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Tornado Paddington/Penzance 29/05/17

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by alastair, Nov 11, 2016.

  1. Bertie Lissie

    Bertie Lissie New Member

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    Many thanks habibi!
     
  2. gricerdon

    gricerdon Guest

    The ACE schedule was 178 minutes for the 171.7 miles with two stops. Last time was probably 5th September 1964
     
  3. Hemerdon

    Hemerdon Member Friend

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    Just a short clip of Tornado crossing Forder viaduct in Cornwall.
     
  4. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    Not mentioned so far, the bit in the middle - the Newton Abbot-Devon Banks-Plymouth leg - also looks as if it might have been a bit special, but its difficult to be sure because the RTT time at Newton Abbot is a bit ambiguous. Going on the Open Train Times info, it looks as if progress westward, after being looped there, recommenced at 12.15, and a 12.58 arrival shown at Plymouth on OTT more or less corresponds with RTT.

    So if you did indeed enjoy a start-to-stop run in the region of 43 minutes for this section, then I would infer that you have enjoyed one of the best westbound times recorded with steam in the recent past. If not, then this observation/ bit of conjecture is worthless. Would love to know one way or the other, but either way, I'm really glad for everyone on-board that today has been, it would seem, such a joyous experience from a performance point of view.
     
  5. pwsw5054

    pwsw5054 Member

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    We were also on the train, having been acquainted with the facts, although frustrating at the time, was not Network Rail's fault, just one of those things.

    Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk
     
  6. gricerdon

    gricerdon Guest

    The fastest running time in my records on the Southern routes wasn't on the ACE but on the Exeter Flyer on 3rd October 1965. 35022 with 8 on for 285 tons, Gordon Hooper driving. It was 169 mins 25 secs for the 171.75 miles. We had one stop of nearly 12 minutes at Basingstoke (43.5 minutes net for the 47.8 miles) and then ran ostensibly non stop to Exeter, 123.95 miles, net 105 minutes, with a sigs stop at Grateley. So 148.5 minutes net for the 171.75 miles. Generally the 85 mph limit was observed except 90 at Sherborne and 89 after Honiton. Gordon Hooper is still around. The ACE stopped at Salisbury , 83.7 miles booked 80 minutes, for water and crew change and Sidmouth Jct 75.9 miles in 75 minutes to shed a coach or two for Sidmouth. Timekeeping was usually very good in the down direction as we nearly always had a Merchant Navy but not so good coming up for various reasons, not least of which was that Exmouth Jct gave priority to the semi fast trains for the big pacifics. See the next but one issue of HR out at the end of June for more discussion about the ACE.
     
  7. BillyReopening

    BillyReopening Member

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    I was taking pictures at the foot crossing past Penwethers viaduct - what a show :)

    [​IMG]
     

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  8. Hemerdon

    Hemerdon Member Friend

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    For the diesel enthusiasts here's two clips, taken at Forder and Hemerdon:
     
  9. AlexGWR1994

    AlexGWR1994 Member

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    My footage of Tornado heading into Cornwall for the first time. Filmed at Whiteball, Tigley and her historic crossing of Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge. Enjoy.
     
  10. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    Got 41m 22.4s to mp245 3/4, then we had the usual frustrating crawl through the Station to the watering point at the west end. My stop watch showed 44m 15s by the time we came to rest.
     
    Where's Mazeppa? likes this.
  11. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    Personally I think it was poor train regulation. The XC HST in question was 6 minutes behind us as as we approached Newton Abbot. It was stopping which would have added another 3-4 minutes at least to our lead time. Even if we'd drifted 'around the back' at NA at 20 mph we'd have more than a 10 minute head start and probably not been far from Totnes before the HST had reached Stoneycombe. Our Totnes to Plymouth time was just under 30 mins, the HST's 25.
     
  12. pwsw5054

    pwsw5054 Member

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    This is very plausible but I am afraid you're not in possession of all the facts. What I have been told was other people's information and is for them to disclose if they so choose, all I'll say is that it was not Network Rail's fault that we were delayed. On the up side think of the running in Cornwall and fabulous run out of Paddington!
     
  13. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

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    Do u get much time in Penzance on these trips?
     
  14. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    Many thanks for that. The final 18 or so chains through the station platforms to rest must have seemed interminable!! Still begs the question...with Load 10, has there been anything in recent times/ in the preservation era that has bettered this overall time? 8P performances with Load 9, perhaps, just marginally faster? But I sense that today's effort could quite reasonably claim the accolade of "wholly exceptional"!!
     
  15. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    As a postscript to the day, I think it bears mentioning that the water stops were really something else and by that I mean speedy. And as we drew forward to the end of Riverside Yard at Exeter you could see a mass of orange vests that swung into action to actually do four things:
    - water the loco.
    - coal the loco. Yes there was a truck in place to lift bags up onto the tender.
    - check the loco.
    - drop off a coach and brake test the train again.

    All of that took time. Ten minutes was always going to be tight. And by the time that the A1ST was happy that all was well and we could proceed, Exeter had suddenly become very busy and Network Rail had to decide how to deal with pathing the train. The additional delay at Plymouth was slightly more annoying in that had we been allowed to go when ready and kept to our booked time then we would have arrived at Penzance just a few minutes ahead of the GWR service from London. But that is not enough leeway on the network so it was inevitable that we would be held and have to follow the HST. Quite a tricky one to call imo.
     
  16. Western Venturer

    Western Venturer Well-Known Member

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    Just a couple of shots of Tornado from me... First one near Wellington and the second at Treboul

     
  17. Dobbs0054

    Dobbs0054 Member

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    This and the earlier post are really nice shots.

    Good to see the diesel in the right place at the right time! Other tours this week had them shoving along... DBC really do set the pace.
     
  18. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    How to turn a celebration of Tornado's run into a thinly veiled dig at WCRC. :rolleyes:
     
  19. Victor

    Victor Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    It's not too thinly veiled.:rolleyes: He really doesn't think much of WC .I'm sure he has his reasons but...................:Meh:
     
  20. hatherton hall

    hatherton hall Well-Known Member

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    I remain completely confused as to why WCRC will not drive Tornado. If they did we could compare how they would cope with this magnificent loco Tornado. Cannot be for safety reasons, after all she did 100mph just the other day. I suspect DBC crews are more than happy that this situation exists because to lose their exclusive rights to drive Tornado would seriously erode the amount of steam work they get.
     

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