60163 - The Red Rose - 11/02/17

Tornado accelerating away from Northampton this morning

 

Tornado at Linslade and Bletchley

 

'The Red Rose' with 60163 'Tornado' at Old Linslade (outward) and Bletchley (return)

 

Tornado at Shifnal (Outward), Wrockwardine and Codsall (Return). Enjoy.

 

Nice to see Marcus Robertson on the train yesterday enjoying a steam only day. Despite the overhead wires issue delaying our return the performance of 60163 was a joy and remarkably (perhaps) just the one water stop in each direction. I wish all the A1 group well as they head north for the plandampf.

 

Blimey, don't tell me even he has got fed up with his own "magical days out with steam" ?

 

He was on last year's A1ST trip to Exeter.

 

Where else is he going to get a pure steam experience ?

 

A performance and a livery to brighten up the dullest of days this year ! Roll on 90mph running

 

Was looking for the passing through Coventry on Youtube and found it ! Short and sweet, 74mph I believe.

 

Love it, how the people on the platform have to step back from the roaring monster flying past, that is how you advertise steam rather than sitting cold and lifeless in a musuem or pottering around a yard at 10MPH.

 

Vintage trains

 

I just found this same video, great stuff. I went up the road a bit to Church Lawford to see it pass, but forgot to put the battery in my camera (doh!). In any case the northerly wind blew the exhaust the wrong way for that location, and despite quite a few people being there I have yet to see any photos or videos from there online.
Saw the return at Whitacre Jn in near darkness and took a picture. Not sure if it works as a photograph but is at least a record of the tour.

 

My log of the down run. Diesel banked on first 1/2 mile to Grosvenor Bridge, otherwise 100% steam
Note 63 mph on the 1:300 up to Tring summit and 65 mph over the top. Solid climb to Long Buckby, gradient 1:230? Need to check gradients on the Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury line. Excellent restart from Rugby and through Coventry in under even time. Hoping for even time Rugby to Birmingham International start to stop, but we caught up a stopper.

This shows steam can run on the main line in 2017 without a minder. Return leg to follow later in the week.

Note Plat 2 not Plat 5 at Victoria, Plat 1 at Rugby.

 

Great stuff!! Many thanks for that, and all its much-valued precision and detail. The next best thing to being there! And its great that we have a properly documented record to accompany the quite extraordinary video snippet of the "Coventry Fly-past" at line speed limit. Can't wait for the sequel featuring the return leg, whose progress regrettably I was only able to watch on the Open Train Times maps.

 

It's very good on water, will do Bristol to London for example. And, although just loco and support coach, we went from Stewarts Lane to Doncaster on Monday without taking water and still had over 2000 gallons in the tender.

 

Caught us out did that. Seeing no water stop in the WTT, we assumed a diesel drag and went to the pub instead only to find we assumed wrong.

 

Return log attached. Highlights were the blast up to Arley Tunnel and strong run up through Cheddington on the up fast, before checks.

I wouldn't normally bother typing up the stop-start trundle round the Northampton loop, but the template will come in handy next time. Good job Tornado has a big tender...

Please note that 'average mph' speeds are based on timing point distances rounded to nearest chain, and at 75 mph there will be errors +/- 1 mph over one mile and +/- 3mph over a quarter of a mile, and even themselves out. Max speeds were 76 on the up slow before Watford Jn and 77 on the up fast afterwards. Nice to completely overhaul an Overground 378 which was itself accelerating hard out of Bushey!

Thoroughly recommend trips behind Tornado, but would like some variety and have booked Clan Line on 25 May and looking at Vintage Trains too. Interested in Steam Dreams to Gloucester 21 March if diesel-free.

Sean