Pembroke Dock Express. 28th June.

Had a great day out yesterday on this trip. 70013 and crew performance was amazing and faultless all day. I was 2 coaches from the back with my head out of the window on the return, the diesel did very little and was definitely NOT pushing like mad! Thanks to everyone involved for a great day.

 

I've just replayed the video of the train on the climb between Pilning and Patchway.
Sorry to disappoint but the diesel was working flat out. <BJ>

 

Oliver Cromwell + support coach on time this morning through Keynsham en route to Southall. <BJ>

 

I must say that as an observer (that is out filming) it looked like Ollie was in fine fettle a credit to his crew. What ever the hill Ollie always seemed to be blowing off.

From a personal perspective, I had a terrible day! The times were slack enough to get a few shots in, but the locations were mainly over bridges ( gets a bit boring IMHO ) or overgrown. Apart from Ferryside on the return, I did no filming, mainly due to "a man with a red flag" who must have been walking down the A48 from Carmarthen #-o and the M4 closed at Cardiff. ](*,)

One thing that struck me was the trespass on the Pembroke branch, it was ludicrous and it wouldn't surprise me if that was the last steam train we will see down the branch, which would be a great shame (it would be a great line for Tysley's Pannier to do a 'summer season'). People, not just the odd one, actually stood in the 4 foot as the train approached Pembroke Dock at Llanion Cottages crossing, for the Diesel and Ollie's departure and again at another crossing North of Tenby, unbelievable ](*,) ](*,) . Note that when I do get to put my video on youtube, it was all taken from the right side of the fence, though sometimes the tripod legs may not have been.

 

Seperate topic on this here.
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20285

 

This was the only location it done something funny how i was next too it and couldnt here it working flat out.

 

Just added my video of the Pembroke Coast Express hauled by Oliver Cromwell and 47760, link in my signature below

 

It appears you were unlucky enough to be in the only place it did? I noticed we were finding it very easy work up there...

 

Nice video Bill, very nice. What locations did you pick west of Camarthen in the end? The beach in particular.

 

Thank you for that and thank you for the help previously as well.
The beach shot was at Ferryside, which I guess is just about east of Camarthen.
The diesel hauled bit was somewhere just outside Narberth, I was sat in my van having a bite, thinking it may be capped at Whitland due to the time, when I heard the two tones and scrambled up the bridge abutment and plonked the tripod down just in time. Also Llanion cottages in Pembroke Dock ... along with half the inhabitants of that town. I then made it along the ridgeway stopping off at a few places but the vista wasn't great, mainly overgrown, so headed toward Tenby & the golf club only for the train to come hissing around the corner. So I made for the crossing you suggested, but there was as many there as at Llanion so the driver slowed right down until they got off the track. I then tried to get to the overbridge just outside Whitland but Ollie beat me by about 30 seconds .... so close, the story of the day for me ... so I used the water stop at Whitland to get myself located in Ferryside.

 

Thanks for the info Bill. I actually think you did very well, cramming in an amazing number of locations on partly unfamiliar territory. Just unlucky about the Ridgeway shot, without which you'd have made Tenby easily. And once in position, your camerawork is sans pareil (well, presque).

 

Once again I thank you for the complement, mind you, you only get to see the good stuff