The Cornishman Express with Clan Line: 17/06/18

Yes, the Merchants were built to be hill-climbers. Both the Exeter and Dover roads are quite undulating though neither as extreme as the GW west of NA. It should be an interesting and entertaining day.

I hope all goes well. Looking forward to the updates and pictures on here today. My camera and I should have been out there with the rest of you but I'm stuck in Oxford's JR hospital. Grrr!

 

More faffing at Temple Meads. But now away 30 late, behind BRI PNZ stopper (150 266). Load 10 it is.

 

57 mph on the climb out of Temple Meads, eased to 54 at MP 123. Signals in distance? A few slips.
Max 75 thro Nailsea then caught the stopper. Waiting to cross up train at Weston.

 

Noisy exit from Weston and cruised at 75 on the levels, but caught up unit again so no even time run. Just left Taunton.

 

Good restart from Taunton. 65 thro Wellington, 50 into the tunnel and 48 out.

 

Apparently only two staff at BTM to dispatch 14 platforms - so no-one to see us away until after the Penzance stopper - beyond ridiculous

 

Wet rail up Tigley !

 

Wow!

 

Dainton dismissed at 35 into the tunnel now for Rattery.

Andrew

 

35028 passing Brent Knoll https://www.flickr.com/photos/79185888@N04/42133462504/in/dateposted-public/

 

Just 5mph off matching the Dukes record. 35 in the wet is special.

 

EXD PLY 62m 20s.
Intial stats show min 35 on Dainton from 62 in the dip after Aller Jn.
32 at Tigley after 54/55 thro Totnes.
A few slips on wet rail, quickly recovered.

 

Excellent run in challenging circumstances. Not sure what holds the down EXD-PLY record, but from various discussions, there's a matter of seconds in it. The rub is exactly how many seconds.

 

71000 was from a standing start from Newton Abbot wasn't it? Still an excellent speed nonetheless!

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

 

9 late away from Plymouth.
From 46 at the St Germans slack fell to 36 then recovered to 56 thro Menheniot, 41 min on the final climb to near MP 263 1/2.

 

Would probably take a little while to research this for a reliable verdict, but here's an "apples-and-pears" comparison that nevertheless puts into some sort of sensible context what a brillant EXD-PLY you have just enjoyed. June 2010 witnessed a Ray Churchill/ Andy Taylor 15P spectacular with KE1/ Nunney, Load 13 for 476 gross. Net effect - just 23 seconds faster start to stop. OK, not like-for-like, but that must give some impression of just how good today's effort has really been.

 

Before we get too carried away there's the small matter of the return. Tricky start from Par and the restarts at Bodmin P and Liskeard none too easy either. Not forgetting Hemerdon and Dainton of course.

But quick trawl of the RPS archive shows the EXD PLY time of 62m 20s as the fastest single headed steam with ANY load.

Appreciate there may be logs out there timed by non RPS members and/or runs that have not been submitted for the archive. But its certainly the fastest steam I have recorded for this section.

 

I suspect the P2 will have something to say about that in a couple of years time.....!

 

Indeed, but it raises the bar nicely