Clan Line - British Pullman - 3/8/13

Left Victoria at 12:28, through CJ at 12:45, both on schedule - you can usually set your clock by the VSOE on a Saturday.

 

Ah thanks MrKnowwun, must have just missed her then. I was on my way to the Emirates Cup and did wonder if there was a VSOE running when I saw a few photographers.

 

Pictures and report from Don's last day on the footplate:

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p1019110169

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio....arke-steps-down-after-49-years-on-the-railway

 

Thank you for posting this. I sat through all 12 minutes 23 seconds of it, and enjoyed every minute. I was most imporessed how quickly speed picked up on ths dip east of Gomshall station, creating a real impetus for the final 1 in 96 up to the overbridge. A superb performance by both loco and driver.

 

Out of this world!

 

That was a very cool video.

 

Thanks Big Al - that was quite something !! - would imagine there was some hard work the other side of the footplate as well - super effort DH

 

When you listen to that, and hear the rate of acceleration etc, it's almost impossible to believe it's got a load of circa 500 tons and is mainly climbing at 1/100 or 1/96. From a dead start, (short level and easier grades at the very start).

As brother Don's book will show, there is only one recorded instance of a UK steam loco bettering the highest ever known hp/ton by a Merchant Navy, ( I believe that is sustained hp/ton). And that was by a 4 cylinder Duchess on Shap.

The point being that a MN has the boiler capacity and steaming rate to sustain a very high power output for a significant period. Which probably means that if all was totally well it could have kept that climb going for a very long period of time.

I'm not sure how hard the fireman would have been working up Gomshall. He certainly must have managed the fire very well indeed prior to the re-start. But my own footplate experience, albeit most, but not all, at very high speed on Bulleids has seen high effort without a great deal of firing work at the time. One exception being with a bad coal/blocked tube run. Be interesting to know how the young man on that side of the cab, ( I understand it was Don Clarke's son?), was working before and on the climb.

 

Makes you ask why we are waiting so long for these MN's to be overhauled when there's an ever lasting shortage of class 8's for the mainline.

35009, 10, 18, 22, 27 and 28 could make a formidable mainline steam pool for southern based trips..and quite standardised too.

 

Quite. Excluding 35018, which probably won't be air-braked, they would make a good pool for working the VSOE, as well as SD and RTC trips. I have managed a run in this wonderful train behind 35028, and for me, paying all that dosh to be pulled by a 67 would not be money well spent. Apart from a couple of trips to Bath, the Surrey Hills luncheons are the only British Pullman runs to be steam operated. This is a retrogression from 10-12 years ago, when some trains ran to Canterbury and Southampton behind 35028. I think there was even a run down the Brighton Line. (I've vague recollections of being somewhere near Horley when it passed through, but the sun wasn't out so I didn't bother to take a picture) It's my silver wedding in 10 years' time, and VSOE to Venice would be a good way to celebrate. I'd love it if by then the London-Folkestone leg was steam hauled.

 

I would dearly love to see some more MN's on the main line - I wish I could afford a trip on the Pullman with Clan Line...