The Saint David, 1/03/17

Might as well kick this one off. I understand many of the usual crowd is going.

 

I assume this is going via Sapperton ?

 

On the return it is

 

Night vision needed then !

 

Bit worrying that the timings aren't out yet. Straightforward enough route. GWML via Badminton hasn't got many pinch points, nor has the return. Love and hate trains like these. The long suffering Mrs S hates London starts on weekdays as the only reasonable fares are on the 0450 BTM - PAD, £75.90 for the two of us. The 0530 onwards fares are ridiculous - £269 for the two of us until the 0830 departure!!!!! Next time will gamble on advance tickets and lose the money if the train times/starting point changes. The things we do for steam.... but I do like the Paddington starts.

 

Still worth a venture out to listen to and record the sounds echoing around the Golden Valley. Hope some of you intrepid video folk do that and post a long sound recording (wind permitting), particularly as it will be Tornado's first crack at Sapperton.

 

Tornado's been up Sapperton a few times. Her first time was on the 7th November 2009, and I'm sure she's been up at least twice since?

Correction: 60163's only been up on the 7th November 2009. It was meant to haul a tour up Sapperton in 2012 but 71000 took over.

James

 

Thanks. Senior moment. Forgot about that one as we weren't able to do it!! And of course it wasn't allowed over on 1st December last when we were on the train. Just watched a couple of clips on YouTube. Not a great climb with only 11. The big engine sounded really out of sorts too, nothing like it does now.

 

Gratuitous plug - 60163 on Sapperton 7th November 2009

Tornado Storms Sapperton by Stephen Dance, on Flickr

 

I understand there is a tsr half way up the climb for all traction. Not sure why

 

The listing of GWML TSR's for the period 18-24 February shown on the publicly accessible home page of the RPS website does indeed identify a 20 mph TSR on Sapperton, but in the down direction only. It is described as due to "embankment condition". The actual site of the TSR is specified as 97m 00c to 97m 02c, i.e midway between Frampton Viaduct and Chalford Viaduct, and certainly fits the "half-way up the climb" description quite neatly.

Fortunately, nothing shown for the Up direction at this location - at least, not at this stage, but all eyes on the next TSR update due in the next day or so!

 

That's a cracking shot Stephen. Well done.
I was stood next to you filming the train in video. I still enjoy watching the sequence to this day. <BJ>

 

0930 from Paddington on the draft timings.

 

Thanks, Wayne.

 

Hi Wayne. Will you be involved?

 

Thanks - It was a lovely winters day and Tornado didn't disappoint.
I also have some video and she sounded great whistling at the foot crossings while climbing past Frampton Mansell and on up to the tunnel, making a fine sight as she passed

 

Just got my ticket. 0930/2106 Paddington Cardiff 1350/1631

 

Wonder where the water stop will be on the outward? If I remember rightly Tornado watered at Bristol Parkway Loop on Paddington-Shrewsbury Trains in both 2011 and 2012. Might be a bit of daylight for Sapperton if it is a good day weather wise as due back in Swindon at 1828.

 

I am assuming dark so it will be the Wedgie/Big Al nighttime GPS timing method which requires a lot of concentration and paper plus placing timing points subsequently using data gathered plus definitely identified points. Days gone by it just meant standing at a window but of course now that's verboten on UKR/Pathfinder/Vintage/Diesel Nightmares but not apparently on RTC.

 

Things really have slowed down since 2010. The 2010 St David's Day Train was timed to leave Slough at 1006 (1003 2017) and get to Cardiff via Swindon and Badminton at 1303 (1350 2017).