60019 Bittern

Does anyone know what the status of Bittern is following its pyrotechnic displays on the main line? Has it returned to the Mid Hants (I see it's rostered to run there next weekend)? Is there any chance it will be allowed to work the Cathedrals Express to Bath/Bristol on 10th June?

 

Should be back on MHR metals some time in the week.

 

Spark arrestor has apparently been fixed. No doubt there needs to be a stewards enquiry lasting months into what went wrong.

 

It comes back to us at MHR this week, Bob Allen has i believe had the problem sorted out. It shouldnt be doing any mainline work for a the next 3 weeks, it is working for MHR as we damn well need it.

It takes a while to set up for mainline, so it will just do MHR work over the next few weekends. Then we do a few last jobs on it and then we let our girl out into the big wide world on her own two feet, or six wheels or whatever.

 

Will it be returning by road or rail, anyone know.
Wardy

 

rail i should think, there was nothing wrong with its bottom half so it shold be fine to return by rail. I dont think we fancy going through all the FTR's again!

 

Very surprised there was a problem with the spark arrestor. In my humble experience fires are more often caused by embers etc from the ash pan.

 

I was told by a steward on " The Southern Irishman" that the problem was the ash pan

 

RTC have Bittern rostered as one of the pool of loco's for the North Wales Coast Expresses in August.

 

Any approx times for her move back to the MHR?

 

More to the point, it is due to haul a Cathedrals Express to Bristol on the 10th of June.

 

According to the Steam Dreams Website, 6201 will haul this trip.

 

Running days at the MHR are has follows according to the MHR web site.

5th 6th 12th 13th 19th 20th June

Ps Don't forget this coming weekend is WAR ON THE LINE and I hear advance bookings are going very well

http://www.watercressline.co.uk/Events/17

 

Mid-Hants web site now says Bittern will not be back for the War on the Line weekend. I'm booked on the trip to Bath on 10th June - sorry if Bittern can't make it but 6201 is a pretty good replacement!!!

 

60019 WILL NOT do this weekend as it will not arrive at MHR until wednesday 9th june, because of circumstance.

 

Yes!

I've booked onto that train specifically because of that.

 

Any news on whether 60019 is actually returning to the MHR tomorrow? UKsteam info has the move from York down as provisional which doesn't look promising.

 

Well yesterday's run from York was cancelled. Does this mean 60019 won't now be returning to the MHR and will just move to Southall? Just wondering as I was going to go down for her last weekend of operation at the MHR.

 

Uk steaminfo web site shows the move back to MHR being cancelled

Tue 08-Jun 60019: York-Alton (Provisional) [CANCELLED]

 

Just got back from an evening cycle ride soaked to mthe skin - you'd struggle to set fire to anything around here after the last two days. Hopefully no more singed countryside for a while now.