RTC 2019

No, it’s Slade.
They had a load of hits which were deliberately misspelled:

Coz I Luv You.
Mama Weer All Crazee Now.
Cum On Feel The Noize.
Gudbuy T' Jane.
Etc.

 

Yome roit. Noddy 'Older wuz from Worsull, loik me.

 

Will the Duchess make it for Sunday's Royal Duchy or will No.9 substitute?

 

Contacted RTC. PRCLT confident repairs will be completed for 6233 to move to Southall on Friday.

 

Changes to the Tynesider now 14th December Christmas White Rose approx. timings:

Station Outward Return
London King’s Cross 07:23 22:10
Stevenage 08:12 21:24
Peterborough 09:36 19:30
York 12:26 16:35
.

 

What's the odds on this being steam only, or assisted? Any inside knowledge? I asked RTC a couple of months ago and they said to contact them the week before the trip.

 

The big question. There's no need for a tailgunner with such a long layover at York and I've had no indication there will be from my contacts; but the week before the train is way too late for that info. to come out.

 

Any word on the loco for Saturday's Blackpool job?

 

45690 Leander from a couple of emails from RTC and their website.

 

The South Yorkshireman has acquired an extra 5MT, according to a redrafted RTC write-up:

https://www.railwaytouring.net/uk-day-trips/south-yorkshireman

 

But RTC hasn't yet seen fit to change the page for the "Sussex Belle". I would be absolutely delighted to see No. 60009 on the main line only a few miles from my home and would happily be put up with being called cynical, over-sceptical or whatever if my favourite LNER loco does indeed work this train, but while I think it could probably make it as far as Eastbourne. I'm afraid I remain very unconvinced about its chances of working the return leg via the restricted clearances of the Hastings line via Battle and Tunbridge Wells. The web page does say "Or a Black Five" after mentioning Number Nine and this is what I am expecting. Considering how rare steam is in this neck of the woods, no complaints if I am correct. I would be more than happy if 44871 pays its second visit of the year to the Sussex Coast, but the photo on the web page shows 60009. The only way I could see this being possible is for the train to run steam to Brighton, diesel to Eastbourne and then back with steam to London via Plumpton. Still, all will be revealed in due course, no doubt.

 

Some years ago SD tried to run a trip with Bittern from Lewes to Ely, and due to gauging, Britannia hauled the train instead.

 

Duchess seen on todays "The Yorkshireman" tour at Mill Hill Broadway, wearing an extra headboard in memory of Nigel Dobbing, one year on from his passing:

 

Timings for the trip
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10995/2019-11-08/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10996/2019-11-08/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10997/2019-11-08/detailed

 

No surprise - it won't be 60009 working down to Eastbourne later this month. We gauging cynics has been vindicated! See here. Once again, it's a Black Five to the rescue and the website specifically says 45407. Much as I like 44871 and 45212, in recent times 45407 has been a much less frequent solo visitor to the South of England than the other two Black Fives under the ownership or custodianship if Ian Riley. A train from Three Bridges to Bath in March 2017 is the only 45407-hauled working I can think of in the last five years apart from a few occasions when it has double-headed with 44871.

 

Depends on your definition of the South John. It did Bristol to Poole on 26/11/15 the outbound leg being diesel. It replaced Tangmere, and was not down in time to do the tour in both directions.

 

I stand corrected! I must have forgotten about this one.

 

I noted this just now as I was looking through. Am I right to assume its the Keymer Junction onwards section of the tour that is causing the gauging issues with 60009, as 60019 has run down the Brighton Line twice in 2008 and 2009 when in BR livery but didn't haul the SD tour from Lewes in 2011 due to gauging when the loco was fitted with valancing.

Having missed out on 6233 both on the SD Sheffield Park to Bath trip and Giants of Steam at the Bluebell I've decided to book up the Lindum Fayre trip on December 7th and I'm considering the White Rose the following week to get a mainline run behind 60163 for the first time and a probable final run formyself behind 60009.

 

I have also been behind 60019 down the Brighton Main Line so the gauging issues as far as the run down to Eastbourne are concerned must be east of Keymer Junction. Lewes Station, with its sharp curve, is one likely spot although it could be some minor farm overbridge. Only someone with access to the gauging profile is likely to be able to give chapter and verse.

More to the point is the Tonbridge-Hastings line, notorious for tight clearances since the dodgy contractors' skimping of the brick lining in Wadhurst Tunnel came to light soon after the line was built. Somerhill, Grove, Wadhurst and Mountfield Tunnels were all singled as part of the electrification work in the 1980s, but I think that some of the tunnels which weren't singled are still a bit on the tight side. Furthermore, most of the rest of the former SE&CR network (apart from Reading-Redhill) is rather restricted. Tornado and Blue Peter have both run to Canterbury, but I gather that one bridge in the Bromley/Bickley area is very narrow indeed. No other non-Southern 8Ps will fit, regrettably, and no non-Southern 7Ps apart from Brits.