Pathfinder: The Marches Castle - Nov 29th

I'm on 5029. I've just realised this trip runs 6 years to the day after 5029's the fateful trip over the same route. Fingers crossed!

 

Oh, yes, that trip! Didn't we arrive in Shrewsbury shortly before we were due to depart? I remember the air pump packing up, and the struggle after Ludlow, but wasn't she also struggling with broken piston rings by then as well?

 

Yes I remember that one,definitely a day to forget! I think we blocked up the Marches line for the best part of 3 hours. I remember when we finally made it to Shrewsbury the service train timetable was in utter chaos with trains running up to 4 hours late.

A bad day for steam on the main line,but having said that,there have been several freight breakdowns on this line recently with not dissimiliar effects.

 

The train was late to Ludlow because it was overloaded. Air pump packed up at Ludlow after the train moved forward to let the passengers at the rear of the train get off , and I heard the fire clinked between Ludlow and Shrewsbury.

 

I remember that trip well. It was evident that 5029 was overloaded right from the start as she lost time after leaving Bristol. The Footplate crew did very well to get her as far as they did. I took a number of pictures of the Support crew working on the brake pump at Ludlow which used to be on the forum somewhere but they have disappeared as the archive only goes back to early 2009.
It was also a bitterly cold day as I remember waiting on a dark, freezing Ludlow station for the return run to come back from Shrewsbury. We only got off at Ludlow to get some food supplies in the supermarket near the station as we were told the train would be in the station for a while. When we came back to the station we found that 5029 and the charter had left
Here are some videos from the day which show 5029 and her crew doing well despite the load and the conditions:

 

I got off at Ludlow as planned ( was with my Mum and Sister that day) and we did not here of the problems until we returned to the station and were advised that the return would be an hour late. We went to the Costa attached to the Tesco nearby because it was so cold and 5 minutes later the queue was out the door with fellow passengers.They had to get fresh supplies of milk.

 

A case where every little bit didn't help.

 

We are hoping that there might be a chance of travelling on the 5029 trip to Shrewsbury and then going back to Ludlow for the 2 x 5s. It might just work.

 

That would be quite possible, since they will most likely run 2 hours apart just like 2 years ago due to the timings of service trains. If all ran to time, there is a Carmarthen service 8 minutes after 5029 arrives at Shrewsbury which would get to Ludlow in plenty of time for the 5s.

 

Yes and there's also one at 1315 which might also make it

 

Yes, we also ended up in the queue for Costa.

 

Load for 29th confirmed to be 10. Almost fully booked in standard now

Don

 

Are we expecting a diesel, to tag along ?

 

I woulden't be so sure, they other day they coulden't rescue a knackered freight on the Wolves - Salop routes as nobody at Bescot at that time signed the route!.

 

Pathfinder have said not unless the weather is very bad. At the moment the forecast is reasonable. I also don't expect to see a DL on the back of the SD trip either , not with 2 x 5s

 

Just been told 5029 has failed its FTR

Don

 

Can Tangmere or Bittern, step in ?