Non - Stop BRISTOLIAN 17/4/2010!

I did try to peer through the windows, but surprisingly could see daylight through the windows on the other side, I think the tanks must be low and shallow to lower the centre of gravity as much as possible, and yes over the bogies would be the best place to put them.

 

Saw the positioning train at Radley this afternoon. It's a short formation - 7 coaches plus the GUV and a WCRC 37 on the back. More like the Cheltenham Flyer than the Bristolian? Looked good in the sun. Looking forward to seeing tomorrow's run.

Slightly disappointed that 5043 has not been "streamlined" yet. ;-)

 

That was Nunney Castle last week, not The Earl! I guess you missed it.......

I agree, it is a short train. I wonder if that was determined by ticket sales, or by the load-related water-consumption.

 

Was the Bristolian normally an 8 coach load? Like the Cheltenham Flyer a short fast train I think.

 

Bristolian was usually 10 coaches, but strengthened on Fridays when Kings would take charge

 

Anyone know how long it takes to walk from Cholsey station to the footbridge just to the south?

 

It certainly looked and sounded great as it sped past the old works near Bishops Itchington this afternoon.
See http://www.steamgalore.co.uk/

 

Allow 20 minutes to walk - it's about a mile.

 

Just a quick one to say it was a good run today. I havn't had a Castle since Nunney failed on the Royal Duchy last year so it was a good way to make up for it. Shame about the long stops in Leamington Spa and the Hinskey yard but the fast, sustained running between Oxford and Reading made up for that. Thanks Vintage Trains and everyone else involved.

 

Long sunny periods with a 4 mph southerly breeze forecast for tomorrow in the Bath / Bristol area .

Nice water carrier. <BJ>

 

So how much water does it carry, 4 maybe 5 tonnes ?

 

5 tonnes of water = about 1,100 gallons? [1 gallon x 10 lbs?] or has my quick mental arithmetic moved the decimal point the wrong way?

 

Standard (unmodified) BR GUV Vans can carry a load of 14tons distributed, which is equivalent to about 3,100 gallons water maximum.

 

Thanks

 

There is a similar vehicle in Germany. Not a Guv of course. That seemed to be a single plastic type material tank most of the length of the van. But presumably with baffles inside to stop the water from surging around too much. Very effective at adding a lot of range of course. That tank was not enormously high as well.

 

Yuk! Just checked the timings for this train. 91 minutes to pass Swindon. For 77 miles?

I guess that means quite a lot of slow line running and maybe switching back and from the fast line? To fit in with the HSTs.

I hope that doesn't spoil the day by getting the train some signal stops waiting for it's very slow pathway. First thoughts are this is going to take some very slick operating if a true non stop is what is intended.

Sorry if this has been covered before. 50 pages is just too much to wade through, and I don't usually frequent threads that cover steam locos whose first number doesn't start with a 3 and isn't 5 digits long.

 

I think more likely no planned station stops.

 

You said that last year about Clan Line to Grately on the Eastleigh run and look what happened there, fast line to Worting Junction . I guess anything is possible with FGW onside.

 

Ah spotted!
So which of the ensemble was you then David?

 

There were a few painted in Southern Region green, too, for example, GUV S86724. I believe that they were used on ocean mails to Southampton, probably to replace the wooden-bodied bogie Scenery Vans, but in the absence of any research material in my reference collection regarding Mk. I stock, this is pure hypothesis.