Shakespeare Express 2016 - 17th July > 4th September

4965 on Shakespeare Number 2 this weekend.

 

Enjoyed the return trip to Birmingham from Stratford today.

On the run from Stratford, I noticed photographers standing on a very wide and tall green footbridge near Hatton, can someone who is more familiar with the area please let me know where it is?

 

Hatton North Junction. Take the canal path from Hatton station and follow it up until a path becomes visible on the left.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

It's a rather overgrown path further up so dress accordingly!

Is it me or has the lamp bracket been moved ?, something not right about the headboard.

 

Stratford-upon-Avon this pm train D.

 

That footbridge is here: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?...archp=ids.srf&dn=703&ax=421721&ay=266668&lm=0

Noticed that too last week, glad I'm not the only one to pick up on such a minor detail(!) Looking at my pictures from last year it appears to have moved from the smokebox door to on top of the smokebox.

4965 at Bentley Heath/Dorridge this afternoon. Looks like some of the engineering works that closed the line last Sunday are progressing on the right.

 

Looking forward at that headboard.

Thanks to for the advice re overgrowth and that map.

 

Whenever the lamp bracket moved to the top of the smokebox, it does appear to have happened by the time RAH made its appearance on the "Oxfordshire Explorer" on 21st November last year. Seen here at Worcester Shrub Hill...........

 

Oh yes. The headboard is too high. Look at any steam train back in the days of the GWR/WR and the headboard aligns with the curvature of the smokebox.

 

Lamp brackets on ex GWR passenger loco's were altered from the very top, to on the smokebox door in the 1930s, .The first Hall was 5922 ,done from new in 1933. Castles all done 1934 /35 .Kings from 1932 to 193?,Granges all done from new. So 4965 is correct in any position.

 

Heads up to anyone else going out to see today's run, realtime has it returning to Snow Hill via Shirley again: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...1/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=WR

Chiltern Railways are only running Birmingham to Solihull due to engineering works, so I expect Hatton to Solihull must be closed again.

 

Engineering work at Dorridge continues. They are renewing the cross over and lead into the down loops at Bentley Heath and also the down goods loop has been extended and completely relayed in this work. Personally the north warks line is a more scenic railway.

 

Agreed, doesn't make an awful lot of difference on a 60MPH machine, and the window for 5043 to hit 75MPH on the via Dorridge is very brief due to acceleration and traffic.

 

Passing Hall Green about 30 mins ago: http://daviddepperphotography.zenfolio.com/p124974954/h7fb1e37f#h7fb1e37f

 

It isn't the loco is in pre 1934 livery so the high position for the lamp bracket is correct, I assume it would have been altered at overhaul when it would have received the shirtbutton livery.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

Hammering through Henley this afternoon.



No service trains running south of Solihull next Sunday either, so I expect the Shakespeare will take this same route back to Birmingham again.