Royal Windsor and Sunset Steam Express trips June-September 2021

Tickets are available to book for the 2021 Royal Windsor and Sunset Steam Express trips. They are running every Tuesday in June, July and August, plus 14th and 21st September. Each day there are 3 Windsor trips and 1 Sunset Steam Express. All trains depart from Victoria.

More info:
https://www.royalwindsorsteamexpress.co.uk/tours.php
https://www.sunsetsteamexpress.co.uk/tours.php

 

Windsor & Eton tourist shuttles timings
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...2021-06-01/0600-2000?stp=S&show=all&order=wtt
Surrey Hills timings
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...2021-06-01/0600-2000?stp=S&show=all&order=wtt

No comments apart from 0800 from Victoria seems rather early for the general tourist market.

Cheers, Neil

PS Without further examination of the return Surrey Hills working (1Z56), 8 minutes pathing between Crystal Palace and Tulse Hill will almost certainly mean stopping on West Norwood spur and a considerable push from the DL on the rear to get moving up the gradient to Tulse Hill.
Some of the return workings running as passenger services is interesting, perhaps they are aiming at the diesel fan market? ( As long as it isn't a class 57 .... )

 

Interesting routes this year, the first 2 via Olympia and the 3rd via Richmond instead of Isleworth! Seems they have to stop at Staines to let a service train infront though. Must be wanting to go a different way compared to last time which saw the 2nd and 3rd runs go via Isleworth.
The only time this didn't happen was when they ran late, only there and then did they go via Richmond if a clearer path was available, no doubt we'll see a similar thing happen this year, should they run behind time.

 

Timings are up on Realtime Trains.

Southall - Victoria https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91287/2021-06-01/detailed or https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91288/2021-06-01/detailed

Victoria - Windsor https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91289/2021-06-01/detailed

Windsor - Victoria https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91290/2021-06-01/detailed

Victoria - Windsor https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91291/2021-06-01/detailed

Windsor - Victoria https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91292/2021-06-01/detailed

Victoria - Windsor https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91293/2021-06-01/detailed

Windsor - Willesden https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91294/2021-06-01/detailed

Willesden - Victoria https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91295/2021-06-01/detailed

Victoria - Chertsey https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91296/2021-06-01/detailed

Chertsey - Victoria https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91297/2021-06-01/detailed

Victoria - Southall https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91298/2021-06-01/detailed

 

61306 away from Victoria right time on the first Windsor trip of the day and of the season. Sounded great on the climb up Grovesnor Bank. 33207 doing the honours on the rear.

 

Passing Ashford (Surrey) on the 3rd run today. Brilliant weather so couldn't say no to a photo!

 

Filmed at Ashford (Surrey).

 

Interesting that the run this evening is shown on RTT as a load of 715 tonnes, whereas the considerably heavier Belmond Pullman workings are shown as 420 tonnes. I know the RTT data is not supposed to be completely representative, but still this seems odd.

 

A fine crisp shot. The weather is so warm that the exhaust is all but invisible.

 

The figures are timing loads, based on the power and max speed of the traction. 35028 is Class 8 max 75mph, 61306 is class 5 max 60nph.

 

After a 5 minute late departure from Chertsey it was 20 early by Betchworth! So, the question is, was 33207 doing most of the work and/or is the schedule so hugely slack so as to permit such a massive time gain? The diesel wasn't assisting on the climb to Betchworth when it passed me at Brockham, and 61306 was blowing off,which suggests it hadn't been working much. I have never known a steam working on the Surrey hills route to run so early.

 

Nearly got caught out in the Surrey hills, ran 20 early by betchworth with the diesel seeming to give it a shove and mayflower casually accelerating...

 

Thanks. The sun was perfect today!

 

This evenings Sunset Run climbing Gomshall Bank at Sandy Ln, running 15 minutes early with the Diesel seeming to be giving a "helping hand". Still, was nice to see it coming out the sunset. These earlier timings compared to 2019's runs are proving worthwhile.

 

I think it’s down to the schedule. It’s the maximum load that can be hauled on those timings. The system cannot cope with steam locos so it’s always given as diesel haulage. I don’t know what locomotive type they use.

 

Last year looking at the amount of coal left after Windsor’s and a Surrey Hills suggested that the loco had not been working too hard

 

It may not appear to be working hard, but it looked and sounded in tip top nick burning fuel very cleanly indeed here at Byfleet and New Haw. There was no pathing stop, so it had a run up the bank to Byfleet Junction, but did it very nicely indeed with not much in the way of shove up the chuff. Big thanks to the SWR EMU driver who held it back for 30 seconds for me.

 

Apparently there is an increased fire risk in the Surrey hills area which could explain why the Diesel was giving it a push last night. Not promising signs but with the nice weather comes the dry surroundings.

 

That will only be seen to be true if Clan Line has a rear gunner on Friday