'Tornado' Fathers day Specials 20th. June 2010

Tornado spot on time and running well @ Shortlands on the outward bound morning Kent Circular.

 

Did you note the coaching stock on todays train? Is it the green Mk.2s?

 

No quite a mixture with blue catering vehicles.

 

Green Mk2's would be WCRC rolling stock, so highly unlikely. For the present time anyway, Tornado is purely DBS/Riviera.

Chris

 

It's a mixed bag of Mk 1s and 2s and different liveries. Load 13, no diesel.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spinner673/4717056258/ Going well at Shoreham earlier, 25 ish minutes down however.

 

Nice pic - but where did they lose 25 mins between Shortlands and Shoreham?

 

I'm not sure, but a unit was held at Shoreham for around 15-20 minutes before Tornado.

 

Many thanks for the replies to my question. <BJ>

 

Was still running late at Chartham. A few pictures here:

http://phil-edwards.photobook.org.uk/c1862907.html

I suspect that the watering at Canterbury was done very smartly as the train was about right time at Minster.

 

Bang on time near Otford

 

Came flying through Bromley South (failed to stop!) Someone must have 'pulled the cord' or the guard put his 'setter in' as the train stopped just short of the platform at Shortlands (approx 1 mile from Bromley south) then pulled into Shortlands station where the Bromley South passengers dis-embarked!Train then left Shortlands very slightly down on its passing time.

 

I think the mystery is solved!

I did hear the train today. Was out doing my daily work out, (that's a laugh), up and down the steepest slopes in Leybourne Woods when I heard the whistle of a foreign engine approaching West Malling just after 11.00. Don't usually bother to go and photo foreign locos that somehow get so far into Kent; especially under leaden grey skies. (Yes, I know, any steam is better than a box or no steam).

Pleased to hear it wasn't trailing a box, as suggested by uksteam.info. And that is NOT a criticism of that wonderful web site: just about my only source of advance gen on which trip to travel on or go and photo.

 

My little video of her Kentish run today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joWqbHsRsjI

 

Running about 40mins down on the evening circuit and should just be going through Surbiton. No idea why its late but appears to have left Waterloo after its booked time.

 

Just over 30 mins late at Esher and this time it did have the dreaded "box" on the back.

 

Real shame that, got some quite good timings tonight. And with a start as late as that I guess there will be a temptation to run as a dual power trip to ensure all those Dads get home on time tonight.

Hope the box is not going to become a Steam Dreams standard feature. But I am sure someone will put me right on why it was needed tonight now! (apart from making up time for an unscheduled late start!).

 

I think the Class 66 is needed to haul the train out of Waterloo, as there are less free paths into the station compared with Victoria even at that time of night.

We had a fantastic run this morning behind Tornado (we gave Dad a late birthday present!). Some very fast running in places, including through Bromley South on the return, which as was mentioned above wasn't the plan. I noticed it encountered double yellows as the brakes came on before Shortlands, so I presume we caught a stopper in front of us, although we did come to a stop rather abruptly. I think we were just under 10 minutes early back at Victoria, which isn't bad when you consider the 15 minute delay at Swanley.

Regards,

Dan

 

A couple of photos from either side of Ashford today, including a side by side Javelin shot!

http://www.thestig.co.uk/tornado

Steve

 

Dan, thanks. Yes. Just checked UKsteam.info, and it is a Waterloo start and finish. Presumably a platform 19 job which needs a box on the back for the whole run just to pull the train out after arrival. There being no calling on signal for that platform to allow a quick box shunt onto the back of the train when it returns.

 

Tornado was in on time at Swanley this morning but sat in the station for ages. A train was held at Otford without a member of its crew apparently. It was great to be able to take a close look on the platform as it waited, it really is a great machine.