RTC Sherborne Christmas Carols: 3/12/25

Times now up for the Yeovil trip on Wednesday

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U70943/2025-12-03/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U70944/2025-12-03/detailed

 

Many thanks for that John. I'm not on it sadly: not keen on being cooped up and the length of day. And will those in the rear coach singing carols have a throbbing noise from time to time helping them keep the right tempo with their music?

But of course I hope it goes well and I will follow it on RTT. And I hope to see some photos here please. Unlikely I'll go out to photo it. The one shot I'd like to take is it racing through Andover on the down. But with what may still be the encroaching Andover Forest I'm not keen to drive down for that.

It's the long way round to/from Woking and, maybe just so far as dinosaurs are concerned, an unexciting timetable presumably worked out for 60 mph running (RTT). But delays could give an outside chance of an even time Bas-Sals which would need full use of the 75 mph limit and a good climb of Grateley bank.

And on the return no water stop after Salisbury? If it does have a helper on the rear that could be the reason maybe. But a water stop at Winchfield and Salisbury on the way down. And the 24 1/2 min schedule Bas-Woking on the return - fast if RTT is right re planned for 60 mph running - could hint at an even time run. But with a crossover to SL approaching Woking would make that hard if the train is late off Bas and ran at 75 mph.

Bryan

 

Noted that there is, yet again, only ten minutes allowed to take water at Winchfield - what could/will go wrong for the following service train?! I don't know if penalties apply for delaying a single following service train, especially one near the end of its run, but this issue crops up time and again here.

 

Which suggests to me that there isn't a better path available, so its a case of take it or leave it. The train planners know what they are doing and the risks involved. There are occasions when there is no choice but to take the risk or the train doesn't run.

Peter

 

This same run also had a 10 minute water stop at Winchfield in 2022 with 44871, but that seemed to be more a cautionary 'splash and dash' top up as the train then spent an hour in Salisbury taking on water again till it was full. This years run has Clan Line at the helm with more water capacity, so 10 minutes at Winchfield and then half an hour at Salisbury could be considered enough if that's all that's available with a locomotive that can hold more water.

 

Yes, I know, but it has caused knock-on issues before. The Basingstoke stopper's outward delay should pose no real problem but I did wonder if any penalties kick in even for minor delays. Should be OK with '28's capacity, but who knows. The TOC will know the risks, of course.

 

Well NR path these things so SWR (another government entity these days) would just have to put up with it I suspect.
I thought there were delay minutes everywhere for everyone on the network, but capped for charters. The industry appears to run on a blame culture. Mind you so did my airline, (although a lot of the blame there was interdepartmental) so hardly unique to rail.

 

I believe so - there has been a gradual but devastating shift from pride in the job to blame, for which privatisation was the catalyst.

 

Don't forget that in 1965 we got an even time run slow line Basingstoke to a signal stop outside Woking with NE driver Sullivan driving light pacific 34019 on 500 tons, max 77 mph from memory. An extraordinarily fast start to Hook in 7/14. And that was after 55 at Roundwood starting from Winchester. Fireman Alan Rowe, who was Sooty Saunders regular so used to providing plenty of steam!

Even with a dead 47 the load is likely to be less than 500 tons and 75 limit and it will be Clan Line, I suggest it could be done.

Don

 

Good news from Clan Line - the Golden Arrow engine. <BJ>

''All set and ready to go for our last trip for 2025 tomorrow. We're off to Sherborne & Yeovil Jct with The Railway Touring Company We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!''

 

Through Woking

 

Looked like a very fast splash and dash at Winchfield. Helper on the back plus a longer stop at Salisbury?

Bryan

 

39/18 Basingstoke to Salisbury

 

No water tanker so only stopped for 5 minutes!

 

Slightly odd routeing decisions at Woking this morning - the steam was put into p4 as planned and left after picking up passengers but was then held outside for a few minutes before crossing back to the slow. Ironically, as the SWR Waterloo to Yeovil Junction train had been cancelled, there was nothing ahead of, or behind, the steam to mean it couldn't simply have run down the fast to Winchfield to cross there to the slow for water. As it was it lost over five minutes at Woking. However, it now seems that it didn't take water anyway at Winchfield (unless they completed it in under 4 minutes!), so the potential delay to the following Basingstoke stopper was avoided this time. All good fun...

My mischievous side half wonders if anyone for Yeovil at Woking could have been put on the steam working to stand! A couple of stills, with video to follow.

 

Not allowed to stand on charters these days.
In the past we have taken pax from badly delayed services, but without knowing the load today I would be very surprised if taking any SWR pax was even discussed. DR is the railways answer to all ills these days it seems. Plus the following Exeter service 30 later started short at Woking, using the stock off the 07:11 from Pen Mill which was 55 late at Woking (and composed of 3 x 159's)
I did have a wry smile earlier however. A year ago I went to Salisbury as an extra steward for the last leg as Sherborne, where most alight and board & it can be a bit of a nightmare coupled with the short platform. So last year train from Wareham 10 late at Southampton, missed the Salisbury train following GWR service from Portsmouth late and made the tour with about 10 mins to spare.
Could not go today due a hospital appointment and feeling crap yesterday, but train from Wareham 10 late at Southampton, would have missed the Salisbury train, following GWR service from Portsmouth 11 late at Salisbury and would have made the tour with about 9 mins to spare.
So nice this "clockface railway" has such predictable delays.

 

I know - it was just light-hearted, based on the coincidence of a Yeovil service train being cancelled at that time. I recall that in about 2003 a 'Steam Dreams' run through Dorset with 73096 collected some passengers that had had their service train cancelled.

 

35028 on the outskirts of Sherborne.https://www.flickr.com/photos/79185888@N04/54961503281/in/dateposted-public/