West Somerset Steam Express 18/08/18

My video taken on Saturday 18th August 2018 at Cogload Junction (both ways) and on the West Somerset Railway.

 

Yes full details in HR due out 21st September (with other runs behind N0. 9 incl Scotland 1964/65) but it was a day of good running consistent with timekeeping. The load was a heavy 11 for around 440 tons. 12 in old money. Pete Roberts took No. 9 down with Craig Stinchcombe on the shovel. 64.6 at Little Bedwyn from the Newbury start then 55.1 over Savernake and 74 max after. TSR 37 at Pewsey. A respectable 49/13 for the 42.50 miles to Westbury reached over a minute early from four and half late Newbury. Brewham 48.8 min after 51.1 max from Frome start the 75 max before CC. Nothing else of note but checked badly at Cogload. For the return we had Bob Baines with a pilotman as far as Westbury. 66.1 max before, 59.0 min Somerton then 75.5 after Keinton Mandeville and 61.0 min CC before a very promising assault on Brewham cut short by catching the late running HST in front which we think was stopped by a freight crossing over at E.Somerset JCt. though I haven't checked this yet. We were up to 66 after CC and still doing 60 at MP 125 before we were checked, so both Taunton -Frome sections ruined by checks but a good day with No, 9. We baled out at Westbury to get home at a civilised time. Don

 

The WSRly and RTC need to get their act together so that the correct information is available to passengers. Apparently the revised WSRly WTT was available last week. Do the WSRly actually want Charters as 1 hour 25 minutes at Minehead simply isn't enough time even to have a decent unhurried lunch let alone make use of the £10 add on fares to travel behind some WSR locos? For me this was the only down side of the day. The 7F 53808 was simply superb on 10 for about 410 tons on the return from Minehead. We could hear the exhaust from the back of the train. Best bit of loco handling of the day. Sustained 24 on the 1 in 100.

 

I must have been close to you as I was in coach G. You were right about hearing the 7F working hard on the return, really put a show on.

Your also right about the lack of time in Minehead and being told as we entered the WSR was a bit late notice. One of the passengers in my block of seats bought a WSR ticket on the train and was given a timetable with the correct times on it. I went to the fish and chip place round the corner and amusements for a bit in Minehead before heading back to the station for a look around and getting some more pics of the 7F to fill the shortened time.

 

Sorry about the multiple posts but it wouldn't send so I tried again, and again...…………..it like Gordon Porter trying to get 100 out of 35007, which he never did (98 max) . But he did with 35028 (103 max)

 

I think the WSR would love for charter passengers to get accurate information. And I'm sure the WSR are happy to have charters. I agree there seems far too little time at Minehead but I just cannot see how the WSR can change things - geography and all that stuff - and the WSR do amend the times of their own trains, and cancel the odd train, to accommodate charters. Just a personal view.

Steve

 

The correct times including the WSR legs were published at www.uksteam.info back on Wed 15 August,and could have been made available to passengers at the outset of the journey by the promoters. This is not really the WSR job. Incidentally the times published at RTT are rarely correct for heritage railways !

 

Thanks Don. A decent run for the A4 with that load.