Saphos 2025

60532 (& partner) at Beckfoot & Ais Gill


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Phil

 

I started to think that you could avoid turning by heading out via the suburban line; but realised that you would still need top and tail to bring the train back into Waverley after servicing.

 

In theory, as long as the propelling move at Portobello into Joppa could be carried out by radio shunter at the far end, then you'd be halfway there. The ECS could then return to west approach of Waverley via the Sub, tour leave via the Eastern exit of Waverley and back round the sub to join the WCML at Slateford. I'm unsure if such a propelling move to facilitate the layover at Joppa Straight would be approved though.

The biggest hurdle in such a plan currently, is that I believe the A4's are banned currently from the Suburban Line. I'm not entirely sure for what reasoning, if it is physical size gauging or an axle load limit in place at some point along the route.

 

5029 Nunney Castle at Bradford-on-Tone with te English Riviera Express en route to Kingswear

 

I note that for the Bristol TM - Shrewsbury section of the Welsh Marches Express this Wednesday, whereas Railway Herald has this as steam-hauled, Rail Advent has diesel throughout. The Saphos website also has steam but maybe they don't update in the case of steam being removed?

 

I do not know but which of the 3 you mentioned is the most likely to be inaccurate?
Only a mere 18 hours 12 minutes from Bournemouth. Which means that I would need to be up at about 03:00 and back home about 00:45 Thursday, assuming it is on time.
Maybe they should be paying me to buy a ticket.

 

And Railtour Info has it as steam with Diesel T&T, which equates to the steam plus 2 Diesels of RH, and seems to be a reasonable assumption?
All depends on soursce info of course, of which there is usually little from Saphos but I’d expect some sort of announcement and maybe a TT change to compensate passengers with more time in the lovely town of Shrewsbury. Personally,I’m Hoping for Nunney Castle, there’s been very little steam on the Marches line this year.

 

Won’t be Nunney. Castle class out of gauge for all platforms at Shrewsbury.

 

Thanks for the info Harry. How ironic: a Castle out of gauge in its native homeland.
Can but hope for Vintage Trains to run specials through here again, like the one I went on last year, or the double-header not so long ago - coming from Birmingham they take the station avoiding line of the Shrewsbury triangle.
Workings to and from Bishops Lydeard shown for Wednesday, so it looks like Braunton again.

 

Not a new issue, I remember going on a charter behind 6024 to Shrewsbury. We ran through the station on the centre freight line and propelled back into platform 4. That would probably be frowned on now!
I have seen a GWR steam loco arrive at platform 4 and thought it was very tight. Trains arrive from Hereford and join the platform at an angle, so I can understand the concern with anything with wider than usual cylinders.

 

I don't know what platform it was but here is a photo' of 6000 running into Shrewsbury with the 100years of Dinning Cars train. September 1979.Along time ago .May be some track alterations nave been done since then.

 

Remember the same happening with 6233 back in 2019 on the GB, only that time there was no propelling involved. The 47 reattached to the rear at Hereford to facilitate this move.

 

I believe the final Fellsman of the year next week (3rd Sept) is set to be 70000

 

As with the TfW service that preceded it, the DVT was leading.
At least this time the sun didn't vanish just as the train arrived though.

 

Today’s returning special at Wharton, south of Leominster, having a close encounter with a couple of 197s on a Fishguard to Manchester train.

 

A few from the Marches today, 34046 emerging from the tunnel at Ludlow station with some urgency, the rain had stopped and the sun was making an effort to shine.
The return at Stokesay where the hopes of a sunny image were dashed seconds before the train arrived.



And as an aside remember the Stokesay pond



this is what it looks like today

 

So distressing that the pond has effectively vanished. Enjoyed watching a variety of ducks etc. there on the many occasions I’ve been there for specials.

 

Well I never expected to see that, it just shows how relentlessly dry and hot this summer has been. Hopefully the water will return over the winter.

 

Very sad, but seeing the photos above showing it wet and then dry, and even without doing detailed measurements, I don't think it has quite the depth of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Baikal to survive a few months of drought.

Bryan