Great Britain 3, 6-14 April 2010

Thats what I thought Ben,I know you have told Shirley on Facebook that you are looking forward to the run,I never doubted Nunney.Looking forward to the run.

 

My thoughts exactly! One thing i always notice about Nunney,even when it is in trouble,it always makes it

 

We are all very much looking to it. It's been a while since 5029 has been to London and it will be my first trip from the capital with her, so on a personal note I can't wait! I know a few other younger members of our crew are also looking forward to it, as the London area is all new to them.

It'll be nice to turn left at Didcot as well... I'm fed up with turning right!

 

When was the last time that a Castle class loco visited Salisbury?
a) In BR service
b) In preservation.
T.I.A. <BJ>

 

(a) Castles visited Salisbury pretty frequently in BR days, maybe even daily on Cardiff-Portsmouth/Brighton services which usually changed engines at Salisbury. The engines normally ran through from Cardiff calling at Bristol Stapleton Rd rather than Temple Meads. I remember Canton Halls, Castles and Britannias on these services. I think they remained steam hauled until about 1963/64. Of course Salisbury had a GWR station, signalbox, goods yard and engine shed (as did Basingstoke). Salisbury GW was a sub-shed of Westbury and usually had a couple of Halls allocated but never any Castles. It closed in November 1950. Thereafter, engines came from Westbury.

(b) Not for some time !

David

 

no way is 5029 in any doubt,its the location.the visit of 5043 to salisbury will be,to the best of my knowledge ,the first 'castle' to visit salisbury since steam days when castles were regular visitors, a shame 5043 isn't running via westbury!

 

Thanks David. <BJ>

 

I believe you are correct. No Castle's at Salisbury for the best part of 50 years and now 2 turn up in the space of 3 days! It's like waiting for a bus!

 

Whats wrong with the location???

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?moveM...Code=GB&mapData=904&promotion=3&qs=Warminster (Upton Scudamore is near top of map)

I will be on the bridge just south of Upton Scudamore hopefully.

Is the location no good?I admit ive not been there before but its on a climb and is about as good as I can get to from working in Sherborne.

 

Hi Nick. If you're talking about the Gt. Britain 3 railtour, I think you'll find that Nunney Castle will be running DOWNHILL at Upton Scudamore en route to Bristol.

 

I mean the Warminster side of the climb Bill, not sure what the climb is called but it ends near Upton Scudamore? Just looking a my gradient book and it does appear to level out near the village of US so should still be climbing??

 

After Warminster there is a short climb up to the summit at Upton Scudamore but It's mostly downhill after there into Westbury. A better place might be a footcrossing in Bapton (just east of Wylye) between Salisbury and Warminster, just off the A36 I believe. I saw 70013 there last year and it was working nicely. To be honest, anywhere in the Wylye valley is good.

 

Thanks Ben,as I said I have not been that side so its all new to me.I have been further down at Norton Bavent,I might try there or where you said if I have time to get there.

 

70013 support crew are looking forward to visiting penzance

 

Does that mean that the GB3 is going to be 70013's turn to tour the country like 34067 did last year?

 

UKsteam.info has been updated over the weekend with a few more changes to GB3:
- 70013 will assist 777 Penzance - Bristol (& on The Royal Duchy, 3/4) in place of Tangmere, so looks like Ollie will run all the way from Penzance to Inverness, whether hauling a train or light.
- 46115 or "TBA" for Preston - Kilmarnock - Glasgow. According to the same source who told me about the other changes, which have since been confirmed, it will be 5690. However, since 45407+44871 and 70013 all need to get to Glasgow for the following 2 days, I can see the logic in using some combination of them instead.
- 46115 or 6201 for Edinburgh - York.
I guess RTC and WCRC are waiting to see whether 46115 is repaired in time for "Help For Heroes" before commiting on those legs.

Still no confirmation yet about the loco for Bristol - Preston. I presume either Ollie or Nunney Castle...

 

Currently, the Riley 5s are due to head from Scotland direct to Grosmont on 12 April, while 70013 is staying for the SRPS Forth Circle on 18 April.

David

 

Re. Preston-Glasgow. I hear there are pathing problems on the G & SW route--may go via Beattock.
Douglas.

 

How come this issue has only surfaced at this late stage. One of the reasons for paying the best part of £2k to travel on this tour was to do the GSWR behind steam. If this now omitted I sincerley hope RTC will be offering some sort of discount. With the former single section of track now doubled and the number of freight trains on GSWR route drastically reduced I cannot understand why there is a pathing problem. With the train now returning to London on the last day via the ECML rather than the WCML and starting from Springburn insterad of Glagow Central on Sunday 11 April this supposedly icon tour is degenerating rapidly into something nothing like which was advertised. The unavailability of certain engines cannot be criticised but alterations to the routing can. Given the price of this train surely if the routing is altered RTC should write to passengers asking them if they still wish to travel. Any problems should have been sorted out before the tour was advertised.