Flying Scotsman to Kent : SD - 17/03/22

Less than 24 hours before 60103 is due to arrive at Canterbury West on its first ever visit to Kent, no detailed timings have yet appeared. SD has said quite specifically that it won't supply them to the general public - I guess that the recent trespass incidents, plus the additional hazard in the shape of the live rail have made the company particularly cautious. (By comparison, the timings for last Sunday's Oxford trip were posted two days before the train ran.)

So those of us planning to see it are still somewhat in the dark as to which route it will take - via Tonbridge or Maidstone East?? Sometimes alterations to service trains on RTT can give you a clue, but I haven't found anything thus far. The outward timings do seem fairly similar to Bahamas' run to Canterbury last Summer , which ran via Maidstone East, but that doesn't prove anything. The circular run from Canterbury appears to be going through Minster, Deal, Dover and Folkestone, with the diesel dragging the train back from Ashford to Canterbury.

(PS Sorry to anyone who clicked on this post hoping to see a link to the timings! I wish I could have obliged - I did try my best.)

 

Exactly so - the combination of 60103 and juice rail prompts extra caution. RTT will probably have it on the day as a STP/VST.

 

Outward: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64145/2022-03-17/detailed

Return: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64154/2022-03-17/detailed

(there are further links on RTT but I decided to post the main timings here)

 

Not entirely sure what's happened to the ECS, but it now appears to be coming via New Kew Jn and Barnes and is running quite late.

 

Looks as though it's gone Pete Tong somewhere - the original ECS move on RTT has been cancelled at operator's request, substituted by this on RTT, & there's a monster delay showing?
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64144/2022-03-17/detailed

 

I wanted to go see her but I’m too emotional to, glyn (admin ) would of gone x

 

Looks like the empty stock has just arrived in Victoria now: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64144/2022-03-17/detailed

 

Just departed: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64145/2022-03-17/detailed

 

Yes but what's up front, anything could have gone on at Acton wells

 

There was a problem with a freight train infront of the ECS in the Acton wells area, so they had to send it the long way round via Barnes instead of Kensington.

 

60103 on the front, 47 on the rear. Sounded nice over Grovesnor Bridge.

 

Confirmed Scotsman on the front, picture from a mate who saw it at (the very rarely used for steam!) Battersea Park

 

I'm looking forward to seeing FS today after a gap of 48 years !

 

Canterbury is lovely, easy to spend on 7 hours there with lunch, dinner, the cathedral, walking round the city centre. Try 8 hours at Yeovil Junction for mind numbing tedium!

 

I watched the whole thing unfold (online and then behind me) and decided to stick my ground and big it out.
> And it illustrates very well what you get with 'haulage' on many such trips with FS. Nothing wrong with that at all, provided that you know.
I knew, wasn't prepared to travel far or put in too much effort for a show pony run. The route is not a common one, and provides a rare chance for, down south anyway, the sun to be in the right place on the "down" run

 

6V48 0359 Wellingborough - Colnbrook
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R03825/2022-03-17/detailed#allox_id=0

Cheers, Neil