35028 Clan Line

Double heading would be the icing on the cake.

 

I’m afraid that won’t happen

 

it is possible as they both hold the same coupling mechanisms that will go together

 

More down to bureaucracy, 18 is a WC engine and 28 has DBC as it’s TOC.

 

I see.

what is TOc

 

We have to be realistic about this. 35018 and 35028 work for two different operators, are owned by different groups, and work in different spheres. We'd never rule out working with anyone, but we have only a single through braking system on the loco and the support coach, and to work with others rolling stock we'd need to be dual braked.

Never say never, but it is unlikely at the moment.

I think - with so many Bulleids out there in steam at present - it would be jolly nice to do a big gala somewhere. Maybe try and eclipse The Great Gathering and get more than six Bulleid Pacifics together at the GCR or similar. I think we'd be up for it, were the timing right and the finances sound.

 

Train Operating Company

 

I don’t think braking is a problem. Clan Line has a steam brake for the engine, vacuum on the tender and air brake for working ML stock, do no problem working a vac braked train. It did do on the Bluebell last year. The Bulleid gathering would be better on the Mid Hants,

 

The bulleids should be on a southern line instead of thenGCR yes. But we should not do the gala until after the coronavirus now.

 

I suppose it depends whether you lend more weight to Merchant Navies being big mainline express locomotives or Southern locomotives. You could argue that having a gathering on a non-southern region double track mainline that probabaly never saw Merchant Navies is just as appropriate as a gathering on a small Southern branchline that would also have never seen Merchant navies.

 

I was thinking more an a future run, where 35028, and 35018 both leave Waterloo a few minutes apart with their respective trains, 28 on a Bournemouth Belle , 18 on a Weymouth, via Portsmouth direct to Eastleigh, then onward to Weymouth, Diesel hauled on return to Southampton then back via Romsey and Andover , with fast runs from Basingstoke pathed on fast line hopefully just minutes apart

 

Clan line can work vacuum braked stock, it has on both Mid Hants, and Bluebell, Yes, a gathering of 35005, 35006, 35018, AND 35028 on the mid hants, especially if the Bluebells 4 Bulleid coaches can be borrowed again, to form an all Bulleid train, and for ease of movement I suppose 35018 could work across to SL pick up 28, and both engines work across to the SWmain line and Alton.

 

Glad you've got it all organised Martin, what date do I put in my diary?

 

The Mid Hants was a diversionary route when the mainline to Bournemouth was closed for engineering works and on such occasions would regularly see MNs

 

Strangely, July 9th falls on a Friday next year, 9th to 11th, that's as close as you can get to the 7th, , and if both 18, and 28, just happen to be at Southall, and Stewarts Lane, 35005 first runs, since returning to traffic , what better tribute to Southern steam, ok it will need a lot of things to happen, 35005 is still in bits, but it would be an incentive for the railway,

 

Being realistic you won’t get two trains at Waterloo at the same time but it would be possible for them to meet up elsewhere

 

Such as Basingstoke ? and you can still take the slow at 75,

 

Alresford was also the site for inaugural run after the naming of Channel Packet, presumably meeting the criteria of being reasonably close to Eastleigh but quiet enough for a layover. I've seen at least a couple of photos of 21C1 recognisably at Alresford.

Here is the inaugural train en route, near Shawford:




Tom

 

AFAIK only one platform is normally usable for steam from Waterloo. But you could start one train there (ECS from Southall via Sheepcote Lane Curve) and the other from Victoria. Some jiggling of service train paths would be needed for parallel running on slow and fast lines. WIBN!

Or else both trains from Victoria. I seem to recall there have been occasions when a steam special arrived there while another one was still at the stops.

 

Just thinking about the GCR, I think they did have 4 Bulleid pacifics at one time with Can Pac and Boscastle working, Manston, and Brocklebank under restoration in the mid 90's??