Cathedrals Express to Scotland

Excellent, Havent heard Tornado so vocal for ages. Its usually bertie the boring engine.

 

Couldn't get two crews to work to the same timetable.

 

Hiya

Any reason why 60009 is running so late on the ECML?

 

Yes. 4 cylinders is an odd number for a loco to have.

 

Thank you Kent Yeti, I enjoy your stuff about memories of high speed steam on the South West mainline.

There are plenty more reports and photos of rather nice days with steam at http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com/f731739511

Peter on a still-grey day in Manchester
http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com

 

I always thought that 3 was odd, and 4 was even. Could be wrong though...

 

It'll be dark by the time It gets down here at this rate.

 

Mathematically may be but there's also odd as in strange, unusual etc.

 

.. and unless your name's Nelson then the four are really just two on steroids

 

Late departure due to another train blocking the ECS.

Looped at Drem for four service trains to pass.

Cow on line at Grantshouse.

 

Stopped for a Cow on the line, one of the crew seen chasing it on the track!

 

Sounds like an episode from Rev. W Awdry's books. Didn't Gordon The Big Engine have a confrontation with a cow on the line?

 

cow on the line at granthouses voyager on up A4 on down waiting for farmer and nr guy to get it back over fence!! could not make it up!!

 

Better light today for once.

About 70 minutes down thanks to Daisy.

 

Turning out to a prime candidate for the "most blighted rail tour" award. Not quite "in history" but heading that way.

 

Cow on the line is one of the all time classics!

Didn't that happen on a railtour to Exeter once? Yes, October 1965. The Exeter Flyer, 35022, just 8 cars and Gordon Hooper driving. I'd forgotten the run, because of the light load I think. All flooding back now. An astonishing day! 70.5 mph start to stop net average Basingstoke - to Exeter, (124 miles), amongst other jewels. It was said Gordon had been called down to the Divisional Office before hand and warned off from doing 100mph. (Max was low 90s in the end). Hopefully he will be at the re-union this year and I'll ask if he remembers that! LOL.

Anyway, back to topic. Virtually stopped at Seaton Junction because of a cow on the line! He'd gone over all the banks from Salisbury at 70 mph plus and we wondered what he'd do over Honiton. 48 as it was from the virtual re-start almost on the 1/80.

I did also see a cow chased up the rack line at Vordernberg by an empty ore train. 97 0-6-2t on the front and another on the back. I was waving violently at the crew of the front loco, but he didn't shut down. Must have thought I was just waving for more clag! They chased the cow, almost touching the buffer beam by now, under a bridge, and then it just leapt clear and the crew saw it. Maybe they had seen it earlier and were hoping for fresh streaks for tea that night!

Back to topic, (this is really pushing credibiity), are they serving steaks on the return run tonight?

 

The meat would need to hang for a few days, surely? Maybe on Friday's CathEx to Ely?

 

Dunno about that depends how steep the hill is and how well the firman can keep up!

 

Depressing that on such a pedestrian schedule no time is being made up.

 

14 minutes made up to York - real pity service trains get in the way isn't it!