Steam Dreams 2024

And does not destroy interest for many others. You still get a ride with steam from A to B (and usually back, though not on the Horsham trip). It's just that you start off at C, which is good if you live somewhere near there.

 

Anyone know what's happened to the ECS for the Horsham trip? It disappeared from RTT and Traksy at Streatham 20 minutes ago. Edit - re-appeared at Streatham, apparently heading back towards London! Now at Tulse Hill - I fear something has failed and the tour is cancelled - a great shame.

 

It's reversed at Streatham for some reason.

 

Yes, and it's heading for Herne Hill now - it doesn't look good.

 

Line possession at Wimbledon preventing it from going through as booked. Alternative route required.

 

Ah - a glimmer of hope - thanks!

 

Now stuck at Latchmere Junction, presumably trying to thread a path for reversal at Chelsea Bridge/Imperial Wharf. Edit - the Wimbledon block seemed to clear quite a while back. Perhaps they should have stuck with it. Very unfortunate to have happened at the only single line section on the whole route. Further edit - the train is now approaching Clapham Junction Windsor side so I assume it is going to Bristol ECS to get 61306 to the west for its commitments there.

 

Reversed at Clapham again and now heading up the Windsor side at Queenstown Road.

 

Horsham-starting railtours seem to have been jinxed, can't remember the last time one was booked which didn't end up getting cancelled, although not normally on the morning of the trip itself

 

Indeed - this is hard to follow! It seems to have split, too (according to Traksy), so perhaps 61306 is being sent south/west alone (as it has to be at the WSR I think?). It will need water so I wonder if the Warnham route is still on...

 

Send it via East Putney and Motspur Park!

 

It's on the SWML down fast now at Earlsfied (!), so I assume it will still take water at Warnham. Who knows - its meanderings this morning have been very hard to guess. It has the Epsom line route at Wimbledon...

 

East Putney spur is low route availability.
61306 will be getting low on water so maybe heading back to Southall.

Neil

 

Tour stock now running southbound 133 late at Epsom. <BJ>

 

Just seen it at Motspur Park and Mayflower is on the front

 

Thanks for an eyewitness update.
Neil

 

I was in a field country side of Leatherhead and gave up when it was reversing at Queenstown Road. Just got home to see it did eventually run the booked route! Oh well, I got a sunny shot of a 455 which will be history soon!

 

Yes, all very unfortunate. It seemingly encountered a line block at Wimbledon (I don't know whether that was planned engineering or an emergency) when it was near Streatham and retraced its steps. The odd thing was that it disappeared completely from 'Traksy' for a long time then reappeared during its reversal. Another 'Traksy' oddity was that it showed two trains with its reporting number at Queenstown Road (where it reversed yet again to gain the SWML) and I assumed that meant that 61306 had detached to run LE to the water stop and then on to the west, leaving the 47 and stock to shunt and return to base. No, however, the whole ensemble ran SWML fast line (very rare for steam!) to Wimbledon, then as booked. Now well over two hours late on the mid-Sussex line.

I live near Dorking so went to my planned video spots of between Dorking and Holmwood, and the water stop. The wonders of train tracking technology - and I'm so glad I checked before leaving home! Most importantly I hope the passengers were well cared for at Horsham and that they enjoy their truncated visit to Bristol.

 

After checking my camera's battery had some charge, l took a last-minute decision to see it earlier this morning. Got to near the station and ther ewere a few people gathered, with plenty of people on the platform. Time passed! l wandered to the statioin's entrance to see the departures screen saying 'delayed' for the Charter Train. A little later a passenger told us on leaving that it was delayed (90 mins). I don't know if they just went home for good, or returmed later. I went home and had some breakfast.

I checked RealTime Trains to see what was going on - to see that it was at least getting somewhere. So when it got to Dorking l went back (l was not the only one) and more than two hours after it was supposed to depart, Mayflower made its third visit to Horsham, this time pointing South. Here's the best picture l captured whilst it was standing on Platform 3 (there was a Thameslink in the adjacent Platform which reduced the angles which photographs could be taken).



And a still from the video l took after setting off.



The load was 12 plus two-tone green Class 47. After returning to Horsham behind the Class 47, the stock goes to Wembley.

Cheers!
-SC-