British Pullman 2025

Indeed - from various videos appearing on the normal channels, load 13 and no rear gunner!
Pure steam, right loco, right coaching stock, right route and all in the right livery.
Now that’s a lot to like!

 

Correct. Nothing else has yet ran without tail gunner, although Vintage or LSL haven’t begun.

29th March should be the next unassisted with Vintage, with 45596 over Shap?

LSL still I believe intend to use the Generator car on some trips this year to give pure steam, although as I understand it this can only be done on trips where the logistics of shunting dont require the rear loco.

 

From MNLPS:
Our Fitness To Run has been passed and we are off around Kent tomorrow with Belmond British Pullman!

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C55096/2025-03-06/detailed Victoria-Dover Priory

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C03335/2025-03-06/detailed Dover Priory-Victoria

 

Afternoon everyone,

Does anybody know what'll be working this on the 16th, please?.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U41673/2025-03-16/detailed

Thank you.

 

This is Clan Line! Just an ordinary shot fairly close to home, but still very nice to see it looking great as always.

Drifting towards Paddock Wood RT on the 13.51 Dover-Priory to Victoria.

I am guessing it may have just had a double yellow in the distance before it reached me, as the road wasn't set for the train until not long before it passed me.

Bryan

 

A class 67.

 

I was at Longfield about three hours before Bryan tok this shot. Whereas she was "drifting" in his piecture, 35028 was working hard on the 1 in 100 gradient when I saw her, but can you believe it - no visible exhaust! Our friends from the north of England will probably be staggered by this, but yes, late in the morning on 6th March, the temperature was about 16 degrees in sunny Kent and not a whisp of anything coming out of the chimney of a hard working steam loco.

It was somewhat cooler nearer the coast but a further disappointment awaited me. Having successfully taken a shot of it last October from the popular spot the Dover side of Shakespeare Cliff Tunnel, I thought I'd try Samphire Hoe, the nature reserve created by dumping spoil from the Channel Tunnel between Shakespeare Cliff and Abbotscliff tunnels. It looked very promising in the photos with the other end of Shakespeare Cliff Tunnel featuring prominently in one of them. However, what isn't apparent from thee images is that the fencing is quite a way from the tracks and in between is a profusion of buddleia. which makes an unobstrucated view of the track very difficult. I walked all the way to the mouth of Abbotscliff Tunnel, convinced there must be a shot somewhere, but in the end, had to settle for a "train in the landscape " picture from a hillock using a telephoto lens, which managed to avoid having that much of the train hidden by the thicket of buddleia - not one of my greatest pictures.

Why am I rabbiting on about all this? Essentially, to save anyone else from getting excited about the photographic potential of this spot. If you've got a drone, I'm sure you could get a great picture and if you want a pleasant walk round an interesting nature reserve, it's worth a visit, but if you're after 35028 on the pullmans with the white cliffs in the background and are using an ordinary camera, my advice is go for Folkestone Warren instead.

 

It really was a good day weather wise for filming. Clan Line seen approaching Rainham, Capel-le-ferne and Filston Ln near Dunton Green. Interesting to see that it ran without the headboard today.

 

British Pullman, 35028 Clan Line, 6th March 2025.

 

Thanks Dave.

 

The footbridge towards Abbotscliffe Tunnel is still OK

 

"I'm staggered!" some idiot had to say it, so it may as well be me

 

Thursday was a day that it would have been nice to be in two places at once but given the choice I certainly wouldn't have given up the ride on the train. Just a couple of shots at Victoria before departure of the result from a lot of attention by a small group of volunteers. Hildenborough taken in style again from a standing start at Tonbridge.

 

There’s only one place better than going for a ride on the train…and that’s being on the footplate of the locomotive hauling it!

 

I don’t think anyone would argue with that. It’s also a privilege and every trip is unforgettable