Scotsman to Salisbury: 24/03/22

Good point - does anyone know anything further about that?

 

Yes - lack-lustre, but it is more or less a centenarian. BTW, is the Woking down yard known as the "east sidings"? It's west of the station and I hadn't heard that name for it before.

 

I toyed with the idea of going to West Byfleet to get it on the fast there but thought it too likely to be re-routed and my suspicions were confirmed when it ambled along the slow. Went to Woking (and briefly stood next to 'Mr. Knowwun' by the looks of things). A gorgeous day and I hope the passengers enjoyed it. Video to follow, but here's an extract from the 8K original.

 

Well you stood near or next to me. Didn't bother with taking a picture as it was on the slow line. Were you the chap with the camera on the top of the parapet?

 

There is Woking Up yard, Woking down sidings and East End Siding - Down and East end kinda merge, most of east has gone - Cant get access to the current Wessex sectional appendix to confirm tho.

 

Look forward to seeing the video...

 

Yes, three main line trips in the south of England in the space of just a week and all in glorious spring sunshine. Our Northern friends sometimes enjoy two or three trips on the S&C alone in a week, but it's hard to remember when we last had a combination of such good conditions and so many specials down here. The Woking Centenary runs of 1995 perhaps?

 

That's it! I had been down the other end next to 'Mr K' but moved in the hope of getting the sunny side (which would have worked if it had been on the fast as booked!).

 

I had it for three trips in December and it was on top form.

 

So if the old gal is reduced to being an elegant smoke generator, all this 'got to have a double chimney for best performance' is just twaddle, a double kylchap is hardly noticeable unless an engine is worked hard - surely something that makes a nice loud chuffing sound when being hardly worked ( like on GWR Engines) is more important.

 

John I guess it depends on your definition of "down south" but RTC often have a London starting trip and a DCE the same week as a Steam Dreams trip, so I would say not that unusual, apart from the weather.

 

Cancellations and being stuck behind the stopper between Basingstoke and Salisbury made this a bit less exciting than expected, but nonetheless it was a nice day out seeing the engine one last time, especially with the discs and the sunshine. Just wish the regulator had been open a bit more, although the day ended with sparks flying (excuse the pun) from the engine.

Seen at Wandsworth Town, Andover, Lockerley, Mottisfont and Dunbridge, Basingstoke and Barnes Bridge:

 

Would've been in that crowd if my train there hadn't been cancelled! Andover was equally busy but the only noise we got was from the brakes because of said stopper.

 

Just wonder if fire risk is also an issue. There has been several significant moorland fires around here and everything is tinder dry with all this lovely weather. No fresh spring growth yet, just all last year's dead vegetation - perfect for a steam loco spark..

 

My little video of Woking yard with FS passing.

 

Fair points about a centenarian (albeit one with £4.5m spent on it not long ago). I think I was very lucky at Redhill the other night when some real effort was produced accelerating away from the junction (see my previous video).

 

We have had a week or so of dry, but only mild to warm, conditions (with heavy dews and some frosts overnight). The soil and undergrowth is damp. No realistic fire risk, I would suggest (at least in the south and south-east).

 

Thank you. Normally that spot at Mottisfont is a good spot for acceleration. It was 10 minutes early (train infront of it cancelled) so I wondered if they weren't "charging" to the destination to give more time instead of being stuck outside Salisbury for 10 minutes.

...well at least that's what I thought until I heard the diesel giving it some help.

 

There were plenty of sparks visible as it climbed Barnes Bridge last night! Very atmospheric