Scots Guardsman to Gleneagles, Mon 23rd and return Tue 24th Sept?

Much talk on the lineside yesterday and today about a WCRC special Mon & Tue this week. The speculation is is that the Queen Of Scots set will be used. I'm told timings are available in RTT (I've not done the search yet), but the gist seems to be 02:00 from Carnforth, via Shap, Beattock and Carstairs to Edinburgh where passengers will join. Then to Gleneagles where they get off, ECS to Perth. On Tuesday, the ECS returns steam-hauled from Thornton, across the Forth Bridge around 1100, then home via Beattock and Shap again. c. 1400 Abington, 1530 Lockerbie, 1630 Carlisle if all goes to plan.

 

Yeah, but with what loco ? Rumour is there are issues with 46115 again and Galatea isn't due back in Carnforth
until mid Monday apparently !

Steven

 

It is 46115, passed Auchengray at 0753.

Steven

 

It was on Sky Sports News this evening and it was to do with next years Ryder Cup. Both Captains travelled with Tom Watson (the USA Captain) being interviewed on the train and 46115 was carrying a special 2014 Ryder Cup Headboard. The short film didn't show the stock though so unsure if it was the QoS set?

 

News from 'The Scotsman'. <BJ>
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotla...up-2014-gleneagles-countdown-starts-1-3106581

 

There's was an on-train interview with the US captain (no idea who!) which was filmed inside a Mk 1 FO with Ryder Cup anti maccassers.

 

Quite a procession on the southbound climb towards Shap, 46115 is following 61994 by only 3 minutes.

 

Yes caught me out I walking back to car
H

 

Short hand held clip on the end of this video of 46115 after filming 61994 at Strickland as she was there all of a sudden!

 

What an evening! I made the fortunate decision to stay in the same spot (near Southwaite) for 61994 and 46115, but even so, I was fiddling with my phone and nearly missed SG following immediately behind TGM. The bonus was that there was time to drive to Bay Horse for a final shot of the K4. Just a shame the weather was so dull.

So, when was the last time one steam train directly followed another on the mainline? I recall 73096 following 35028 through Wokingham one evening about 20 years ago, and I'm sure there have been a few similar occassions where paths have crossed for a few miles. However, what made this special (for me) was that this happened on the WCML, and the whole way from Carlisle to Carnforth (70 miles?) What's next? Braunton on a train from Salisbury meeting Clan Line on a train from Weymouth at Basingstoke and chasing each other up to Clapham Junction?

 

44871 and 45407 followed 60009 through Durham earlier in the year - the 5s were working back from Edinburgh to Grosmont, and No. 9 was working the returning leg of GB6. They were only about 2 1/2 minutes apart. But they only followed each other from Newcastle to Ferryhill due to late running and water stops.

 

So as said in the West Highlander thread, Monday was the first day of my honeymoon, and the wife is luckily the kind of woman who appreciates steam hauled excursions! So here was our first official honeymoon photograph on my camera, No. 46115 'Scots Guardsman' with the 'Ryder Cup 2014' private charter :



This image and the West Highlander shots are all up on the website www.21stCenturyRailwaymen.co.uk, and Cameron Easton's video footage from the same locations should be up within the next few days.