The Shropshire Express - 30/09/17

Appreciate the clarification. Compare this to the Black 5 down south yesterday with a high intensity head lamp but with no standard headlamps. Just looks shoddy, in my view!

 

@hatherton hall : See @Dexter 's explanation in the relevant thread. You might like to consider being less judgemental in your comments. Maybe volunteer to overhaul a set of lamps so that the support crews can concentrate on their other tasks?

 

Can you please tell me where the above photo was taken. Am I correct in saying it was on 17th Sept 2011? If that is the case one of the figures that appear toward the rear of the train is probably me! We were visiting UK from Australia at the time staying with my father in Shropshire and I managed to get a last minute booking on the trip from Worcester. It was a brilliant day out - absolutely loved it!

 

I am almost 100% certain that you are correct in identifying this as Vintage Trains very own "Cathedrals Express" that ran on the date you have identified. It celebrated the fondly remembered named train that plied the Paddington-Oxford-Worcester-Hereford route in the late 50's/ early 60's and for me will always be associated with the memorable last days of Castle class power on Western Region main line express services in 1963/ 64.

The itinerary for this excursion picked up the Cathedrals Express route at Worcester, having originated at Tyseley, and thence travelled via Evesham and Oxford to Paddington as did the original. The clue as to the location is signal SN209 on the left hand side of the picture, which is situated on the down relief line between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing stations. The over-bridge which the Earl has just passed under travelling on the Up Relief is St Leonards Road, which is located at 6m 23c from the buffer stops at Paddington, one quarter mile east of West Ealing station.

The schedule for this service according to http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t11/t0917c.htm would have seen 5043 passing Acton West Junction, one mile further east, at 12.09 pm mid-day, assuming that things were running to time, so hopefully all this will help to pinpoint the time and location for you.

Just to round things off, if you were travelling towards the rear of the train, the 10-coach consist included five Mark 2 standard class coaches (4 x TSO plus BSO) in the rear half of the train in the Up direction (IIRC). And one final point - according to "Six Bells Junction", this particular outing was notable for the fact that it was the first steam hauled railtour to run over the then-recently redoubled sections of the North Cotswold line (Evesham to Moreton-in-Marsh and Ascott-u-Wychwood to Charlbury.

Always nice to read of contributors treasured recollections and fondly held memories of their past encounters with main line steam and this one certainly strikes a chord. Hope the above info is helpful!!

 

Thank you very much for your clarifying explanation - I'm sure you are correct. From memory the trip ran pretty much to time for most of its journey in weather that varied from the sunny conditions in the photo to pouring rain, certainly as we departed PDN on the return! It was a rare opportunity for me to enjoy a mainline run at all and an added bonus that it was a 'Castle' that I regularly witnessed as a young trainspotter in Shrewsbury in the late 50's & early 60's. The photos from 'ragl' (#6 & #16) taken from 'The Dana' further up the thread certainly brought back memories and a regret that cameras and disposable income wasn't then what it is now!