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Santa Steam Express & Christmas Steam Express - 13, 14, 20 & 22/12/21

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Paul.Uni, Sep 22, 2021.

  1. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    61306 on train one at Clapham Jct. and train two at Putney.
    [​IMG]2021-12-13 61306 CLAPHAM JCT by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

    [​IMG]2021-12-13 61306 PUTNEY by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr
     
  2. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    Wow - the regulator looks as if it's actually open! Interesting that there are additional white lamps on top of the brass ones. Do the latter not work (come to that neither are the white ones lit)?
     
  3. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Word is that the B1 is turning in phenomenally low coal and water usage data of late...;)
     
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  4. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Pulling away from a red signal at Clapham Jct. and she was working well at Putney. I’ll upload a shot of 35028 later.
     
  5. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    '28 ambling through Wandsworth Town today. I hope SD do well from these runs but I wonder how many aboard could tell they were (partly) steam-hauled!
    DSC02050a.jpeg
     
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  6. D1002

    D1002 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Filmed at Barnes Bridge (Mobile phone).

     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2021
  7. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    My clips from today. 455s will be gone soon so I left the scene to run!
     
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  8. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    ykin01, Mick45305, green five and 4 others like this.
  9. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    These trips seemed as though they were like threading a needle. The evening one started half an hour late because of an earlier points failure at Willesden and it was a struggle to regain time despite the various recovery slots. Add to that a train problem with a preceding service at Hounslow that cost us nearly ten minutes and the failed signal again at Willesden and for many who got off at the extended stop at Clapham on the return it was tight for trains back home. That said, there was rare track and a few nice views of London at night with the odd festive home. The Class 33 was simply extra baggage for Clan Line.
     
  10. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    I wonder how passenger loadings have been so far. I also wonder how difficult it would have been to have done three Surrey hills circuits instead of three plus one evening runs - I know only one path nominally exists and the BML return may have been the sticking point, but it would have seen steam throughout, with the SL triangle for turning. Perhaps too many moves in and out of Victoria, but the SE side isn't at full capacity off-peak. Of course, if all the runs are heavily-booked anyway, who cares?
     
  11. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Haven’t seen all the runs but the second one yesterday was very well loaded.
     
  12. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Evening was well loaded. That said, clammy interior with steamed up windows and lots of people eating without masks, of course, sounds like a great super-speader event.
     
  13. TheModster

    TheModster Member

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    Yesterdays runs with 35028:
     
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  14. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    A bit of crew interest in this one from yesterday. A couple of questions arise - are the two buffers from different sources or are they just worn unequally? The other is something I've raised a few times but have been unable to find an answer to - how does '28 'get away' with its relatively dim lights? I am delighted to see such restraint and wonder if a special exemption applies for this loco when all other traction's lights just get brighter and brighter (to the point of being dazzling)? The headcode discs are virtually brighter than the lamps!

    Another thing has just struck me - the rarity of seeing '28 (or any other steam loco) on the main line without a POB immediately behind the tender.
    DSC02045 (1).jpeg
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2021
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  15. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    Good work. Well done for catching the rare backing down at Victoria, and for actually capturing a few bursts with the regulator open - I think they were few and far between! Dedicated work covering the full day's events.
     
  16. TheModster

    TheModster Member

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    It was a huge surprise and treat when the Christmas Express came through Barnes Bridge to see Bob Baines arm really high up on the regulator, implying it was wide open. Certainly wanted to try and make up the 30 minute deficit!!

    It was one of the longest days out filming steam and never more than 20 miles from the capital. A strange thought!
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2022
  17. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Well they look pretty bright to me in the video from @TheModster at about 11:20...
     
  18. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Going by today's update on the government website (over 78000 new infections) both Delta and Omicron variants already seem to be super spreading.

    Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk
     
  19. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    That was at night when the video will obviously pick them up, but they are hugely less bright than anything else on the main line, which is great - I just wondered if anyone knows any background to it. These three shots taken from the same place within a few minutes of each other yesterday perhaps demonstrate my point. The electric and diesel shots have actually had their highlights edited to reduced the glare from the headlights, so the contrast in brightness was even greater than the photos show.
    DSC02039a.jpeg DSC02051a.jpeg DSC02063a.jpeg
     
  20. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    Yes, is it not because they have a less divergent beam?
     

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