four years of training to be an accountant! During course work or exams! Not once.

BUT, when it mattered, I did when it was down to me personally to produce the reconstructed BR balance sheet after the 1974 Railways Act, (or was it 1975?). And all subsequent ones after I became chief bean counter. Suddenly, after all those years of training, it just clicked.

OH, I see, the figures on both sides have to add up to the same number! Well now, how novel, I doubt it will catch on, but if that's what you want I know how to do it now. LOL!

And then some idiot in Parliament made us start doing vertical balance sheets! Companies Act 1985 I think.

 

Yes, wonderful stories. It's big brother Don who is now doing much of the writing on those days, I'm writing about Owls instead! Although I did pinch some of his notes of those last few hours in July 1967 and read them out from time to time on Monday! Don really captured the moment. Wonderful to read them again.

Not sure if Don is working on an article, or preferably a book that puts down so much of all the action and the other bits that went on in the 1960s. I know he has a lot of it very well documented in his original note books. All in red ink. As it still is today, and as all my timing notes are still done. Family tradition.

Cue Big Brother to post here about a best seller he is writing! LOL!

 

I'll second that. No need to apologise Bryan. I always enjoy reading your stories on here. I hope that you and your brother get them into print one day. I am sure it would be a bestseller!

 

I think for next year which will be the 46th anniversary a southern loco with the number 46 should be used. Surely 34046 Braunton should be out and about on the mainline by then and of course it would be its first 9 July working.

 

What a good idea. Let's hope those responsible for its overhaul are reading this. I can't believe the number of false starts there've already been.