Dorset Coast Expresses 2015

We'll boys and girls, our mystery loco is at Victoria, do we know what it is? Or is it a case of stick a post it note on the smoke box door and play "whom am I"?

 

Yeah, but where in the consist is it......

 

On one hand I'd like to know, because i have a plan for a shot based on the loco, and the other hand I can't deny the excitement of not knowing and being surprised by what turns up. Maybe we should rename this tour, 'The Seaside Lucky Dip"?

 

So I put my shilling in, turned the steel wheel handles and the grab crane pulled out. MAYFLOWER. 37 rear gunner 1 notch

 

Spare a thought for poor old Tangmere which seems to have incurred a fault on the cross head area on the middle cylinder following Sunday's charter to Cornwall. I'm not an expert and so do not know if this was as a result of the bout of slipping leaving Plymouth and which then impacted on the Hemerdon climb or not. Although a fan of the B1 I would have preferred to see Tangmere on the DCE but hey ho, I guess 34067 will be out of action for some time?

 

Well me 'ol FLOWERS, I MAY be able to give you a clue based on what I saw at Clapham this morning.

 

deleted - bad link

 

Well, at least 34067 has most likely been pulled from today's charter because of mechanical issues rather than due to any reluctance to use it. I hope the fault can be fixed soon. For all the unfortunate incidents connected with this engine, it still has one firm fan in the shape of yours truly. When I consider booking a seat on a main line special, Tangmere on the front would definitely be a plus point, although I would be more concerned about what was on the back! if RTC will revert to the steam banker idea when the loco shortage eases (hopefully next year), I'd love to book on a DCE or the run to Weymouth from Three Bridges.

 

So would I, but being Tangmere with nothing on the back, I would have a get me home backup plan. Treat it as an adventure with an unknown ending

 

Doesn't seem to play, still processing?

 

Through Woking :

http://simonwhittinghamphotography.zenfolio.com/p803745016/h51e59083#h51e59083

 

Not knowing what I was going to see I ventured out and was glad to a B1 heading in my direction. Two shots now on Flickr, and this is the first one :


RD11734. Substitute! by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

Hope that they're of interest.

 

Dunno what happened there - Reloaded it

 

Nothing to prove here, nothing other than a bit of fun.

Managed to mix the stereo sound track so you get the correct engine in the correct ear, so best with headphones.

 

I'll make no comment about what is going on here, its all too obvious.

 

Running right time,only 10 coaches,no fire risk so WHY is the b****y thing pushing for all its worth? So glad I did'nt waste my money on this trip.

 

That dichotomy is the heart of modern tour planning. Contrast the DCE today with the last Royal Duchy. Today, with pushing, the DCE is right time with all the pax enjoying their meal and likely to get home as planned. The RD with no diesel attached didn't achieve that basic objective and possibly as a related consequence of the slipping and then coming to a stand the loco hauling it wasn't fit to run today's trip. The RD thread is rehashing all these arguments (again) so pointless doing it again here but perhaps after the R Duchy trip they were even more risk averse than usual today.


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Its a lovely noise wouldn't have minded being in rear coach listening to that all day,
Must have been because of the issues on the way down,with a lineside fire.