Cathedrals Express to Scotland

60163 was simply music to the ears today, a super performance especially the climb away from Culloden - what a noise!

 

Lovely stuff

 

Many Thanks.

 

Very nice.

 

Keep it up my friend you did it again
Henry

 

Terrific video. Very well done.

Dave.

 

Nice video, thanks for posting.

I have to assume that with the complete lack of any information here and on my email group about the two A4s performance on Friday that all the checks destroyed any sustained good running?

 

The clip of her coming downhill, over the viaduct (don't know where), is one of the best clips I have seen ages.

Excellent stuff, keep up the good work!!!!

 

Many Thanks.

Thank you, having looked at your photo of 60009 at Lamberton the same applies to you - keep it up!

Many thanks.

Thank you, the viaduct is Culloden, and one of the loudest preformances I've had the pleasure to film there.

As a general note, thanks to everyone who has commented on here or on the video, it makes the long days like yesterday (complete with the frustration about the usual Scottish weather making a comeback for this trip) completely worth while, thank you!

 

Superb.........

 

Spine tingling footage over the viaduct! Great video.

 

But then the LNER never needed to resort to double-heading ........

 

Come on Ralph, 8 cylinders versus 3 is always going to win!

Well, maybe not when thinking back to the totally ear splitting noise 34102 made as she got to 100 mph all those years ago. Unforgettable. I described it then, and now, as standing with one foot on the runway at Heathrow airport at the point an overloaded with Boeing 707 with totally un-silenced original engines rotated on take off with a tail wind behind it. Well, it wouldn't rotate if it wasn't taking off would it!

Oh, I've got round to Bulleids again. How on earth did that happen?

Right, back on Topic. It would be nice to get some on train reports of the running today. Or is Ralph the only one here with the means to do that?

 

"if it *weren't* taking off"

And it's well known that having an odd number of cylinders makes the noise sound much more dull!

 

Tornado to the Highlands 15 June 2013

Four days after Tornado on the Elizabethan, I am back in Edinburgh to ride behind her into the Highlands on Day 2 of Steam Dreams' four-day Scottish tour. The first of two early disappointments was that instead of returning from Inverness via Elgin, Aberdeen and Dundee, Network Rail could only path us back down the main Highland line, not even managing to take the Ladybank line south of Perth so we could cross the Forth Bridge. The second was that at least two coaches of full diners were carried in second class TSO coaches rather than FOs - 128 dining passengers instead of 84 - nice work! But my travelling companions were congenial and we kept our elbows and knees in!

On the way to Perth we touched 72 at Linlithgow, 75 down to Bannockburn and an excellent fast stretch from Gleneagles as far as Forteviot.

Starting onto the Highland line, we reached 68 at Murthly and 67 at Ballinluig but the real climbing began after we passed Blair Atholl at 32, half an hour late. We made it up to 44 before the gradient steepened, and then it was slog slog slog against the mostly 1 in 70 with our twelve coach load, varying from the high 20s to the mid 30s all the way, and over Drumochter at 36. We rollicked down the other side, touching our maximum speed both before and after our water stop at Kingussie. We were through Carrbridge at 55 before an impressive climb to Slochd, mostly 1 in 60/70, with speed dropping only slowly to a minimum of 28 at the summit. There was some lively downhill running, tickling our maximum again, before arriving in Inverness.

The southbound climb from Inverness to Culloden starts at 1 in 60 but our minimum speed was 20 mph and as the gradient eased (!) to 1in 70 we accelerated steadily to 36 at the summit - a magnificent climb. Later there was a minimum of 28 up the 1 in 60 past Daviot and from Tomatin at 55 we dropped only to 28 up the final 1 in 60 to Slochd summit.

Later we passed Newtonmore at 52 as the southbound climb to Drumochter started. It is less demanding from the north and our speed never dropped below 38 (over jointed track!) and we went over the top at 44 - another excellent climb. There was some good lively running downhill, though we never quite touched the maximum this time. I ceased logging at Perth after an excellent Tornado performance in the mountains, in wonderful summer weather!

24 photos are at http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com/p562585390

Peter on a grey Manchester morning
http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com/

 

Hi Steam Mad,

Would love to watch your video but it won't work for me - can you give me a link to click on please?

Cheers

Peter

 

It always tries to embed the video, I can't seem to give a link...

 

Thank you very much for taking the trouble to post such an interesting and informative report on what sounds like a rather nice day in Scotland.

 

Wasting yer time trying to correct the Yeti English wat I rote!

One of the big costs for my Owl book is gonna be a decent editor who will have rather a lot of work to do! LOL.