The Cheltenham Flyer

A better idea Bryan - paint out the 3 on that Merchant Navy and rename it Clan Castle

 

Rectangle? On a round smoke box door? Classic art deco? Its got deco script on it, but thats about all. Anyway thats not your fault, blame the GWR. Could never get anything right,

 

Castle in profile anyone? Speeding past Uffington on the return leg. Did a bit of leveling to get it nice and straight and added in a HDR effect, just because I thought it looked nice

By the way, I love the large headboard, something different

 

Very nice shot Kristian, must have been a steady hand to get that at 75mph

 

Thank you squire Was tricky getting a smooth pan as there was a rather strong wind blowing in from the west.

 

Thanks to everyone who have posted their photos and video clips. Great to re-live a fantastic day.

 

His cousin Will Gompertz would be better!

 

Whaaaaaa...ttt.. Duuhhh...........

Can't go on.....just lost the power of speech!

 

It wouldn't take much to change Castle 5028's nameplate - Llantillio - modify 1st L to look like a C and remove the tillio!!

Dave

 

Yes indeed. I hesitate to make any criticism of 5043 after last Saturday's terrific run, but my one gripe is that it's not been possible to enjoy a run behind this splendid engine on most of the classic Southern routes. Basingstoke-Salisbury is obviously OK, albeit (so I believe) with a few speed restrictions, but I would assume that the Bournemouth line is out or 5043 would have been there already, and as for Kent, I would guess that the only line capable of accomodating a Castle would be the CTRL.

 

To be fair, Kent is incapable of taking most things that are not Southern or BR, if the GWR had a generous loading gauge, the LBSCR & SECR had a pathetic one in places.

 

A Castle on the CTRL - now there's a thought. With coke fuel for the channel tunnel bit & 2 GUVs for water should be possible to get beyond Paris pretty easily on high speed lines with no need to go below 75mph for mile after mile. Do these get used on Christmas day each year?

 

I think any steam loco would find the TGV lines across Kent and northern France a bit of a challenge. IIRC, the gradients are quite severe, intended for many-thousand hp electric units. Certainly, the section alongside the M20 looks like a big-dipper compared to the GWML - more like the South Devon banks!

 

You should read "I Drove The Cheltenham Flyer" by Driver J W Street.

 

We are not oposed to running "down south" but the challenge is getting there from Tyseley. It takes a day to get there and another day to get back. We are not keen on spending multi-days away from shed, so unless we do a multi-day Southern tour, I am afraid 5043 isn't going to be down there any time soon.

Sorry!

 

No problems, Ben. You've got a formula that works well at VT, so it's obviously sensible to stick to it. I'll be looking forward to your Autumn programme when it comes out.

 

Ive just found a copy on Amazon, is it a good read?

 

In the 50s the schedule for the down Bristolian was 31 minutes for passing Reading. Going a bit further back in time - to 1848 - there is a mile by mile log of a Broad Gauge express showing it passing milepost 36 (which in those days was after Reading - as the terminus was not as far east as Paddington is) in 33 min 42 seconds.