Cathedrals Express to Yeovil 1-Jun-2014

Well maybe all the steam gricers were in the front few coaches. And all the diesel ones towards the rear of the train! But the 33 was certainly growling rather loudly.

 

Checked back to see if I had a June 1st run on the Southampton route in the good old days.

No, but I came up on the club train a day later on the 2nd June 1967.

17.30 ex Weymouth, Gordon Porter driving and 35003 on 11. Gently up Roundwood bank. Then 98 mph between Winchfield and Fleet. A sig check approaching Woking and then 89 mph at Byfleet Junction and 92 mph at Walton before more checks. And no diesel on the back! LOL!

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd time those trains forever and a day
We'd love the locos that we could choose
We'd never have a diesel on the back so could never lose
For we were young and sure to enjoy our day

 

Thanks to the crummy Crompton on the back, this train ran well to time all the way out and was last noted on the return at Virginia Water 1 late. No doubt the vast majoroty of passengers will be happy to get back to their respective stations on time... However without the assistance it would have likely been a different story, but it's always worth a moan if you are not on board.

 

The good news of the day is that the folk who were out and about photographing the train today would have enjoyed some wonderful clag effects.
The bad news on the other hand was that the Black '5' produced hardly any clag at all. You can't win 'em all. <BJ

 

Did anybody go t' Junction today?........................... did they put on a show?............................. just interested to know!

 

How late do you think it could have been? The train took just under six hours to reach Yeovil from London. <BJ>

 

It was 20 minutes early at VW on Thursday with the 47 on the back just idling.

 

Here it is on the way home :

 

I went to Yeovil Junction and yes,they put on a good show...0-4-0 Lord Fisher and Diesel Cockney Rebel working top and tail with the DMU carriage.56303 with BCK 21268 did a few trips which proved popular.
Model railways,Gauge 1 to Hornby 3-rail,steam lorries,plus other things for non-railway people.... so all in all a great day out in the sun!! And only 5 miles from home!!

Video to follow plus a bit of the Black 5 and Crompton....

Free to Grice..had to laugh at your clag comment but its true,videoed it leaving Sherborne and the Crompton was working hard!!!

 

At Chertsey on the return

Don't try this shot at home children

 

I think it very foolhardy posting that shot here.

Especially at this time of the year when there are many young crows fledging. Any that see this video will assume it is fine to fly about very low over and perch on railway tracks. Shame on the adults for doing that.

Expect a call from the RSPB.

 

The cat was very sensible - kept on the cess.

 

Excellent Wedgie. Yes Porter had many attempts at 100 east of Basingstoke, but as far as I know only succeeded once on 12th December 1966 with 35028-103 mph near Fleet, then checked and 94 at Walton.

I have to say that the two occasions I saw 44932 yesterday ay Eastleigh and Kimbridge, 33207 was just idling at both places.

Don

 

I've seen cats walking along the live quite unharmed. I wonder how they get on and off though.

 

Very fast?

 

Acton Wells on the North London line used to have a box cat many years ago and that one would studiously avoid going near the live rail, always walking round the back of the box and using the Greenford loop line underbridge to cross the electrified NLL.

 

Got a video somewhere of a fox with its front paws on the live rail and back paws on the ballast. It walked away pretty normally afterwards.

 

Perhaps furry paws act as insulators so the critters skin isn't in contact.