The Swanage Belle - 14th May 2011

All done, clapham and Waterloo ontime

 

It was certainly going like the clappers through Fleet! A bit too dark (and fast!) for decent pictures though.

However, I did get a couple of snaps of the Black 5 on the outward run at Virginia Water and these are now on Flickr if anyone is interested to see them :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/?saved=1

 

Another view here of 45305 having just left the loop at Wallers Ash and bowling downhill through Winchester. Note the fine goods shed building on the left which I think now provides garage services:

 

A very enjoyable trip yesterday. The highlight was the return, the climbs out of Swanage and up Parkstone, and the non stop run between Southampton and just north of Farnborough. We had a slow run after Farnborough where a unit was let on in front of us (which we could see ahead).Thanks to RTC, West Coast and 5 the 5305 Loco Association support crews.I will post some photo's later.

 

Driver Mel Cox, with 45305, and Driver Dave Hewson, with 70013 "Oliver Cromwell", were at the controls I believe.
The 5305 LA group provided support crews for both locos and both engines were a credit to them.

 

A selection of my photo's from this trip can be found at http://paulsimpson.zenfolio.com/p586548936

 

Went to Brookwood for the return run where the trains were queuing up to get into the station at one point. 70013 was stuck behind these and passed through cautiously after being stopped at the signal outside the station. She must have stopped at several signals before getting to Brookwood as we heard her pulling away a couple of times. Good to see 70013 again.