71000 DUKE OF GLOUCESTER ON THE V.S.O.E

Going to have a three hour lunch break on Friday and head for the foot crossing at Albury, the bonus of being in charge this week!

 

Ashley if the sun is out you hopefully might get something like this shot which I got after a brief rain shower http://steamtube.ning.com/photo/merchant-power-1?context=user
We have avoided this location for a while as it has been very popular and gets a bit crowded and people tend to stand a bit too near the track.

 

Thats a great shot! I have not been before but seen photos like yours before so thought I would give it a go. Only going for that location so going to get there early, set up then eat my lunch! I will be well away from the track, lets hope everyone else will be as well!

 

Anyone got any advice on the Shere foot crossing at Ponds Lane and the nearby fields to the south west? Are the fields accessible or out of bounds? Is the shot from the crossing any good? Is the train climbing or descending there?

Many thanks
Steve

 

Thanks

 

Cheers Ashley. Enjoy your lunch. We will be sticking to Chilworth station today in this murky weather and also don't have the time to go trekking in the Surrey hills as we have to go out later.

 

Lovely shot.

 

No sign of 71000 or the VSOE stock yet at victoria, will be late.1230pm now

 

edit, just arrived, NOTE 71000 is double headed with 67022 plus 67002 on the rear.

 

Message just rec'd........"Network in chaos due to bad rail condition. VSOE stock still at Victoria at 12.40"

 

71000 was pushed through clapham 1305 with the 67022 inside looking to be doing the work, 67002 off in Victoria.

 

I heard it whistle through Ashford Middlesex @ 1340.

 

1408 @ West Byfleet. Not apparently in any hurry to make up time.

 

Here's a few from this am...



Noticed the 26D shed plate has been replaced by a more appropriate 5A one.

 

Yeah that was my first thought when I saw it at Victoria, and didnt change my opinion at Clapham

I thought 71000 had turned Polish today..., good for the photo's though.

At Clapham it whimpered through, the firebox open, Crew just watching, so maybe they were trying to coax up a bit of heat at the time so the 67 gave it a shove ?

Interested to know anyone elses opinion of it today, there was plenty of people out and about.. given the weather was miserable.

Anyone want to play spot the Duke in this photograph ?

 

Yes - unfortunately this is often the case when I've travelled being DoG. I don't really know why either. I assume they tend to use the same sources of coal as other operators? If so it must be something to do with the primary/secondary air flows and/or brick arch/deflector plate arrangements I'd think. But that's a lot of fuel going to waste for sure, and as you say, a poor image to project, particularly down there in the 'smoke'. When I travelled over Shap a few years back, the clag in Preston station was so bad that someone in the town must have seen the plume towering over the town and called out the fire brigade!

Can anyone on the DoG team shed any light on this please? Iain

 

As a complete amateur - I've always understood that 71000 was not an easy engine to fire and get the best out of - it needed a different firing technique to many of the other big pacifics but when mastered the boiler was capable of excellent hot steam production. The Southern crews have not had a lot of exposure to this engine but it could also be that they had a load of coal on that used to be known as "Nine Elms super sifted" ( a reference to a flour advert of the day) that basically indicated a lot of slack and dust and not many lumps. As you say it would be good to hear from the crew themselves or the support crew. Whatever - it's still a lovely engine.

Mike

 

ADB..looks like the morning after a nights raid on London docks during the blitz.It would have been situated in this position looking from Clapham Junk Shop towards the east.A horrible reminder...