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End Of Southern Steam 9th July

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by 73129, Jun 8, 2013.

  1. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    This trip is West Coast not DBS.
     
  2. Steamage

    Steamage Part of the furniture

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    Sure, Bill, but can you see WCRC hiring a DBS diesel, even for a short section? I suppose they might send the DL light from Southall to Westbury in the afternoon, and if so, then that would be great.
     
  3. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    I don't gamble, (except for the LOTTO), but if I did I'd put money on there being a box on the back of the train all day. Except when it is on the front.

    Please anyone, come back on the 9th and tell me that was a crap comment for me to have made. I'd be even happier that normal about being told I post crap here!
     
  4. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    Ah, my mistake. That changes the situation completely. <BJ>
     
  5. banana patch

    banana patch Member

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    I did not book onto steam dreams swan age trip as they usually put standard class at back and it would have meant being nearer a 67 than the steam loco all day! so let's hope etc do the decent thing and bring Ollie down and leave the box off the back that way both std class and premier class get a spell on the front even if we have to go via westbury
     
  6. Steamage

    Steamage Part of the furniture

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    Looking at the times for The Yorkshireman on Saturday on UKsteam.info, I see that Ollie is returning to Southall L/E the same evening - this is also discussed in The Yorkshireman thread. UKsteam also says 70013 will work the outward leg on 9th July, and Tangmere the return, though David hasn't updated the route yet - probably because NR and WCRC haven't agreed the final details yet ;-) This is looking like quite a promising trip after all.
     
  7. banana patch

    banana patch Member

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    fingers crossed after sunday!!
     
  8. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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  9. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    It looks like it was a headache for timetablers fitting two steam charters down the SWML. The SD trip gets the record for time from Waterloo to Woking via Barnes - not far short of two hours! It probably would have been easier for Tornado to have gone straight from Wembley to Woking with London passengers saving an hour, going down on any service train from Waterloo and joining it there. I'm also looking forward to the 'non stop' run from Winchfield to Bournemouth - 98 minutes for the 68 miles. And I see we only get 2 hours at Swanage and then have to sit for a lifetime somewhere near Worgret Junction for our return path. Hopefully, the good folk of the Swanage Railway will be able to handle this nonsense and let us get away a little later (as well as having Manston in steam to commemorate the day).

    As for the RTC trip, six and three quarter hours from Victoria to Exeter could cause some folk to lose the will to live. Although there are no return times yet, I guess that they may be similar to the SD path last Sunday (assuming the trip takes the same route back via Westbury), in which case it'll probably be a late arrival back in Victoria.

    It's just so sad that two companies (SD and RTC) each try to put on something memorable to celebrate the end of steam on the Southern and they are both rewarded, if that's the word, with less than helpful timings. Perhaps the highlight of both trips may be the return dash between Basingstoke and Woking with Tornado - 23.5 miles in 24 minutes. So we can perhaps look forward to three figures somewhere near Fleet then....or have I just slipped back 46 years?
     
  10. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    OMG.

    I am almost speechless at those times Al.

    But remember the last few July 9th SD trains when GB, SWT et al. really did us proud. And I am sure they will again when they can.

    Looks like a chance of a steam even time Basing - Woking start to stop. But with the wrong class of engine for the 9th July! So no begging by me for a last minute ticket just for that bit.

    Aah yes, three figures near Fleet Al. What days they were indeed.
     
  11. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Just looked at the timings again and it seems possible that SD/DBS may have managed to pull off the impossible and that is to restrict the diesel haulage just to the leg from Swanage to Soton UGL with Tornado on her own everywhere else. That is an immense result, if true, and must have involved some intense negotiations behind the scenes. Credit where it is due therefore (but some of the timings are still iffy although, given the traffic on the SWML that is probably the best on offer).
     
  12. ashtav0

    ashtav0 New Member

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    I don't see this happening mainline steam is banned on Sunday and the heat expected is the same maybe wrong but don't hold much hope here.
     
  13. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    Do you have the source of the ban please?
     
  14. ashtav0

    ashtav0 New Member

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    Taken from nunney castles website I'm on my phone so can't quote but the le for 5029 was cancelled on NR request the full quote has been posted on Torbay express thread.
     
  15. Robbo

    Robbo Member

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    From Nunney Castle website:
    "Rather sadly, as we understand it, Nunney and other steam engines have been banned from operating on the main line due to the fire risk. Nunney was passed 'fit to run' on Thursday and the support crew allocated for the transfer to Bristol and Torbay Express on Sunday. A lot of time and effort has been put into preparing our loco for the weekend and although disappointed, we respect and understand the decision made. We sincerely hope that we are permitted 'out and about' soon to show you how well Nunney is running! In the meantime we will stay at Tyseley and focus our attentions on the support coach." http://www.5029nunneycastle.co.uk/
     
  16. Steamage

    Steamage Part of the furniture

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    Not a total ban, though. Ben from Vintage Trains has posted elsewhere that the Shakespeare Express is going ahead as planned. Looks like it Western Region only - so far. Mind you, that doesn't necessarily help this tour...
     
  17. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    So; we have a likely steam ban on Sunday owing to the expected hot and dry weather. The weather is forecast to remain the same all through next week, so I can see no logical reason why the steam ban won't, unfortunately, be extended indefinitely thereafter, until significant rain falls. This would mean no 9 July steam either, which may simply put the remains of the two trips then out of their misery, given the steady tearing apart of the more usual good efforts on this date. RYTC's site says that their trip will now start from Victoria rather than Waterloo (because of the Hampton Court Flower show - why was this not foreseen properly way before now?), thus removing one of the main points of the anniversary run, then sending it round via Putney instead of down the main line - another important feature gone. The Steam Dreams run has also gone from the main line to a painful crawl via Barnes.
    Previous years have seen good runs, but this year's workings look like 'standard' runs out of London, now likely to be diesel-hauled. A great shame and frustrating for the tireless organisers.
     
  18. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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  19. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    Perhaps a blessing in disguise. We seem to be celebrating the 'end of steam' on an annual basis now, surely that's a bit of overkill?
     
  20. buseng

    buseng Part of the furniture

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