The National Preservation mainline run of 2010 - Your Nominations.

Here are mine...

1. Tornado on the Edinburgh Waverley - Carlisle - Edinburgh Waverley via ECML, WCML & Shotts (19th November)
2. 6233 to Stirling
3. 6201 to Edinburgh (1st April)

 

If this is to be judged by the amount of press coverage, then The Bristolian wins hands-down!

 

It isn't all about publicity, although every little helps. The Bristolian was all about the way all the different parts of the railway industry worked together to ensure a magnificent celebration of all things GWR.
A wonderfully engineered railway, an engine bought for spares and amazingly restored to full working order to perform on the train she was most well known for hauling most of her working life. A privately owned First Great Western willing to go out on a limb and sanction the running of the train. Network Rail for providing the on train staff to ensure that it was a genuine non stop run. And WCRC for giving us some excellent footplate staff.
Team work of the highest order makes it the Mainline run of the year.
Any of you young 'uns up for repeating it for GWR 200?
By the way I'll only be 89 then so if you are looking for support crew..........

 

Brilliantly put. Was a fantastic sight through Reading (home run of course) Which engine are you doing up for GW200 then ? !!!!

 

If I win the lottery and the NRM agree........it has to be ...........LODE STAR!!!!!

 

I've just posted videos on YouTube of a couple of the tours mentioned so far:

5043+4965 on The Cornishman, 15th May
5043 on The Pride Of Swindon, 16th Oct

I've posted these as "tasters" for the latest Steam Age Pictures releases - two discs of GWR 175 mainline runs. Details will appear on my web-site shortly.

 

Mmmmmm interesting. In view of what Didcot are doing at the moment, carry on with these plans and we shall have a complete set of GWR engines on the mainline again ! Just harking back, I was amazed at the effort made to get a clear run from Bristol to London successfully and I doubt whether main lines will be able to do same in the future. We know the ECML is packed with 125 runnings as is GWR and WCL, so the future ???? and what with the major rebuild at Reading over coming months, more and more service trains are going to be on. But keep dreaming, Saltydog..and don't forget to buy a lottery ticket !!

 

My father worked for the Midland in its various guises for over 50 years, some of that time competing with neighbouring GWR depots for parcels & freight business.
Despite this prejudicial background, I have to say the non-stop Bristolian should win this award hands down, for all the reasons mentioned by other posters.
I can't judge the Pride of Swindon until we've seen 46115 on an identically loaded Pride of Glasgow (6115 built by North British). The Scot has flattened the S&C month in, month out for most of its current ticket, with barely a fanfare.

 

my vote:
1st 5043 on The Bristolian
2nd 5043 on The Pride of Swindon

 

If only! To see "Brecon Castle" back with us.

 

West Highlander (In general) Best Part,climb away from Arrochar and Tarbet-Glen Douglas

 

I was on Tornado's run to York on 14th August which was pretty good, seemed like she was running at 75mph for ever. The write up with timings in Steam Railway was excellent and made the memory of the trip even better.

 

44871 on the Cambrian. Not for any one run but, for reliably completing a season's running, day in , day out, whilst alone and far from home. A Class 5mt engine doing what they do best.More by accident than design I think I have had more man line runs behind black 5's this year than any other type. As Michael Palin once described them:-"hard working and unpretentious"

 

You can only vote for trips where you have 'on train experience' I suppose. Obviously there have been stunning runs all over the system this year and I feel I've been on them such is amount of info, video and photos about. However sticking to my experience my top three are The up 'Bristolian'. The 'Cornishman' 15 May and the run to Carlisle and back to Edinburgh by 60163 on the Friday of the 'Christmas Coronation' Wonderful all of them.

 

Sorry for the delayed post, my excuse is that 2010 is not over yet.
Come on; let the little ones have a look in. My nomination would be the Centenary Express on 3rd July, pannier tank 9600 from Banbury to Chinnor.
A pannier tank on six let loose on the Great Western main line, superb organisation and great weather was a delightful combination. Add to that the welcome and catering provided by the Chinnor Railway was spot on.
A close second must be the Tin Bath Extra on the 7th of November, Manchester to Sheffield via Lichfield was something else. Leaving Victoria (on time)up Miles Platting bank not really having much idea where we were going was quite surreal. That said the information from the stewards on a train with no pa was excellent, and of course we raise our hats to those in Network Rail and WCRC that made it happen.
Seasons Greetings.

 

That will disenfranchise quite a few people on here!

 

I agree with Malc, why would you do that? We all have our views, whether we were on a particular train or not. I travelled on only one of my Top 4 votes!

 

Is anyone going to vote for todays CE with the Black 5 up and down hills with too heavy a load on wet / icy rails , no sand for restarting a stall etc etc etc. I wonder