The Cotswold Venturer 7th July with 70013

Flying at the air show goes on til 6pm, I doubt many people will leave before then, unless the weather is poor.

 

According to Uk Steam it is at Kemble at 17.33, I've taken pictures at Kemble in the past and then driven to catch another shot east of Swindon and it's pushing it in normal traffic. I've been to many of these events at Fairford and believe me people start leaving around 17.00 whether it's raining or not. The main route south is via the A419 towards Swindon and the M4, 60,000 people means a lot of traffic, just thought it worth flagging.

 

Normally the Red Arrows display team bring the tattoo to a close. With up to nine Hawk aircraft flying over the skies of Gloucestershire it can be very noisy. On a positive note, the Sapperton/Frampton Mansell area may not be in the flight plan.
The traffic from the tattoo can be horrendous. The shuttle buses to Swindon depart from Fairford until 19:30. <BJ>

 

Hopefully they won't ruin 70013's echoes.

 

I live at chalford and usually the red arrows do pass overhead a couple of times when they are doing their display, so might be hit and miss when Ollie comes up

 

I hope theyve left by then!

 

The Red Arrows are due to display at Fairford between 15.00 and 15.30 - a couple of hours before 70013 is due in the area ... there may be other planes about though.

 

Looking at the weather this weekend there might not be much of an airshow anyway. I never pay for these events because the whole thing can easily be written off - I just go to the Bournemouth airshow if its sunny on the day cos its free. :smile:

Hopefully I'll see Cromwell running outward on the Cotswold line.

 

Can anyone recommend any good photo spots between Moreton in Marsh & Worcester ?, it's been years since I've photted on the Cotswold line and the road bridge at Honeybourne used to be a favourite, but it seems since the redoubling the shot there now isn't so good (in the Worcester Direction anyway, not sure about towards Oxford), plus heading west it's coming downhill at that point.

 

Moreton-In-Marsh still has its 'box and semaphore signals, so that would be worth a recce. There used to be a short shot from the bridge in Aston Magna. Since the track has been re-doubled through there, the cutting sides might be fairly clear now. My favourite place used to be Lyneham, between Shipton and Kingham, but don't know whether the hedges have grown up too much there now. I got 60009 there years ago on a Daylight tour that returned her to the SVR and the Std 5 back to the MHR after their exchange visits. Must have been around 2003, I'd think.

 

It's not a brilliant forecast, but at least the weather in the southern part of the country will be better than further north, so hopefully there won't be any operating problems.It's quite good from the tour operators' point of view that this is the only main lin steam train running tomorrow - unusually quiet for summer Saturday. If the forecast for the next 24 hours is correct, any specials running in Lancs or Yorkshire might have had some serious problems.

 

Cheers, bit of food for thought there.

 

Any news yet ? off to Twyford ...damp and windy again

 

Reported to have left Euston right time.

 

There's an update on Railtours Live this morning - the code is t0707a. I'm going to give the service another chance today and, if I have reception in the Glyme valley, send an update from Coombe later.

(Ollie appears to be on-time so far...)

 

Slough 09.39

 

Couple of minutes early through Twyford. Lovely sight in the rain !

 

Hammering through a very packed Tilehurst at 10.18. The very helpful chap on duty manually announced it would be coming through platform 3.
Interestingly about 5 minutes later the preserved ex-Hastings "thumper" unit passed through, not sure where that was off to.
Hopefully will post a picture later.

 

http://www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk/railtours/2012weston.pdf Interesting. when did I last see one of those ??? Clue...long long time ago

 

About five minutes down at Didcot