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

It also occurred to me that the 33 headcode carried by 33207 was inadvertantly appropriate as it was one of the Hastings codes (Cannon Street to Hastings) with 207 being a Hastings gauge loco. Note - must get out more!

 

'Mayflower' had just shut off as she hove into view between Putney and Wandsworth Town today (20th), and opened up again just after she passed me for a short burst - it really is hard to catch any steam on these steam trips! 47804 took the place of 33207 today - I wonder if that's because the 33 was under-powered for the unassisted Victoria departures, or just a loco availability issue?

 

I've had luck with steam on at Chiswick and Putney on these trips.

 

Does that mean the train was unheated last week with 33207?

 

I had intended to go on to Putney but got off my train from CJ the stop before as it was getting tight for time - I saw billowing steam in the distance at Putney before it was shut off.

 

It was very cold on the 1st train last Monday 13th. The panel on the cab of 33207 clearly shows an ETH index of 0

 

Hmm. Not only "take a diesel" but take the right one. That does seem a tad shambolic on the face of it - 33207 was surely under-powered anyway to take 11 plus a dead loco up the 1 in 70 Grosvenor bank, assuming that no help was expected from the steam (or given, from what I saw). The lack of ETH gives an authentic 'North Pole' experience perhaps!

 

The allocated dual braked ETH 47802 at unfortunately failed before ECS departure last Monday.
The choice of spare dual braked diesels at Southall was 33207 or a class 37.
The 33 was used because it had proven itself capable of working top/tail with Mayflower on the Windsors during the summer. Anyone who looks at RTT will have seen that neither 33207 or 33025 looses time on the diesel hauled sections.
WCR despatched a replacement dual braked ETH class 47804 from Carnforth on that Monday, it ended up getting stuck at Rugby due to signalling issues at Wembley so never made it to Southall in time for the ECS on Tuesday for the trains worked with 35028.
WCR tried to swap diesels during the afternoon servicing at Willesden, but a number of factors (including more signalling problems) meant that 47804 couldn’t get to Willesden in time.

From the reports I’ve had from people on the 35028 train, 33207 had no problems with any of the gradients.

 

Great update - many thanks. The 33s are capable beasts but the rail conditions were favourable, I think. Anyway, it is irrelevant given that the 47 was unavailable. I'm sure many line-siders preferred the 'Crompton' anyway! Do you happen to know if the steam crews were asked/expected not to assist when 'tailing', and vice versa? Thanks again.

 

From today's first run, at Barnes:

 

A video from yesterday, too:

 

A final outing of the year, Mayflower on yesterdays Santa and Christmas trips: