Cathedrals Express/Steam Dreams to Poole 21/07/18

It just went past me (@17:00) on Redbridge Causeway heading towards the New Forest. 47580 on front, 47760 then No. 9 on rear

 

RTT Now seems to show that they have cancelled the Poole segment and are only picking up in Bournemouth with a 17:31 departure (which can't be exactly accurate either as the ECS move will get there after 17:31)

 

Currently looped at Totton.

James

 

Yep, just passed it at Totton sat in the loop as of 17:25.

 

As she is currently the meat in a class 444 DMU sandwich she might get looped in Brockenhurst as well

 

She was let through Brockenhurst without looping

 

Arrived Bournemouth 18:11

This service was cancelled between Bournemouth and Poole due to a problem under investigation (OZ).

 

48L leaving Bournemouth

 

June 2019 according to the official 60009 Facebook page.

 

It was another one of those frustrating rail tour days. The tour got to Poole late, so we didn't get as much time there as hoped before having to return to the station, only to then have to catch a service train to Bournemouth where there was a long wait.

Are folks finding that disruption on tours is becoming more common? My last four tours have all had trouble of some kind, including an abandonment on the return journey. Although I only do rail tours occasionally I now look at the trips carefully to try to work out what the opportunities for disruption are or if the time at the destination is likely to be foreshortened in any way but you certainly do need to have a sense of adventure on them of late. The folks I feel sorry for are the less mobile or able who don't take to this sort of thing as readily as the younger passengers.

 

Do not know about tours generally but most days the line to Weymouth descends into a shambles at some stage. First train of the day from Waterloo was 26L at Wareham (my local station) on a quiet Sunday morning. I think delays are now just part of the daily network life.

 

I do less tours than I used to these days but my impression is that the whole business is becoming more unreliable. If you want to minimise disruption I would go for something that runs regularly over a tried and tested route (e,g, Torbay Express, Dorset Coast Express) rather than something that is a "one-off" that hasn't been tried before. The "one-offs" are generally more interesting but you have to be prepared to expect the unexpected! Looking at yesterday's trip for example, I don't remember any recent tours that terminate at Poole. Everything down that way that I've been on has continued to Weymouth or Swanage.

 

Does anyone know why the ECS didn't run to Poole Sidings and returned to Southampton DGL?

Thanks, Neil

 

Overlength for Poole sidings.

 

Last year’s Bournemouth Belle with 35028 was booked to stable in Poole sidings. And that caused a shunting faff with its length as well.

 

And also I guess Al it was not originally planned for this to have a second diesel in the consist.

 

Some images (approaching Mortimer, Test Lane Redbridge, Redbridge Causeway)