The Great Britain XII - April/May 2019

My footage of Day 3 of The Great Britain XII with the Duchess roaring up Filton and Llanvihangel Banks respectively. Enjoy.

 

I'll tell you why.............it's because some members and staff completely misconstrue posts, and then start throwing s**t around!

It's what's known as not engaging brain before operating keyboard!

 

Surely that never happens on Nat Pres

 

Is it wrong to say I quite like the Duchess looking a little bit work-stained ?

Jon

 

GBXII approaching Helsby...



… and about 25 minutes later (and with a much dirtier exhaust), at Keckwick.



Cheers,

 

There was mention on Radio 2 about 1830 about a steam train passing through Wigan North Western station.
Would this have been the charter?

 

The charter passed through at 18:52 see http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U52030/2019/04/29/advanced

 

If it was Pete then don’t forget he took ‘a Spam’ up Upwey with 11 on and no DL. A true engine man who only thrashes an engine when absolutely necessary

 

Indeed yes. Pete was trained by Jim Robinson at NE and is a very good engine man. See up thread

 

I don't understand why anyone has suggested that any thrashing was happening. I understand "thrashing" to mean demanding excessively high power output from a loco. The struggle up Hemerdon was to do with limited adhesion, pure and simple. At a low speed the power output is low.

A reference on one of the videos to the loco being cold also makes no sense. A cold start can mean a poor fire and thus a shortage of steam, but going up Hemerdon she was blowing off, proving that there was more steam than the cylinders could use.

 

And restarted 30777 on Honiton Bank in October 2007.

 

Yes it did look a very busy lineside there for a weekday, I guess it was around lunchtime. You could've been fooled into thinking 60103 was out and about!

 

Anyone know whether there are any turning facilities at Carnforth? Asking because No.9 is facing the wrong way.

 

Best shot I have managed of this tour so far, Day 1 at Powderham.

 

A work stained 6233 keeping ahead of the shadows at Winwick Junction.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/167082436@N06/47736456561/in/datetaken-public/

Phil

 

Possibly unfair on the guard. I was on the train following the "steam special" to use our guard's term. That Holyhead bound unit was well loaded with a few people standing and should have passed the special at Hereford but was held outside and not allowed in until after the special had left. Possibly this was an operational issue of watering the Duchess with hoses across the track assuming it had run in on the loop as booked or maybe it was blocking the platform. (Edit: video on YouTube clearly shows it blocking the platform) Coupling the diesel was then logical as otherwise there would need to be two block sections between the special and unit which by then was already 24 minutes late from Hereford and then further delayed by the trespassers resulting in a cancellation of the service between Chester and Holyhead, a lot of quite angry passengers (who will be entitled to fare refunds and a hard pressed guard trying to arrange for transport for those passengers who had expected to make various connections from Shrewsbury (reached 43 minutes late). I presume your report refers to the next service which was delayed by 17 minutes from Leominster and then by a few more minutes later in its journey as a direct result of the late running of earlier trains caused by the steam special.

Quite possibly all of the delay might be attributed to some poor regulation and planning but logically of course a diesel shadow would be no good to assist the special if there was a unit between special and diesel so letting the diesel run early makes sense but caused congestion. The whole incident does, however, demonstrate how the conflicts between steam and everyday customers play out and readily explains why a number of operational railway managers don't view steam operations favourably.