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RTC Dartmouth Express - April 19th

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Big Al, Apr 11, 2014.

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  1. Stu in Torbay

    Stu in Torbay Part of the furniture

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    SNG safely up to Churston. 25 on the rear this time
     
    Stu in Torbay, Apr 19, 2014
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  2. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    6 late away from Kingswear, waiting for service train to arrive. Looked lovely in the sunshine dropping down light engine :)
     

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    5944, Apr 19, 2014
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  3. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    National Rail shows delays, now cleared, due to a lineside fire this morning between Newton Abbot and Torre - incident created just minutes after this was due through.....

    Steven
     
    Bean-counter, Apr 19, 2014
    #43
  4. Stu in Torbay

    Stu in Torbay Part of the furniture

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    Here is a shot from earlier at Broadsands. [​IMG].
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2014
    Stu in Torbay, Apr 19, 2014
    #44
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  5. buseng

    buseng Part of the furniture

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    RTT showing at platform at Taunton, 14 & a half minutes late arrival.
     
    buseng, Apr 19, 2014
    #45
  6. YoungRailwayMan

    YoungRailwayMan Member

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    Anyone who went out to see the train does anyone know what the diesel locomotive that they sent down was, to rescue the train if it was needed
     
    YoungRailwayMan, Apr 19, 2014
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  7. eggbert

    eggbert Member

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    first visit to Whiteball
     
    eggbert, Apr 19, 2014
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  8. DH34105

    DH34105 Member

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    Looking at RTT for 1Z33 it looks as though there was not enough time for any loco changes until Westbury where 60007 was due to come off.
    RTT shows 1Z33 arriving 3 minutes late and leaving about the same late with plenty of time for loco change.
    RTT also shows 5Z34 - presumably 60007 and support coach away from Westbury to Southall at 2131 16 minutes late
    Report on local Gen group earlier showed the 2 x WCRC diesels stabled at Westbury having run back from Taunton.
    DH
     
    DH34105, Apr 19, 2014
    #48
  9. Hemerdon

    Hemerdon Member Friend

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    Why the thought that SNG came off at Exeter? Anyway, I saw her up through Tiverton Parkway and going well. Video to follow tomorrow.
     
    Hemerdon, Apr 19, 2014
    #49
  10. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    SNG on good form today with a well planned itinerary that unlike the SD trip, gave us SNG to the buffers at Kingswear plus a decent time at destination. After all the fuss about NR not being able to get steam on at Westbury we were sent out ahead of a late running FGW service and then arrived indecently early at Taunton where we hung around for ages waiting time after steam was attached.

    Pete Roberts took us down to Paignton and after the usual dawdle up the relief to Norton Fitzwarren, SNG was wound up to 54 through Wellington with a min of 40 over Whiteball. That's pretty good with 11 for 430 gross on the hook. Running after the Tiverton Loop stop was rather controlled down to Exeter. The section through Dawlish was really quite a pain with the long block sections and limited signalling that the railway is running with at present. The climb up from Goodrington was pretty effortless with the DL banker but that's not to say there wasn't plenty of action from up front. A steady 24 up to Churston.

    The return was similarly straightforward back up to Greenway with, it felt, the diesel just carrying its weight. Bill Warriner took over at Paignton and it was a spirited blast up through Torre with 27 at the top. There were considerable delays again through Dawlish including being looped at the Warren - so much so that we were over 10 late into Exeter where, for a while it looked as though we would be held. But we were eventually sent off 15 late. The run to Taunton kept to the booked time of 37 minutes although I gather that the crew were conserving water and so only pushed SNG as much as necessary.

    However, everything changed after the top up at Taunton by which time we were nearly 20 late. The run to Westbury was done in only 49 and a half minutes against the booked 62. Running was swift and we were still close to 60 as we blasted through Bruton heading up Brewham. An A4 under full power creates a distinctive sound and SNG proved today that she has lost none of the magic that earned her the badge she carries proudly from her 1959 exploits. Just a few minutes adrift back into Westbury after a great final steam leg. (For a review of the Ship Inn at Kingswear please see CAMRA site!)

    Pictures taken at Kingswear and Taunton. This loco (last seen by me in the flesh at Crewe in steam days) looks stunning in blue.
     

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    Last edited: Apr 20, 2014
    Big Al, Apr 20, 2014
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  11. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    No. 7 sounded very good passing Britannia Crossing this afternoon, and the 25 didn't seem to be doing a lot of work. However, near Tiverton and crossing Langport viaduct, she didn't sound good at all. There was a strange sort of whoomping noise that drowned out the exhaust. Hopefully nothing serious, but it didn't sound healthy.
     
    5944, Apr 20, 2014
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  12. Stu in Torbay

    Stu in Torbay Part of the furniture

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    Duff gen, sorry
     
    Stu in Torbay, Apr 20, 2014
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  13. KristianGWR

    KristianGWR Member

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    My footage of 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley' on the 'Dartmouth Express'. Seen at Whiteball, Bishopsteignton, Noss Marina, Torre Station and Woodrow Barton.
     
    KristianGWR, Apr 20, 2014
    #53
  14. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Blimey, what a return run yesterday! We were right at the front (behind the support coach) in coach J and the soundtrack was magnificent. I won't forget the vigorous climb out of Kingswear in a hurry. Never heard an A4 working that hard before. I won't post the speed 60007 got up to on the first part of the climb but I think the class 25 was hanging on for dear life at the rear! However, it was clear that there was a timing problem with 60007 as she was a little off beat (one exhaust beat being much louder than the rest) which became more evident later in the run. I didn't think the soundtrack could get any louder but the ascent of Torre bank was even better. Following the stop at Exeter the news filtered through that we had nearly lost 60007 at Exeter due to reports of lineside fires. The climb of Whiteball was restrained in places with a family pacing us in their car along the Motorway for some distance. The Mother's repeated requests for blows on the whistle resulted in an enthusiastic response from the crew. Towards the top of the climb the crew made use of 60007's awesome power once again. After Taunton 60007 was really let loose with an excellent show put on by 60007 and her crew, a highlight being tearing through Castle Cary at 70mph! Wonderful stuff.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2014
    green five, Apr 20, 2014
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  15. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    It was SNG's second visit to Whiteball. The first visit was on the 10th April. <BJ>
     
    free2grice, Apr 20, 2014
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  16. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    As you say Al, 'SNG' was really motoring at Whiteball ..... but the twelfth coach must have been slipped at Norton Fitzwarren for the Minehead branch. ;) <BJ>
     
    free2grice, Apr 20, 2014
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  17. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Good one. You do have to remember that mathematicians can't do arithmetic!
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2014
    Big Al, Apr 20, 2014
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  18. buseng

    buseng Part of the furniture

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    Who would of thought we would be talking about fire risk & it's associated affects on steam tours on here now a couple of months ago? It was even joked about at the time.
    It's been mentioned on the GB thread as well.
     
    buseng, Apr 20, 2014
    #58
  19. Hemerdon

    Hemerdon Member Friend

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    Here’s my video, taken at Tiverton Parkway and Teignmouth on the down run and at Newton Abbot and Tiverton Parkway on the return.



    All the videos were taken at stations as I was traveling by train. I usually avoid stations (a bit unpredictable with too many people around) but with the Easter holiday traffic and a Devon Day Ranger ticket for less than £7 (with a railcard) it seemed the better option.

    There’s also a couple of photos at

    http://www.railwayscenes.com/photos---2014---steam.html
     
    Hemerdon, Apr 20, 2014
    #59
  20. eggbert

    eggbert Member

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    Sorry I meant to say it was my first visit to Whiteball, yeah the 2nd time for SNG.
     
    eggbert, Apr 20, 2014
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