Saphos 2025

Ouse Valley Viaduct

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U72649/2025-12-12/detailed ECS 12th dec

 

And the best still I could capture from the vid

 

How do you eliminate the noise of the drone in these videos?

 

I use a directional mic on a stand near and recording the scene, and then dub the recording onto the silent video footage. At 30 metres in the air the drone cant be heard in the general scene sound.

 

Ah - I had assumed the sound recording was done from the drone! It worked out well.

 

The ECS back to Bath for the return still hasn't left Bristol, according to RTT - not again!

 

The ECS was over an hour late arriving at Bristol East Depot, so getting 61306 coaled, watered and serviced would've been tight anyway, let alone adding 71000 to the formation.

 

That is still "on time" on the national network.

 

At least the end of this tour, at Three Bridges, isn't so late as to stymie passengers' onward travel plans. Not a good week for steam punctuality, though. An hour or so standing around at Bath Spa, then!

 

According to RTT it did not arrive until 15 minutes before it was due to depart.

 

Pretty good compared with SWR with their week yet again after previous weeks. SWR used to be totally reliable but not now. It’s even worse than Southern

 

As a driver at Stratford, my ole man was told - you can have a 100 and one valid excuses for being late, there is no excuse in the book for being early.

 

Completely agree - not a risk today though...

 

The trip is booked to stop for 15 minutes at Preston Park and 24 at Haywards Heath, presumably one is a water stop (possibly Preston Park as steam has taken water there before), so one of them could claw back a little time.

A quick look on RTT and the ECS is on the move 59 down.

 

The water stops look far to "sporty" for a double header I would suggest. Especially as Preston Park always seems to take longer than planned, and not sure how easy two locos can be watered in P4 at Salisbury in the up direction. Time will tell
OTT shows water stops.
https://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/U70476/2025-12-12

 

I'm intrigued to see how they fit at Haywards Heath on Platform 4. With the 2 steam locos, stock and 47, it'll be a tight squeeze without blocking the main running line.

 

I know HH has changed considerably since I grew up there in the 1960s but Platform 4 is still on the up loop which extends nearly a mile to Copyhold Junction. Thats plenty of room to get the longest train in clear of the main line in the rear. OK the steam locos may be off the platform at the London end but that can't be helped.

Peter

 

I guess it depends on the full length of the train (but there is a signal just beyond the North end of Platform 4 which could cause issue if it is over length, unless it's granted permission to run slightly beyond it with the lead loco), it may all fit in the platform without issue and it's possible the planned pathing stop may be reduced or done away with all together to recoup some time back (especially as it's not much further up to Three Bridges anyway).

I'm going to hop on a train down to Preston Park and try for some pictures and then head back to Haywards Heath and if it's still there I'll wait for the departure.

 

With very roughly 7,000hp potentially available for the train, there seems to have been a good effort to regain time gradually.