August 15th - Head to Head

What a disaster! Went to Tilehurst to see 71000 then the plan was to go to Theale to see Bittern. Waiting with a load of others at Tilehurst, time was getting on with no show well after 11am. By then various stories filtered through, 66 late at Winchester, got to Basingstoke & reversed! Anyway I managed to access the forum on my mobile & read the Eastleigh news. I informed the waiting crowd & we all left. By then it was too late to get to Theale.
Even now there have been no further updates on here as I write, also I subscribed to 71000's trip on Railtours Live, not a bean on there either!
Surely in this day & age communication should be a lot better. It's still in the air what's exactly happened to 71000?
Might try & salvage something later & go to see Bittern's return at Theale tonight.

 

A friend of mine on the 4464 support crew sent a text saying DoG had failed but no details of the cause.

 

Not wishing to open a can of worms, but there seems to be a lot of main line steam failures lately. Conversation at Tilehurst did mention 71000's reliability though.

 

4464 reported departing Newbury 13 mins late at 12:20 en route to Yeovil PM. <BJ>

 

4464 through Marsh Benham 12:26

James at SVN

 

71000 failed with sticking valves (according to gen post). Sounded healthy at St Denys, although the beat did sound a little heavy...

James at SVN

 

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction?

 

Duke sounded in good form earlier this morning and accelerated well and noisily once over top of the bank at Parkstone having romped up the bank. Wonder if it is a repeat of issues they had last year - shame as when it goes well it goes very well. Dick

 

You spending the day in the car James ??? Seem to be getting around ! Pete. ps suns out in Reading now

 

Still pouring in Poole Pete! Tangers down at top of Parkstone bank at 1303 in the pouring rain though though it does look a little brighter - mind you it has been that dark duirng the morning that is not too difficult! Dick

 

Pretty much Pete! By the way, you didn't miss much buseng at Theale, 4464 only ambled through :/

James at SVN

 

Afternoon All,

TANGMERE was going well through Fleet this morning, laying its usual smokescreen over the proceedings. Of course, it came on to rain just as the train was approaching! However, I sheltered under the footbridge and managed to get three shots as she hurried by. This is the first one; clicking on it will enlarge it and take you to the others :


RD7124. TANGMERE passing through Fleet. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

Anybody else got any pictures to show us?

 

Thanks for the info.

 

One or two quick screenshots from this morning:

1) 71000 just before failure at St Denys
2) 34067 accelerating away from the water stop at Winchfield, taken at Hook
3) 4464 erupting away from a signal check at Wokingham

The video is to follow. These images are not the best, taken out of my video - I can attach some photographs in with the video post if there is demand...

James at SVN

 

Banking engine up from Weymouth will detach at Dorchester South

 

and now not stopping at Wareham....

 

Good collection from your morning travel, James. You say 'signal check at Wokingham' The train has just come in from the Ascot/Bracknell direction and joins the Guildford mine just the other side of the station but comes in at near right angles !! all the trains therefore crawl round there but it gives a great opportunity to see steam pulling away. Trust your afternoon adventures going well. Pete

 

Expect to sit outside Bournemouth for a good 20min...

In fact going to be held in Platform 3...

 

Ah right, thanks a lot Pete for correcting me. I arrived about 90 seconds before 4464 so had no time to set up properly. I understand though that there was a service train which held 4464 at the signal before the junction which is probably how I made it in time!

As for the afternoon adventures, I was off to Upton Scudamore for 71000 before it failed. So 70013 it is at Northam, Shawford and Winchfield

James at SVN

 

Over top of Parkstone Bank in tremendous style at 1722 so several minutes early. Oliver making a super sound again and in glorious sunshine after the soaking at lunch time! Dick