Flying Scotsman: "hush-hush" CE trips 31/05/17

60103 is operating a SD Salisbury -Southampton- Salisbury trip in the early morning and a one way trip from Salisbury to Victoria in the afternoon.
The timings are being kept "secret" due to the recent trespass incidents but they are available on the site with the initials T.R.T (but not with the letters necessarily in that order nudge, nudge ).

I won't post the links as i don't know if we are allowed to on here.

 

May I extend this a little to ask if anyone knows the likely route for the 13th June CE from Paddington to Chester, again hauled by the loco which shall not be named, in particular the section north of Oxford?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

Here we go again with speed restrictions for the 'mystery Scots engine', all 30mph unless shown otherwise:
Andover', Basingstoke ML, Winchfield SL, Bridge at 34m10c, Farnboro' SL, Byfleet SL, Adlestone 5mph, Egham, Ashford 15, Feltham, Isleworth, Hounslow, Brentford 15mph, Kew Bridge, Barnes, Mortlake.
Although not shown for Weds but are shown for Sat(!):
Dean, Dunbridge and So'ton Airport
It is shown to be SL all the way from Worting Jc to Byfleet but is prohibited through SL platform at Basingstoke, but it is shown as passing P3 which is the up ML platform!
I think with so many restrictions and prohibitions NR are losing the plot with this loco!

 

But who exactly is trying to keep the timings "secret"? They have been clearly uploaded today onto uksteam.info which I can't believe would have happened if there was any official policy of "secrecy".

 

Thanks @Andover for posting this information. Interesting, last year Scotsman had a 30mph speed restriction through Grateley and no restriction through Andover. This year, no restriction at Grateley and 30mph at Andover?!

James, Confused of Southampton...

 

It comes to something when I can't even be bothered to go out to chase and phot it. Gave up any idea of being on the trains a long time ago as getting seats is a lottery and anyway it's used mainly by Diesel Nightmares.

 

Steam Dreams have this on their website:
"Train Times : Flying Scotsman Tours

Timings for all trips with Flying Scotsman will not be made available online please see below for details.


Timings and platform numbers are confirmed by Network Rail 5-7 days prior to the trip. Tickets and final timings will be sent to all passengers by email and first class post once these details have been received.

Passengers may call the Booking Office on 01483 209888 Monday to Friday between 0900 and 1730 for the final timings if they have not received them from us 2-3 working days before travel.

In order to avoid overcrowding and incidents of trespass we have been advised not to publish recommended viewing points or the timetable of when the train will be passing through specific locations.

If you are not travelling, please do not call the Booking Office for timings as we will not be able to give out any timetable or route details for our Flying Scotsman trips.


Steam Dreams respectfully asks that all people who wish to see Flying Scotsman do so from a permitted location and do not trespass on the railway. While we understand interest in Flying Scotsman will be extremely high, we urge those wishing to view it on its tour dates do so from a safe vantage point. It is vital that spectators do not venture onto the railway, particularly when it is on the mainline as a full timetable of regular services will be running.

Trespassing on the railway is illegal, and can endanger yourself and others. Trespassing incidents may also impact on the possibility of future main line tours with Flying Scotsman and other steam locomotives."

I have been respecting this decision but the timings have been made available on social media and local news websites so it has kind of back fired on SD and NR.

 

It doesn't seem to be in the RTT system yet but I will keep an eye on this.

 

I know what you mean. 60103 is one of my favourite loco's but I can't be bothered to go and see it trundling along the slow line today with the same bloody green headboard.
I will probably venture out for the two trips on Saturday though. Or I might go and see Wonder Woman at the cinema instead

 

Thanks, I'm checking RTT from time to time, but I was just wondering if, from general route knowledge, anyone can speculate whether or not the likely route might take it anywhere near Stafford or Crewe.

 

Wot?! No piccies yet??! I'd better start the ball rolling then. I took a series of shots just east of Farnborough Main and this is the first one on my Flickr Photostream :

RD15181. 60103 at Farnborough. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

Alternatively, you'll find them in this album :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/albums/72157648490681413

Looking forward to seeing what others have got.

 

Seems it made it into Victoria only 75 seconds down, which isn't bad considering it was 11 minutes down earlier in the day.

It did rather crawl through Feltham, and not because of signal checks, as the precedeing train was long gone. RailUK posts seem to indicate that there were a lot of speed restrictions in place for the run, no one seemed to know (or admitted to knowing) whether it was for gauging, or whether it was in case of crowds.
Regardless of times not being posted on the Steam Dreams site, there were a good number of spectators, but no idiots

A couple from me...

LNER Class A3 60103 Flying Scotsman by Tim White, on Flickr


LNER Class A3 60103 Flying Scotsman by Tim White, on Flickr

 

Secrecy failed at Fleet, Huge crowds for the water stop

 

I thought that it might be a bit busy at Fleet so decided to go elsewhere.

 

And the morning Salisbury Circular was quite well attended

 

My three shots from today... quite an important one for me too - it was my first chase in my own car, having passed my driving test 6 weeks ago. And the first chase would be the engine that started my interest in the railways!

Frenchmoor Lane, near Dean



Lockerley



Forty Steps crossing, Overton



James

 

Here's footage of Scotsman's trips on the 31st May, captured at St Denys and Grateley.

Enjoy!

 

This was taken from the same crossing (for your reference, Pansies crossing) last year. Weather was a lot better this time around.

 

This year for me was very much like last. Travelling around the route ahead of the train in a marked police car. Unlike last year however, there were NO reports of any trespass incidents. (Last year there were 30 from one foot crossing alone!) Managed to time our lunch break while the train was being serviced at Salisbury so in between patrolling the sidings managed to get the following shots (including the new avatar!).