Steam Dreams 2021

Evening all,

Timings for the outward journey on Sundays tour to York Steam hauled by Bahamas: Realtime Trains - 1Z28 0836 Ealing Broadway to York

return is diesel hauled

 

My short video from very wet Whiteball:

 

The two make light work of Hemerdon this morning , ten minutes earlier the rain pouring down

 

Saw it at Whiteball and Somerton on the return (on our way back from holiday in Devon). Something went wrong at Westbury by the look of the timings (86 late). Images to follow.

 

Managed to get two shots of Bahamas and Mayflower on the Plymouth London leg. Filmed at Burlescombe and Long Sutton near Upton on the climb to Somerton.

 

Sunshine....

 

As someone mentioned earlier the there seemed to be a significant delay after Westbury and the train seems to have dropped off the radar altogether after Reading. Was there a problem which caused it to be terminated at Reading?

 

Looks like it went via the western from Reading.

 

Very strange goings on at Westbury today. The tour departed Westbury some 8 mins late at 15:30 but stopped a short distance away just before Heywood Rd Jn. The light engines caught up and sat one section behind the tour. Soon after a Paignton to Padd service became stranded behind the ensemble when it stopped at Westbury station. We were waiting patiently in glorious sunshine to see the tour at Gt. Cheverell. Then our worst fears were realised when the light engines began to move. We were convinced that the tour had failed and were about to be rescued by the diesels. But then the diesels returned to Westbury station. Eventually after being stopped for 45 minutes the tour began to move and some 10 mins later passed us in very nice evening light.

I hope the passengers enjoyed their break in the south-west and all returned home at a reasonable time. Many thanks to Steam Dreams and the support crews. <BJ>

 

According to a mate of mine who was out seeing the trip this evening, there was a brake fault with the train at Westbury which caused the delay. At Reading he spoke to the crew and they said they would go via the GWML as far as Acton Main Line before heading to Willesden and getting to Victoria via Kensington Olympia, can confirm this was the case having watched the movement on OTT tonight. An hour down on arrival back at Victoria, but this is one tour that can afford being late without it being too much of a struggle for people to get home via public transport.

 

Thanks for the explanation - yes, definitely a better outcome than the Welsh Dragon tour that got back after midnight!

 

Nice to chat briefly at both locations (I was the one who arrived at Burlescombe in the nick of time!).

 

Good update. Yes, the whole tour seemed to have run like clockwork until then.

 

Scenes from the up journey yesterday:

 

Here's my footage of 45596 Bahamas and 61306 Mayflower heading the return leg back to London yesterday. I filmed them both at Hemerdon Bank and Pugham Farm. The video also features 7029 Clun Castle on today's run. I hope you enjoy the video.

 

Went to get a photo of todays run to York between Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak. Picked a spot that last year had been cleared of weeds etc, but sadly its all back. Never mind it was a nice walk and first time I have seen 45596 in 30 or more years. Should have gone onto Gospel Oak station. Although it left Southall late it was 10 early at Hampstead Heath and got held 6 mins.

Hope those out for this have better luck.

Its 10 plus 47746

 

45596 passing Hornsey a few minutes ago on time.

 

Are there problems with today's trip? Looks to have been sat at st Neots for a long time

 

It was sat there for 8 minutes longer than booked. That’s not a long time. Inconvenient for any following train, but it’s not the end of the world...

 

And looking at the timings it might have been a water stop.