Great Britain XIV 2022

Inverness start of Day 3

 

Team work makes the dream work

 

Who’s the guy on the right?

 

I do not know, perhaps @torgormaig might be able to let us know who it is?

 

Craig Todd who did much of the firing in Scotland.

Peter

 

Peter Thanks.

 

A bit late due to a variety of factors, but this shot at Totnes was taken by Mrs R.



Rather surprisingly there were very few linesiders around, three on the bypass bridge at Totnes and just the two of us in the A390 bridge at Lostwithiel.

Cheers, Neil

 

Like so many have already mentioned, a superb tour - thanks to the crews, RTC, WCRC etc for running it.

I've uploaded a few clips from across the days we chased.

Video Available Here

Overall we managed:
Day 1 - 6233 at Little Fenton. 35018 at Overton, Chester-le-Street Viaduct, Whinney Hill and Lamberton.
Day 5 - 46115 at Carluke, Wandel, Springfield. 45690 at Caulderton and Silverdale.
Day 6 - 45596 & 45690 at Silverdale, Galgate Viaduct, Bayston Hill and Stokesay Castle.
Day 9 - 6233 at Dawlish, Silverton, Cogload Junction and Corsham.

 

All in (several, actually) day's work!

Don't forget Rachel, back at RTC's HQ and WCR's fitters and Controllers.

JS

 

And a big thanks too to Gravy Train catering, serving the whole train from a single kitchen car. On Saturday we got our breakfasts almost immediately on leaving Penzance.

 

Agreed (photo #417)

 

Kelly was taking feedback for next year and shorter days was top of the list. Suggestions have been made for routes rarely featured on The Great Britain such as The Central Wales line, new routes such as the Hope Valley and to visit the most Easterly Station Lowestoft ( the most Northerly, Southerly and Westerly have all been visited). King's Lynn has also been suggested but was not a serious one.
This year's one appeared to have sold a lot better than the last, where a lot of people were doing part of it( including me), partly because of the last 2 years, but also also because the SD Highlands and Islands was cancelled because WCR could not resource it( according to a number of people on GBXIV, who were booked on it)?

With regard Scotland and the weather, what about a mini tour in September starting in Preston, like the West Highlander's use to, but going to Inverness instead?

 

E mail arrived today - suggests it could be a week earlier, more info to follow when available.

 

A mini Autumn tour also sounds appealing

 

Do you think that with class 7 and 8 power, the route options are rather restricted? I know this is ironic because not so long ago there were moans and groans about Black 5 tours of Britain, but a couple of class 5s with good route availability as part of the mix would open up some opportunities which were not available this year. Given the requirement for three locos at FW, I wonder if there is any chance of some combination of 62005, 61264 and any of the Black Fives in the mix next year.

 

Yes but some routes, places such as the Tyne Valley , Norwich have not been used/ visited.
Jubilees are likely to be suitable for some of the routes e.g. Hope Valley
61264 is out of ticket and stored at Grosmont. 62005 is under overhaul and due back next year. Two locos are required at FW from Easter, so hopefully if no overhauls full or intermediate are be carried out to the others that should leave two locos available for say the Central Wales line.

 

A bit late to the party but heres my video of days 7 and 9 with 6233 Duchess of Sutherland featured in the West Country.