Vintage Trains - Pannier Rambler - 8 Nov 14

All requests duly noted. .....and completly IGNORED! Lol

 

I guess this is the worst time to request reprinting one of the Panniers 'Garter Blue' to compensate for the photographers loss of Bittern this weekend?

If you can go the full hog and streamline the pannier, that would be grand....

In all seriousness, congratulations for in 2014, still managing to have two small 0-6-0's out on the mainline! I'd request them to come to Scotland, but I suspect it may be easier if I come to them than they come to me!

 

That's fair enough (I'm sure Arthur will be happy to enforce that), but, in compensation, can we have the Panniers running bunker first up the Lickey so that the chimneys are closer to the carriages and we can hear them better - even better would be one on the front running bunker first and one on the back running smokebox first.

 

Or the chimneys actually inside the carriage?

 

And me trying to stay serious for a moment too, that is a very good point.

Not sure I ever had haulage by one on the SR as in my era, (and right at the start of it), they did work the Folkestone Harbour branch and some ecs into Waterloo IIRC. I did manage to get an LMR 2-6-4T (I think it was 2-6-4), on an ecs working once. It stopped short coming into the platform at Waterloo and a few of us very young gricers jumped on quick to get the few yards of "mileage" when it re started to get the stock fully into the platform. A capital offence these days no doubt, back then we just got shouted at by the guard. The Panniers never gave that chance. The mileage that is, not the capital punishment.

 

Yeti hope you have been watching Autumn watch

 

I thought the large bloke with the parabolic microphone was our Mr yeti..

 

Have I missed any Owls? I've been out on the North Kent marshes at night this week having my own Autumn Watch. Up close with Barn Owls and Short-eared Owls. And by close I mean close!

Hmmm, can't immediately see away of getting back on topic after that.

Could ask Ben if he would suggest to the crews of the Pannier Tanks that they ease back a bit when passing any woodland to avoid disturbing the Tawny Owls.

 

You have railcar 93 for that.

 

I read that at first as having your "own Autumn Wash".

 

Well yes, sort of. But not EVERY Autumn.

 

Were you not on the East Devon tour Yeti? Some fabulous Pannier hill climbing on the branches, especially Sidmouth. Feb 1965.

We would have booked on the Pannier Rambler except that we have been given hospitality tickets for the Soton v Leicester game. Sorry Ben but maybe the next one.

Gricer

 

Oh. Yes, I was!

I missed it as the Pannier didn't have a number starting with a 3 that was 5 digits long, and it got included in my records as 4 Sub number 4666.

 

That's some extension cord from Worting Junction...

 

Here are the RTT timings for the 'Pannier Rambler' .....as it stands at present. <BJ>

1Z57 Tyseley to Stratford.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53333/2014/11/08/advanced
1Z58 Stratford to Worcester SH.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53334/2014/11/08/advanced
1Z59 Worcester SH to Tyseley.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53337/2014/11/08/advanced

 

Have to think of the daytripper passengers, having to take the destination at Grand Prix pace is a no no, plus at Worcester in particular, Shrub Hill is something less than central, are there any good pubs nearby or is a hop on FGW to Foregate St required ?.

 

We need the time in Worcester to service and water the loco's, not to mention to feed and water the crews. 2 1/2 hours is our minimum servicing time at any destination.

The other water stops might look a little long, but it is the best pathing we can get. Squeezing a 45mph path in-between the Chiltern, London Midland and Cross Country services was a bit of a stroke of mastery by WCR and NetRail.

Standard is sold out; we have a few seats in Club and Dining....but only a few! We are taking one more coach than 2012, so the two Panniers will have (effectively) 4-a-piece.

 

SH is not that far from the town centre and is well sign posted, so whether to go to FS for me would rather depend on the weather and connections. Numerous good pubs in Worcester as well as the obligatory Spoons, (2 in fact, The Postal Order, v near the station, and The Crown, just off the main High St, less than ten mins walk from the station). Some good ones deeper in town as well. A look at the relevant CAMRA group website would probably be worthwhile.