RTC: End of Southern Steam - 9/07/26

I recall a 9 July special one year in the early 2000s when, at Vauxhall, it was raining and about 13c - plenty of visible exhaust and feeling like a mild winter's day!

 

One diesel would surely be enough 'insurance', no matter where it is positioned? I had thought that the diesel was supposed be behind the tender if providing planned traction support rather than just hotel power/shunting.

 

The decision making seems quite indecipherable sometimes. The Saphos train last Saturday had 3 diesels, plus the steam up front. The 2 behind the tender seemed to be doing most work throughout the day, which was wet virtually the whole time the train was running, cool, cloudy when not raining.
On the other hand I can see today you would want to eliminate any possible chance of a loose cinder. If it was an "ordinary" charter on another day it might well have been no steam at all I guess.

 

I didn't go out to time steam on the 9th July 1967 as we thought it was all over, and it is now, was what we said after the whistle went at the end of 9 July 1967.

With help very gratefully received from Ian Simpson and a good number of other fellow gricers , the data I have assembled for the 9th July 1967:

Bryan

 

If the class 33 is not required to run with the tour, timings for a light engine movement from Weymouth to Southall have appeared. The loco is routed via Castle Cary. Surely, it would have been preferable to follow the charter. Possibly a lack of paths? <BJ>

Realtime Trains | 0Z48 1800 Weymouth to Southall Wcr | 09/07/2026

 

I am rather suprised too that steam, even with any number of diesels, is allowed out on the main line today. Especially as the great heat was scheduled to move west today, with a 35 C temperature shown on the BBC weather map this morning for southern England. Fingers firmly crossed all goes well today with no incidents of any sort.

Bryan

 

It depends on the decision of the area management of NR, Fire risk Black means no steam and other areas may well be black but the areas through which this tour passes (not sure how many) have decided to remain red which means diesel assistance all the way.

 

Why follow the tour if you have a diesel "on board"? Seems a convenient route to get back to Southall.
Of course if the 33 ends up behind 35028 and the 47 goes back LE it will make a fair noise up to the tunnel and up Parkstone Bank, at least based on the experience when Jenny Lewis had to be summoned from Swanage after 47580 failed to start in Jersey Sidings on a DCE.

 

Yes I think that is supposed to be the case. DBC follow the rules but WC don’t. No surprise I suppose

 

Is there a rule or do the crews just had to be in communication?

 

I can't understand why the whole of central and south-eastern England isn't on 'black' at the moment. I flew in from Mallorca yesterday and the fields over a huge area of southern England were almost as bleached as when we left Spain! There seems to be a worrying lack of consistency/looking at actual conditions when these things are decided.

 

Don

I don’t know where you get your Rules information from, but the “ban” on a locomotive on the rear of a train providing traction power was dropped many years ago.

 

My undertanding is that a DBC rule is that if a diesel is going to have to provide the power, it has to be right being 35028.

Unless it has changed recently?

Bryan

 

It is a DB rule but this is a West Coast job.

 

Yes John, I do realise that. I was just commenting in general terms re 35028, rules and DBC.

Bryan

 

Al, according to RTT times, the one hour and three quarters at the seaside is now down to one hour and 12 minutes.

And at a sensible pace to amble in this heat, 'seaside' may just become 'seaview', from the the station end of the road that looks down towards the beach.

Bryan

 

The climb of Parkstone Bank was certainly taken with caution, good sound from Clan Line giving the circumstances with diesel assistance being the order, plenty of white smoke from the whistle rather than the chimney would be expected in the heat!