Cathedrals Express to Cardiff, 20th August.

Steam Dreams Cathedrals Express charter to Cardiff on 20th August.

Clan Line is now booked to haul the train vice Princess Elizabeth. <BJ>

 

As a "Southern" man living in exile in Gloucestershire I'm delighted by the change of motive power, and looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with No.35028 early next week. I could probably content myself with just hearing the whistle from my garden as it passes by about 5 miles away on the Gloucester-Lydney line, but will probably go and see it. I hope the weather is a bit better by then!

 

Yep, a very interesting change! Good to see Clan Line around in the west for once!

 

Really looking forward to this tour, even more so now it's Clan Line. Would this be the first time she'll have done Sapperton Bank?

 

I do remember a southern rebuilt engine stalling on the climb to Sapperton near Marley Lane bridge on the Chalford Viaduct in the early 90's as i was only 5 or 6 at the time and now 26, dont hold me to it, it might have been Clan Line or another it might have been Taw Valley, very looking forward to seeing Clan Line though as she is usually London based.

 

It'll be nice to see her in my local area for a change, funnily enough, the other day a friend and myself were talking about how nice it would be to see Clan Line up Sapperton and on this tour as well. Talk about coincidence!

 

Any times available? Nothing on UKSteam yet.

 

There are some provisional times on Steam Dreams' site here: Steam Dreams - operators of The Cathedrals Express steam train trips

 

Thanks - checked SD website and found actual times now posted:
Steam Dreams - operators of The Cathedrals Express steam train trips

 

Looks like a great set of times! Rather late on Sapperton, around 8pm, could be some great videos/photos.

 

IIRC, it was August Bank Holiday Monday 1989. As well as the tour coaches, there were two support coaches in the formation that were well-loaded with tools and spares, since the MNLPS was moving its base from Hereford to Southall. I was waiting with a Super-8 cine camera near Frampton Mansell with a couple of others. We heard the train approaching, getting slower and finally slip to a stand. The light was too poor for cine by then anyway, so I packed up and went home. I believe she was eventually "assisted in rear" by a following up train. Fortunately, most of them were loco-hauled at that time. Neither the current DMUs nor an HST would be much use in similar circumstances today - unless it was one of the rare HST sets with normal buffers!

Much as I'd like to have seen Lizzie on Sapperton, I'm really pleased to hear that Clan Line has been rostered for this. However, it does make me wonder why Lizzie is shown on the UKsteam loco movements page as moving from Tyseley to Southall tomorrow (Fri 17th)? Maybe she's working the West Somerset train on Saturday in place of Bittern? There was a suggestion in the Torbay Express thread that Bittern might be hauling doing the TBX this Sunday. Which loco will work The Cathedrals Express to Worcester on Thursday?

 

Timings now on Steam Dreams website. May still be in daylight by the time it reaches Sapperton on the return.

 

Any updates?

 

Try @ClanLine28 on Twitter - they are posting from on board. A couple of minutes down approaching reading apparently.

 

Through Tilehurst a few minutes down. Nice to see Clan Line on something other than the VSOE.
I hope First Group run the WCML better than they run FGW! The local service due in front of 35028 was actually announced, then showed as delayed & then finally cancelled! Ironic that passengers waiting for the cancelled service sat there & watched a steam train sail straight past them. What a shambolic way to run a railway service, just cancel trains without a by or leave. Blow the "customers", well watch out FG the "customers" might vote with their feet & use some other means of transport.
On a more positive note for those with mobile internet devices, Tilehurst Station now has free Wi-Fi. All you have to do is to sign up to "The Cloud". My mobile accessed this forum no bother. Wish I realised last week with the 71000 issue. Mobile network access is a bit iffy & expensive.

 

Presuming that today's train has the same 'Steam Dreams' mixed stock as normal, can someone tell me which end of the train the blue and grey Mk.2 is hanging? Thanks. <BJ>

 

Arrived Swindon on time.

 

From the National Rail website...

Virgin Trains

The following services will be CANCELLED each hour:


•3 minutes past the hour London Euston to Birmingham New Street
•20 minutes past the hour London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly
•50 minutes past the hour Birmingham New Street to London Euston
•15 minutes past the hour Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston

(Not Virigin's fault - due to derailed engineer's train at Bletchley, but, without knowing the full facts, the cancelled FGW service may not be their fault either).

 

A video fimed on the West London Line 35028 Clan Line, on The West London Line, with the Cathedrals Express to Cardiff , 20/08/2012 - YouTube

 

Couple of screenshots from my videos so far, first seen east of Swindon at Ashbury Crossing near Shrivenham, then on the north bound climb up Sapperton at Coates. Don't worry I'm not tresspassing there, it's on a public crossing.