The Mayflower 17th September 2011

I am amazed that no one has posted any information on this tour. Is it actually running?

 

I was thinking that & the same about 5043's run today(very few posts on that today as well, one of which is mine). I was hoping to go & see the A4 at Theale later tonight. Is everyone loosing interest? Text messages are very few & far between as well.

 

The Railway Herald photo Gallery has several rather nice photos. of this train, both single and double-headed!

 

The train was reported passing Bewyn 09:00, Westbury 09:29, Frome 09:40, Taunton 10:26-11:01, Whiteball 11:17, dep Tiv loop 11:38, Cockwood 12:05, N.Abbot 12:14, and Dainton 12:19.
Stephen Moore's fine photograph of the A4 at Crofton and Keith Turley's shot of the 'everyday' combination of a Castle and an A4. Mmmm?? <BJ>
http://railwayherald.org/imagelink/206771
http://railwayherald.org/imagelink/206788

 

Hemerdon 16:37

 

Reported passing Totnes 17:01, dep. Exeter 17:50. <BJ>

 

Short video of the return run near the bottom of Hemerdon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haKQyPg6uC8

 

I've looked at about 6 or 7 Youtube clips, some people out there have been posting them. The Crofton shot is very good, thanks for posting that link.

 

some photos from today at taunton totnes and plymouth at http://keyhamtrain.weebly.com/ video now at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=keyhamtrain#grid/uploads

 

Quite an album there, thanks for sharing.

 

Good footage Keith, thanks.

I forgot this was running today; it was quite a pleasant surprise while I was cleaning my car this afternoon to hear a familiar sound emerging from Mutley tunnel!

 

Awesome sight just before 9pm tonight, hammering through Theale at what must of been max speed. I think it must of been a few minutes early as it was not due in Reading until 21.13.
A gang of 4/5 youths waiting for a local just stood there with mouths open, must of wondered what the hell it was.

 

Do you mean like these?

I was daft enough to get up a silly o'clock in the morning, and was very lucky to get any thing as when I arrived at Iver it was a thick blanket of cloud - the sun only broke through moments before 4492 turned up!

The first one shows just what the light was like, and the second one is my preferred shot, as opposed to the one on railway herald http://www.railwayherald.org/imaging.centre/showimage.php?image=206755&gallery=X2

View attachment 3231

View attachment 3232

 

Many thanks for your heroic efforts to obtain these images

 

You're most welcome - I was determined to get out and see her on the mainline at least once this year, previous attempts were thwarted by tours either being re jigged or cancelled, I'm just glad the sun broke through when it did otherwise I don't think the results would have been any good!

Still roll on the end of October when I can up close and personal with her on the Mid Hants.

 

I was on this trip last year with the same stock and locos. It was a great run lasty year up until getting to Exeter on the return. Shame 60019 wasn't in Garter Blue but I'll have to wait like Duty Druid until the Mid Hants Gala in October for that

 

Here is my video of her purring through Sonning Cutting at 8am, then arriving and departing Newbury Station:

[video=youtube;j9ht7xIYiNI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9ht7xIYiNI[/video]

 

How on earth did you beat the train from Sonning to Newbury? Fly? I know full well what it is like to cross Reading, nigh on impossible. Even if you use the M4 you would still have to go some.

 

As there was a 10 minute stop scheduled for Reading, I had just over half an hour, I nipped through Woodley to Winnersh Triangle, onto the M4 to Chievely and then down the A339, parked at the station where the shot is taken from. Beat it by about 5 minutes

 

Thought you probably used the M4, still a bit of trek from Junc 13 to Newbury Station though & get parked up. If the speed at Theale on the return is anything to go by, it wouldn't of taken long to get to Newbury.