Steam Dreams 2019 - New Summer and other tours

This Saturday’s trip from Bluebell/ East Grinstead looks to be DL free

 

Todays trip from the Bluebell to Bath Spa, with as epxcted, no diesel, and the Bluebell's Class 4 Tank banking at the rear:

 

LNER B1 Class 61306 'Mayflower' Powers the Steam Dreams Excursion to York with some Fast Line running - 17/11/2019

 

My latest footage, enjoy

 

Mayflower on today's Steam Dreams Excursion to York, seen at Hadley Wood:

 

Charging through Welywn North this morning...



https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/49080176273/in/dateposted-public/

 

Deleted.

 

Let loose on the Fast, and waking up Peterborough with today's Steam Dreams Excursion to York.

 

61306 taking advantage of the ECML diverts weekend with her path on the Down Fast at St Neots, and powering towards Peakirk following her P'boro stop.

 

Indeed - just shows what another 2,550hp at the rear can do!

 

The trip on Tuesday 3 December is shown on the SD site as being to "London Shopping" and then Windsor. Does steam actually take the train into London (if so where)? If not, are passengers expected to make their own way into London from, say, Clapham Junction? Edit - since my last check, the timings are now on RTT and it seems that "London Shopping" is actually Shepherd's Bush at 1237 - hmm, hardly the Oxford Street experience! Anyway, it answers the query about the routeing.

 

Clearly you have not heard of Westfield .

 

Problem with Mayflower means that tomorrows trip is Diesel hauled throughout.
https://twitter.com/On_Train/status/1201502939170430976

 

Oh I have, but shopping malls are ten-a-penny these days.

 

I must admit that although Mayflower has had a good few months recently, I was somewhat surprised that SD has put on quite an ambitious schedule for December which has relied entirely on this single loco. There are five further trips planned after tomorrow's, the next being on Sunday to Lincoln, which now looks like it will be worked by Tornado. The next one after that is Chinnor to Winchester (Thursday 12th) which currently still shows Mayflower as the rostered loco. We'll have to see what happens in the next week or so - either some quick boiler work or my guess is that the usual rescue loco will appear - a Riley Black Five. What would we do without them?

 

The Lincoln trip was always due to be hauled by Tornado.

 

More "shops" in Westfield than Oxford street, unless you are buying Union Jack tea towel tourist tat

 

You got to admit though the loco has been a real performer this year. Since the boiler trouble back in April it's done countless long distance trips, including the marathon around Scotland, as well as 3 months of Tuesday outings and has never put a foot wrong.