Cathedrals Express - 15/12/17

Grateley:

 

So a very late black five with available assistance and they don't use it to try to make up time. Little bit pig headed isn't it.

 

Was the Brush4 providing ETH perhaps? (Especially after the Southend/Alresford experience). I notice from the videos that there is only steam escaping from the end of the first carriage, and not the rest of the stock. Steam heating pipes are never that leakproof.

 

A few shots from Salisbury in the harsh late afternoon sun.


British Railways Black 5 - 45212 Approaching Salisbury by Tim White, on Flickr


British Railways Black 5 - 45212 Approaching Salisbury by Tim White, on Flickr


British Railways Black 5 - 45212 Salisbury by Tim White, on Flickr

 

From this post and all others I've read on other threads, you seem to be very anti-steam, anti preservation and either negative or critical in your posts.

I'd be interested to know your motives for your posts?

 

What do you suggest they do, drive over the traffic in front?

 

I got a series of shots as it approached Farnborough and these are now on Flickr. Running in deep shadow as usual, but a record of the occasion if nothing else. This is the first one in the Photostream:

RD16222. 45212 at Farnborough. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

They can also be seen here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/albums/72157686734280756

Hope they're of interest.

 

The first coming towards you shot (as in your post) and the first going away from are the keepers imho. Nice shots.

 

If I recall from my youth (50+ years ago) these must have been taken from what was then called the 'Monks Path'

 

That's a fine shot!

 

My next door neighbour, who has always lived around these parts, called it that yesterday. I hadn't heard it called that before, but it's good that these old nicknames are remembered.

Where I used to live someone kept goats at the end of his very long garden. There was a footpath alongside his house and garden which the locals always called the goat path. The goats have long gone and there are now houses on the end of the garden where they used to live. I still referred to it as the 'goat path' until we left, but I don't think the newer residents know it as such!

 

I can't believe that a 'Black Five' would have been allowed to take 12 coaches without assistance anyway. The potential for delay from simple lack of power would have been far too great. Are some people really saying that it had been expected to leave the diesel behind?

 

Very nice to meet you at Pirbright yesterday! Here are a couple of mine (this forum won't let me upload photos directly at the moment, for reasons unknown):

https://flic.kr/p/21cckrZ
https://flic.kr/p/21sithf

 

Not to mention the 60mph limit on 45212.

 

The 47 was there to provide assistance when required but mainly for the turning move around Laverstock. Most importantly of all though it was providing ETH for the stock.

It also provided a real help to us on moving the stock around at Salisbury, therefore allowing us to service 5212 as quickly as we could for the return. We made the effort to pull it off and after checking the time when we had reversed back onto the support coach it read 16:29, 7 minutes prior to our booked departure time so job done! It was a great run and nice to finally complete a trip too. Plenty of waves came from the coaches when we passed them in Hanwell Loop so I guess the passengers were happy.

What was also entertaining was watching the units and javelin's struggle past us at Ashford in the morning in the freezing conditions, plenty of sparks and flashes flying everywhere from the shoes on the third rail.

 

Totally agree with that, as you say it is entirely reasonable to expect information that is known to be declared in advance so folk can best decide how or if they spend hard earned.
On the point about load necessitating assistance, if the chosen loco is a 5 or 6 it cannot be an emergency / unexpected if a 12 coach train is planned and a diesel is added.