If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

The Chiltern Explorer - 1/11/25

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by buzby2, Oct 29, 2025 at 11:57 PM.

Page 1 of 2
  1. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2009
    Messages:
    1,823
    Likes Received:
    695
    Location:
    Swanage
    https://www.railwaytouring.net/ce-01-11-25
    Courtesy of RealTime Trains:
    34028 ECS: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68393/2025-11-01/detailed
    34028 Manchester to Reading: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68394/2025-11-01/detailed
    34028 ECS to WCRC Southall: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68395/2025-11-01/detailed
    Diesel ECS: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68396/2025-11-01/detailed
    Diesel Reading to Manchester: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68397/2025-11-01/detailed
    Diesel ECS to Hooton: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68398/2025-11-01/detailed
    Diesel ECS Hooton to Carnforth: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68399/2025-11-02/detailed
     
    buzby2, Oct 29, 2025 at 11:57 PM
    #1
    3ABescot likes this.
  2. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    4,053
    Likes Received:
    1,106
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    Looking forward to scratching some required track and Bulleid mileage.
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Oct 30, 2025 at 1:22 PM
    #2
  3. City_Steam

    City_Steam New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2011
    Messages:
    51
    Likes Received:
    326
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Early running Eddystone crawls into Deansgate...

    1330253.jpg
    And then waits for a green...
    1330259.jpg
     
    City_Steam, Nov 1, 2025 at 8:03 AM
    #3
    Christopher125, silversteellady, YorkyLad and 14 others like this.
  4. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    4,053
    Likes Received:
    1,106
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    Fairly plain sailing so far, with a nice stretch of fast running south of Madeley. Useful to get a Bulleid between Piccadilly and Crewe. Currently at Stafford.
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Nov 1, 2025 at 9:41 AM
    #4
    Mick45305 and Big Al like this.
  5. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2011
    Messages:
    4,372
    Likes Received:
    2,838
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    West Byfleet
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    .
     
    mrKnowwun, Nov 1, 2025 at 10:07 AM
    #5
  6. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2013
    Messages:
    3,051
    Likes Received:
    4,117
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    TBC
    Location:
    Birmingham & Arley
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Water stop ?

    Hopefully enough coal this time.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2025 at 10:28 AM
    LMarsh1987, Nov 1, 2025 at 10:13 AM
    #6
  7. 61994

    61994 Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2014
    Messages:
    343
    Likes Received:
    565
    Gender:
    Male
    https://flic.kr/p/2rCNUZy

    34028 seen passing Heaton Chapel this morning. Close call with the 323 in the background but glad I made the effort
     
    61994, Nov 1, 2025 at 10:48 AM
    #7
    Spike, Mick45305, 30910 and 4 others like this.
  8. TH Railway Videos

    TH Railway Videos Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2016
    Messages:
    310
    Likes Received:
    605
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Bedfordshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Flattening up the bank away from Bletchley High Level at Whadden Rd, both steam and diesel on full whack taking on the 1in140 going up to 1in115 IMG_4151.jpeg
     
    TH Railway Videos, Nov 1, 2025 at 1:04 PM
    #8
    3ABescot, silversteellady, Spike and 6 others like this.
  9. wcmlbls1846

    wcmlbls1846 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2009
    Messages:
    1,057
    Likes Received:
    574
    wcmlbls1846, Nov 1, 2025 at 1:18 PM
    #9
    Spike, Oswald T Wistle and sunstream like this.
  10. jsm8b

    jsm8b Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    Messages:
    3,253
    Likes Received:
    8,034
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Escapee from the corporate bear-pit
    Location:
    Shropshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    After the Stafford stop approaching Colwich Junction and catching the light at Weetmans Bridge. The second shot would have shown more of the cobbled bridge surface but for the sudden arrival of a Tesco van :Arghh:, why do they always turn up at the wrong time ?


    _25Z3895 34028 Weetmans Bridge 011125.jpg _25Z3896 34028 Weetmans Bridge 011125.jpg
     
    jsm8b, Nov 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
    #10
    staffordian, The Gricing Owl, Spike and 9 others like this.
  11. jon5051

    jon5051 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2006
    Messages:
    672
    Likes Received:
    401
    Location:
    Bucks
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Coasting into Appleford

    [​IMG]
     
    jon5051, Nov 1, 2025 at 2:40 PM
    #11
    The Gricing Owl, silversteellady, green five and 8 others like this.
  12. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    4,053
    Likes Received:
    1,106
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    Overall, an enjoyable run that achieved an ambition of mine to link up the various chunks of Bulleid haulage on the steam map. Fairly bucolic scenery on the Varsity Line, and the earthworks for HS2 were massive in scale. We seemed to stop at Claydon E Jc for servicing, which confused the schedule a bit. Thanks to everyone who made it all happen.
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Nov 1, 2025 at 3:44 PM
    #12
  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    23,255
    Likes Received:
    23,492
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I think that the plan always was to stop at the NR access point at Steeple Claydon where the old station crossing used to be. Not reflected in RTT but WC knew what they were doing !
     
    Big Al, Nov 1, 2025 at 4:12 PM
    #13
    pete12000 likes this.
  14. D1004

    D1004 New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2007
    Messages:
    103
    Likes Received:
    56
    Less than a minute separates these pictures at Slough.
     

    Attached Files:

    D1004, Nov 1, 2025 at 4:17 PM
    #14
    buzby2, silversteellady, green five and 5 others like this.
  15. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2011
    Messages:
    4,372
    Likes Received:
    2,838
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    West Byfleet
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
     
    mrKnowwun, Nov 1, 2025 at 5:45 PM
    #15
    3ABescot, 30910, Mick45305 and 3 others like this.
  16. TH Railway Videos

    TH Railway Videos Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2016
    Messages:
    310
    Likes Received:
    605
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Bedfordshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    34028 flattening up the bank away from Bletchley with today’s Chiltern Explorer
    Funny to think 6 years ago the once mothballed trackbed was used as a path by the locals and dog walkers, how times have changed ey
     
    TH Railway Videos, Nov 1, 2025 at 7:21 PM
    #16
    3ABescot, The Gricing Owl, SteveKesterton and 2 others like this.
  17. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    8,900
    Likes Received:
    7,580
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Seems the boys at Carnforth forgot to fit that 10A shed plate during the week;)
     
    Gladiator 5076, Nov 2, 2025 at 11:26 AM
    #17
  18. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2013
    Messages:
    3,051
    Likes Received:
    4,117
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    TBC
    Location:
    Birmingham & Arley
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Action from Eddystone on its most recent outings. Downhill/level/lightly rising sections chosen for obvious reasons, though was shoved hard out of Oxford after being sent out in front of an IET.
     
    LMarsh1987, Nov 2, 2025 at 3:35 PM
    #18
    3ABescot, 30910 and alts1985 like this.
  19. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2009
    Messages:
    1,823
    Likes Received:
    695
    Location:
    Swanage
    '28's tender looks to be quite empty-ish so presumably no coal provided en-route. It seems to have hauled the ECS from WCRC Carnforth to Manchester, then the tour to Reading followed by the ECS to WCRC Southall OK, so all the shovage was vital to eke out supplies. This would seem to indicate a maximum steam leg on excursions of possibly less than 200 miles. If topping up (coal) supplies, not under OHL of course, is not possible then this might restrict it's availability for some of RTC's longer trips.
    An example might be "The Valentine's Express" on 14th February 2026. I realise KX - York is 'only' 173 miles but the loco would normally first have to haul the ECS from WCRC Southall to Ferme Park sidings with the rear diesel towing the train into KX ready for departure north. Then there's a bit of shunting around at York to access the turntable, etc.
    Opposite Ferme Park sidings is Great Northern's Hornsey EMU depot which has reasonable road access for coal lorry deliveries. It also had (still has?) a non-electrified siding (alongside a roadway) to the east of the site but WCRC don't seem to use the site since Harry Potter filming at KX [2001 ?]. A pile of unused coal was there for ages. Trying to fit rail tour movements into a busy EMU depot schedule might create some problems perhaps.
    I recall stabling my train one evening and then got ready to go home. However, I got chatting to a support crew member of 5972 Hogwarts Castle (Olton Hall) and. without my asking, he kindly invited me to travel in the support coach to KX (where my car was waiting). I saw plenty of the actors riding on on the train - to make sure they were not 'molested' by the public on the former concourse. Robbie Coltrane was amazingly tall so whether he had 'lifts'/higher heels in his shoes I have no idea.
     
    buzby2, Nov 2, 2025 at 9:34 PM
    #19
    Oswald T Wistle, Mick45305, Dan Hill and 1 other person like this.
  20. TH Railway Videos

    TH Railway Videos Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2016
    Messages:
    310
    Likes Received:
    605
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Bedfordshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I’ve seen another YouTube video where it was coaled up during the water stop at Clayton, not a tender full by the looks of it but enough to get it to Southall
     
    TH Railway Videos, Nov 2, 2025 at 9:40 PM
    #20
    buzby2 likes this.
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page