3rd April 'Moonraker' 5043 to Salisbury

She was 4 early through Leamington. Here is this moment of history caught through my lenses http://www.youtube.com/campainr. Hopefully I'll be at Hatton tonight for the second round!!! :becky: If there's someone out there who see her stopped, could you have a look at the back of the tender... could give us all a clue...:nerd:

 

10.35 through Tilehurst on relief, braking hard ready to cross over Reading West junction. A following HST on the main was slowed presumably to allow 5043 to cross.
I intended to take a video but unfortunately didn't press the record button fully-not happy!

 

Better luck next time!!! I made a similar catastrophic error myself once. When you press my camera shutter button lightly, it focuses, a bit harder, the flash charges, and then you have to sit an elephant on it to get it to actually take a picture/video!! At least you remembered to press the shutter button, once I didn't even do that!!!

 

After this morning's disappointment, managed to get a video of the return at Tilehurst. Running a few minutes early, we could hear it well before it came into view, also a whistle when it came off West Junction.
Very emotional as it is the first time I have seen a double chimney Castle in full cry on the main line for well over 40 years! Never noticed anything at the rear of the tender though.
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Apologies for the shaking at the beginning, I was looking behind me as there was an up local due at any moment.
Was that you stood on the footplate Saltydog? Holding the handrail.

 

Fine sight and sound at Andover on the way home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO9cvDwVpu4

Some ***** completely ruined the arrival shot at Sailsbury so the first shot is the few seconds that were not the back of the ***** who stood in front of the camera when the loco appeared. Rather unhappy son as a result.

 

Very good day. Vintage trains certainly operates differently to any other steam touring co. For instance, i didnt realise a loco could push its coaches half a mile down the track.

The footplate was unnaturally clean, our locos at MHR have filthy and scruffy footplates.

Couldnt find you saltydog to inform you that i now approve of the GWR after seeing that marvel of engineering that is a castle class.

Coaches incredibly shabby though, several 'pullman' titles had letters missing.

 

Swindons finest will have that effect on you...

The Pullmans never had their names reapplied when restored to operational condition, i guess interenal condition is more important in their case.

Anyway here's 5043 setting down at Dorridge on the return: http://david1984.fotopic.net/p64045678.html unfortunatly looped in platform 3 so to scupper a forward shot in the usual plat 2.

 

Well it was raining, it was miserable and it was getting dark. But, I went to Hatton station (as did half of Warwickshire) and wasn't disappointed! What a magnificent site!! Have uploaded to the old tube, still "processing" at the moment though so don't be too hard on the quality - "It may improve, apparently!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPdvgm_lz0s

 

As usual many thanks to the linesiders who post their pics and vids. We really do appreciate seeing them.
Thank you Nick Gough for seeking me out at Salisbury, once again it's good to be able to put a face to a name on a forum.
Sorry buseng that wasn't me on the footplate on the return run....I had the good fortune to be up there on the outward run when the weather was half decent.
Finally LN850, sorry the external appearance of the stock wasn't to your liking. But if you had looked a bit more closely you would have seen that one side of two of the Pullmans have been restored to their highly polished glory. This sort of work is carried out by hand by one man...take a bow Stewart, you deserve it for the hard work you have put in in adverse conditions, and I'm sure that by the time the Bristolian runs people will really notice the difference.
As for the footplate being unnaturally clean....that is normal Tyseley standards. We take great pride not only in the performance of our engines but also in the way they are turned out. And that applies to all our engines from the Peckett to the Castle.

 

Nice to meet you too Kevin and thank you to you and your colleagues in the support crew for making it all possible.
A good run with a fine engine.
The highlight for me, I think, was the return run up Hatton bank, having started from Warwick Parkway on the gradient, on a curve and a damp rail. Of course my camera batteries ran out before the summit!!
Looking forward to the Bristolian in two weeks.

 

Checked this out yesterday, definitely nothing at the back of the tender or underneath.

 

Saw her on the outward run working hard away from Southcote junction. It's always a joy to see this superb loco in action. Looking forward to seeing her on the Bristolian runs in a couple of weeks.

 

Nice pics Martin, how easy is it to see from that bridge at Dorridge now it's been replaced ?, i'd imagine you'd need soemthing to stand on but are we talking big ladders or small step ?.

 

Absolutely stormed through Cholsey on the return - great sight!

http://www.twitvid.com/IZDOI

 

What? Have you seen Clan Line?

 

The Duchess is also immaculately turned out and on the few occasions I've travelled behind the Duke, it has been the same.

Dave B

 

Total agreement with Saltydog. The TLW standards and methods have been proven to produce high standard in reliability, performance and appearance. This is down to the knowledge, hard work, dedication and sheer bloody mindedness of a few people. A huge benefit is that Alistair both fixes the loco anf fires the loco so any suspicion of a problem is spotted before it becomes a major issue.

The pullmans are not named but if they were, do we have any suggestions, R****** A***** M******.....