The Dorset Coast Express (RTC) - 23/05/09

I always thought thought that the road bridge was busy, there is little room for people, although at 7am It should be much quieter.
There are other trips to try your other suggestion out, We have got 23rd Agust and xmas so May try it then.

 

How good's your source, Matt? 100% sure? 80%?

 

100% i'd say

 

I was hoping you'd say something like that. Cheers! It certainly makes sense since she's not going to the exhibition. It's just that "common sense" is not always the guiding principle in steam tours, is it?

(Actually I was hoping you'd say more about where the gen came from, but I'll take your word for it.)

 

theres plently of room for both people and cars on the bridge, most drivers are considerate and slow down as they drive past, cars heading towards the main road slow anyway as they approach the corner in the road anway as it can be a blind spot if the headge hasnt been trimmed.

 

Well my dad has decided not to go tomorrow morning, Set my alarm for 4.45am to bike to Norwich \/
Dedicated steam enthusiast teenager here, sacrificing his lie-in :cry:

 

Last time I was on a railtour with a Royston water stop it was the usual 12 mins. good work from the fire tender from MHR territory [coned off area in the Up car park and a hose through the platform fence].
As has been written before - Royston is bi-directional on both platform lines allowing passage of FCC trains.
Baldock lost its sidings many years ago to yet more housing estates.

 

Hope to catch 70013 at either Gospel Oak or Hampstead Heath this morning especially as its unusual to see tours traveling down this line at a reasonable time with paying passengers. Also although there is quite a bit of Steam Action on the North London line it tends to be empty stock movements with unreliable timetables. Sadly missed Tornado earlier in the year as it was over a hour earlier than published times.

Will post shots if of acceptable standard, suns out so should be OK.

Paul

 

70013 caught at Gospel Oak running about two minutes early and looking great. Very slow though as following London Overground stopping train as far as Wilsden.

First although I suspect not the best pictures of the day.
[attachment=0:1tvcdzg4]70013 GospelOak May 23 2009.jpg[/attachment:1tvcdzg4][attachment=2:1tvcdzg4]70013 GospelOak May 23 2009 (1).jpg[/attachment:1tvcdzg4][attachment=1:1tvcdzg4]70013 GospelOak May 23 2009 (2).jpg[/attachment:1tvcdzg4]

 

We're not used to having southbound steam on the GN main line so early in the morning, necessitating finding a new location

This is Todd Green, very close to A1(M) junc 8, north of Stevenage. Pity about the transformer enclosure with its palisade fencing in the background

Like Tornado earlier, the hotter weather meant no steam, just a smoke haze.
2nd part of plan, to get two shots before/after Chertsey , scuppered by M25 'car park' congestion, abandoned just before M1 intersection

 

Re:

47760 has passed me light loco near brockenhurst so will be steam all the way to poole

 

70013 just passes New Milton about 10-15 down going very well, around 70? Must have been looped to let the virgin through but there was no chance the following fast was going to catch her, lovely purr from the chimney!

 

A record of the event not helped by horrible light and no exhaust, but well worth seeing and hearing her.

 

What was the load for this tour? I counted quickly as the train disappeared and made it load 8. Can anyone confirm <BJ>

 

The following Weymouth did catch up with 70013 and was delayed 12 minutes in total between Brokenhurst and Poole.

 

I think there must have been a fair bit of delay at Poole as the steam was detrained and shunted, still its good that steam is run on such a busy stretch of line. I counted 8 as well.

 

A lovely noisy restart from a signal check at Worting Junction. Pity the weather was crashing at the time!

 

Oliver Cromwell performed very well, and thundered along the east coast mainline in fine style - very impressive when other mainline trains overtook us on the move.... though it was all going on in our carriage (carriage G third from the engine) we were plunged into darkness when we went into a tunnel as no one had turned the lights on... and everyone had the windows open as it was hot, my dad had a cup of coffee on the table almost emtpy) and another train over took us in the tunnel turning the carriage into a window tunnel #-o as we came out again the cup had gone!!! - it had lifted off the table and flew down to the other end of the carriage

we ran on time nearly all the way, though i think we got 5/10 mins behind after a water stop at Royston but soon picked time up again, dispite running slow all through the backlines of London we still were on time so this most of been planned.

 

I think the highlight for many was the two girls in tarton mini skirts walking up and down the train all day.... im sure there skirts were getting higher and higher up their legs as the day progressed....

 

will post more pictures from the trip and Eastleigh on my website later