Great Britain XVII - 26/04 to 4/05/25

Indeed your shot prompted me to look up when 45407 was last on the Far North line.
First steam to Thurso was 48151 as far back as October 1998, then again with the first GB in 2007 and your trip in 2016 with 44871. I don't recall any other trips north of Dingwall going beyond Helmsdale or Brora (60163).
If memory serves 2011 is the only occasion the Black 5s have been in tandem on the Far North line.
Always willing to be corrected on that.

 

I've booked on it to fill in a missing section to Wick on the steam map, and also to say I've done a return steam journey between Inverness and Georgemas Jn.

I was on 44871's run to Thurso in 2016 ((I seem to recall we were supposed to go to Wick, but issues on that branch meant going to Thurso instead - not that I was complaining!), and remember racing the rest of the train to the Commercial Hotel in Thurso on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Remember the owner being rather surprised at the crowds turning up! Looking at the times on the tour page, it's a 15-minute leg stretch at Wick before steaming south again.

 

Long time since we chatted Ralph, hope we recognise each other.

 

Be good to see you, Swansea last year may have been the last time (though I've not been about much - saving up for this 11 days away)

 

Anyone have an idea of the sort of time this will leave Victoria on day one behind 35028 please?

Bryan

 

8-44 ish

 

Likewise, Alan. Think it's a case of grabbing the chance while it's there, as I suspect steam north of Dingwall - or Brora at the very best - will be extremely thin pickings in future. Can't say how many times I've looked at the map and thought Wick would be one that got away!

 

Will be good to see you again Tom. Definitely seizing the chance to do the Far North line in its entirety. Will you be on the GB for the whole show, definitely in West Wales I suspect. Our latest itinerary mentioned Milford Haven.

 

I'm not currently booked on other legs - sadly, my employment for the past eight years ends today following redundancy, so currently looking for something else - but as it's a Sunday, I could be tempted. The logistics would be pretty intense. I did Milford Haven with 71000 in 2008 - it was very much a last-minute change then! Haverfordwest was once my regular station.

Another leg I'd be interested in is Grange-over-Sands to Edinburgh - a very rare curve at Gateshead, and a Bulleid doing it to boot.

 

Any info on the timings, particularly when it leaves Inverness?