VT Farewell to Steam Special - 1/11/25

I quite like the 37 livery myself and enjoyed it thrashing at Swindon. It's 2025, let's be grateful steam locos can still run on the national network and especially in and around London on 125mph routes, so a 37 on the rear really doesn't bother me. Yes in an ideal world 7029 would have worked the train solo, but I guess we would all like to see a train full of BR liveried MK1s too, no Pullmans or Mk2s! It is what it is!

 

Just left Lawrence Hill on the (turning move?) 53 late

 

Thanks both. I wasn't planning to be at Slough, but seeing that 34028 was late, decided to go further up towards Reading and try and determine as close as possible where the two would meet. The reason for 34028 being on Platform 4 (and potentially the reason 7029 ended up going through Slough on the fasts in the end) was to let an Elizabeth line train overtake it there. The same train that they had routed it ahead of at Maidenhead!! One wonders if it had followed that stopper from Maidenhead 34028 would've passed on Platform 5 and 7029 might've passed just a minute later on Platform 4, at least that was the hope. Still, it was very rushed and "on the spot" decision making when 7029 could be seen in the distance as 34028 was slowly entering the platform, but it does prove, they did indeed pass there!
Anyway, here's the footage, including the turning move at Drayton Green and then the icing on the cake, the Castle at full chat through its birthplace of Swindon.

 

My brief effort :

 

Seems the loco was out of gauge for the platforms at Lawrence Hill so had to go to Filton Abbey WOod.

 

There were some seemingly odd regulation decisions today regarding pathing/priorities, but I'm sure there were good reasons for them buried somewhere...

 

Person reported on trackside at Yate. Down to 15mph .

 

7029 through Bristol Parkway this evening at speed. The approaching train could even be heard in the distance powering up Horfield bank. No other train in the station and so made a wonderful sight and sound. Thanks to all at Vintage Trains, the loco crews and various staff who made the day possible. [BJ]

 

We left Bristol about 50 minutes down but mostly fast running and missing out a pathing stop at Spetchley loop got us to only about 15 down back at Brum.

 

It wasn't so much that there was a diesel there at all (in 2025 it would be a brave operator to run steam solo on the GWML, especially one due its overhaul!), but that its freight livery looked like a desperate last-minute substitution. Livery appreciation is personal, of course, but there are many in BR 60s green that would have fitted the bill far better (if available). However, it's a minor point and, as I said, not one that the fare-payers would have cared about in general.

 

Ironic.

 

Why pay to hire a pretty green one when you own a grey one ?
The usual hire hire in 37418 in KFC livery would have been ideal for you .
Green 37s passed for the mainline ..2 (LSL ) and one of those is air only …not sure LSL /VT have a working relationship .
All minor issues to satisfy those taking photos …

 

This doesn't make a whole lot of sense given it has been through the platforms at Lawrence Hill previously, certainly within the last couple of years, if not already this year. I was at Lawrence Hill awaiting the ECS move, I did note that the signaller initially routed the ECS move back towards the station rather than onto the avoider, which was already late by this point, and then with a bunch of service trains getting in the way, might have also contributed to the running via Bristol Parkway to turn. A friend at Parkway said the guard in particular didn't seem very happy about the whole ordeal!

 

Agreed - I did say it was minor. However, if the appearance doesn't matter, it could be argued that trivia like headboards also don't matter. Your point about owning the grey 37 is solid, but also makes me wonder why a company called 'Vintage Trains' wouldn't have it in green anyway. All costs money, of course, but it doesn't really fit the bill as it is. No matter.

 

Any explanation to the late running on the relief , TSR's ? And then putting it onto the fast directly infront of an IET ?

 

I suspect when a repaint is due it will head into something more period, but remember it has cost a fair bit of £ to get it into mainline condition, it only returned in March (just in time to cover for 47773 which has been poorly most of the year).

 

Our "Farewell to Steam' train was a tour de force. To be able to run an express steam train out of Paddington at all in 2026, with Crossrail in full action, was an achievement in itself. To be able to rerun a trip of 60 years ago with the original loco on the correct route, faithfully recreating what, in 1965, was supposed to mark the end of steam for ever on the WR is a magnificent milestone and only achievable by Vintage Trains. Furthermore, once past Reading the speeds and the loco performance were second to none and consistently high. Moreover, the journey from Bristol back to Birmingham 'beat all records'. Our train of passengers had a whale of a time and we carried very many of our CBS members who have made all this possible through their generosity. Perhaps a word of thanks from readers here rather than constant whinging about minutiae would be appreciated by those who put in huge effort agains the odds to keep main line steam running. We are 60 years on beyond the end of steam on the WR guys, so lets get real. It is amazing we can still do this at all!

 

2 pics of mine to make a nice memory of travelling on the farewell to steam tour yesterday from Birmingham new st London Paddington and back via Bristol with 7029 Clun castle in charge and a fine spectacle and fast running she made up the Thames Valley out of london and up the midland line back to Birmingham new st despite the gauging issues at Lawrence Hill Bristol causing a added 45min delay for 7029 clun to run up to Bristol parkway to perform its turning move.
I also invited my friend Colin Martin to travel on the farewell to steam tour and we travelled in 1st class coach a comp 3 he also had a good day out with me although me and my mate ended up doing a last minute booking in brum new st ibis hotel as we were expecting to get the last 22:30 XC voyager to man picc and knew this wasent going to be possible to our dismay in Bristol. Great day our as always with V.T. Many thanks to Michael Whitehouse for pulling off another spectacular steam tour with 7029 Clun.
Davo 56F