9th July Cathedrals Express to Swanage

This is the next trip I'm on, and will be my first visit to the Swanage Railway. Which has a mouth watering selection of locos.

But to get there, (and back), it seems we need some rain to make sure of no fire risk ban, and a loco for the return.

But I will start to look forward to the trip now, as my last, (and only), run behind a King Arthur was on, gulp, 9th September 1962! 18.15 Southampton to Waterloo behind 30770. The last steam run on my first ever 7 day SR Rail Rover. During which, (not gulp this time, but utter shame), I stood at Southampton and watched a Lord Nelson head out to Bournemouth. Oh why didn't I travel behind it!

Anyway. I'll start the thread now to pick up any news, speculation and any idea of what might be running during the time at the Swanage Railway!

PS. Just found a photo I took of that Lord Nelson in 1962. 30861, Lord Anson, 6th September, on the 16.20 Waterloo- Bournemouth train. Or that is what the note on the back of the photo says!

 

Bryan, it could honestly be any one of; 80104, 6695, 34028 or 34070 running at Swanage on 9th July.
However, the date may prompt the provision of a Bulleid....

 

Bryan, Not sure what rain might be due between now and 9th July along the route.
According to a post by twr12, on another thread, it seems WCRC have requested NR approval of their plans to diesel haul the whole train from Swanage to Southampton UGL. The same steam loco from Victoria to then haul the train again via Redbridge, Romsey and Andover back to Waterloo. If 30777 is rostered I doubt it can keep to the pace of "Tornado", in view of smaller power output, but I'm sure both WCRC and 5305LA support crews would give it a good try! Suspect similar timings to 44871 on 31st May for Down journey but 60163's 16th June times for Up journey [adapted to allow for slower acceleration, etc. and routing via Staines to set down passengers].

 

Some interesting info there guys. Many thanks. Yes. 9th July should see a Bulleid out on the Swanage Railway! 43 years after that dreadful day.

Yes, I'd settle for 30777 down to Swanage and back from Soton via Andover! And being a Steam Dreams trip I would imagine they will do all they can to make sure we don't have the box on the train when 30777 is at the front. Adding close to the equivalent of 3 cars is not something the King Arthur would want. IMHO.

With another train running to Weymouth and back the same day I guess it's possible the load could be fairly light for 30777, (I don't know what minimum train length will keep SD happy to still run the train), so the Arthur could run quite well. Fingers crossed.

 

I'm just glad I went on the Swanage Belle on 31st May where we got steam haulage throughout (44871 and 30777). The alternative of diesel haulage back to Southampton is obviously easier from an operational point of view especially given the current shortage of main line steam locos but on the other hand both Steam Dreams and RTC have advertised their tours as steam in both directions with two different locos, whereas on the recent Tornado tour it was made clear that it would be diesel back to Southampton. Another case of the customers not getting quite what they paid for?

 

If the itinerary is changed then those passengers booked on the train should at least be given the opportunity to cancel their booking as this would not be what they had paid for. 30777 would be OK on a 10 coach train but putting a diesel on the back makes the train overweight [equivalent of 13] before it even leaves London and diesel assistance would be unavoidable. Passengers being forced to accept any revised itinerary or otherwise have to lose their money is wholly unacceptable. Passengers book in good faith. Promoters and train operating companies should also act in good faith.

 

Due to all the uncertainty these days I am very reluctant to book on any more steam tours. Not never knowing what might turn up. Seems 99% sure a box will be involved somewhere. On top of this we have the NR computer fiasco.

 

I think Buseng has made a very reasonable comment.I agree.
...and Im not on these tours,just reading about it makes your toes curl,is it running,what station is it going from,this applies across the whole board at the moment.On top on this,engine breakdowns.

Very Fred Karno's...

My problem is,I come from the steam age when trains ran to the second,even through bombing,always another engine on stand-by,unheard of to have a diesel at the back..(what's a diesel for god's sake in those days).The word wasn't even invented.

No excuses about NR computers,we live in a modern age where nothing should break down.

But that's the point,looking back in history everything DID work like clockwork-it's today where everything is a shambles.And by god I was there and sampled the good and wonderful life on the railways.They may have looked grubby,but did they run.With an iron fist.Everyone rolled their sleeves up not white collar bods today issuing orders from ivory towers.

We need a wake-up call,and this may prove the point.

 

In the current circumstances, (a significant number of Main Line locos not available), I'd be very happy to have steam from London to Swanage and back from Southampton via Andover to London. That includes accepting the need for a box to haul the train back to Southampton, IF that happens. To me that would still represent a good day out for the money I have paid, and means I have accepted that SD have done what they can to get round a pretty big problem.

I will be far from happy though if the box is on the train all day as, (mentioned above), that means it is going to have to assist the Arthur, simply because of it's extra weight on the train.

I'll see how SD cope. From my observations over the last 3 years since I returned to my interest in UK steam they, above all others, seem to me be the keenest to give steam enthusiasts as close to 100% steam as they can, even when the odds are stacked against them.

I would add there could be others with the same approach, but living down here in safe ex SR territory I only see/take an interest in a fairly small amount of what is going on. So my perception is a bit narrowly focused.

I'll wait and see how this all pans out, but I imagine a lot of very hard work is being done by SD and others to try and give the best possible steam day out that current circumstances allow.

 

I meant to say that out of all this, SD do seem to be the best in not having a diesel in the train formations wherever possible. I also come from an era before hi-tech gizmos, computers etc. Not quite as early aperture mentions though. Plus all the paraphernalia that everything that moves on rails has to carry these days.

 

The real railmen of yesteryears (from the grave) must be laughing at all the bull that runs a railway today...those days,cloth caps and walking down the track without a care in the world.And they all obeyed the rules...and hardly anyone met a sticky fate.

 

Well UK Steam.info now shows 30777 both ways as we have been discussing.

If that is the only motive power other than Swanage to Southampton I'm happy. Not that we quite get a fast Salisbury - Waterloo behind 30777. For those who don't know I think the fastest actual time I am aware of from Salisbury to Waterloo was in 1936 behind 30777. With ten cars she came up in 72 mins and 41 secs for the 83.7 miles. Driver Alderman I believe. Max was 90 mph at Byfleet and the time in from Surbiton was rather fast! It is a run very well known to the timing fraternity, it's been published quite a few times. I'll settle for a 75 mph max somewhere on the 9th!

Merchant Navys did it a lot faster in net terms, (allowing for the impact of checks), but I don't think a MN ever had a really fast run without any checks.

 

I'm now checking to see how fast a box has come up from Salisbury to Waterloo! LOL!

Sadly, I actually know where to look, (very embarrassed).

 

Got my ticket now, and the posssibility of a box on the train with the steam loco is mentioned because of fire risk.

 

full times now on the revamped Steam Dreams website http://www.steamdreams.com/executables/GT410WebContent.exe?ActionCode=TimesSwn
The revised letter says that from Swanage to Southampton, Sir Lamiel will double-head with a diesel, I assume this is an error and diesel will lead with steam on the rear?. It is also stated that the previously mentioned fire risk conditions, may still apply (diesel behind the steam loco). It all depends on any rainfall and temperature.

 

So its going to be F1 style pit stop for the locos in both directions. I've looked but I can't see anywhere that we might see 30777 from "the other tour"

 

Between Sothampton and Redbridge on the return. 30777 will be heading West to Romsey, while 46115 will be heading East

 

Through Clapham on time

 

My son reports 30777 plus 47 through Egham, but with Sir Lamiel "doing most of the work", they were following 46115, which my son said he could hear from his office some distance away, 46115 really "going for it".

 

Interesting by Virginia Water the situation was reversed with the 47 "doing most of the work" and clagging for England