Charing Cross?

I agree, it would be nice to see a steam tour round London on similar lines to the popular top and tailed buffer puffer's - with 'steam on the met' making a (probably final) return in 2013 it might be a good time to give it a go given the publicity likely to follow it.

Chris

 

Pie in the sky, I know, but the M7 would probably be a reasonable proposition for doing a London Local (see, even thought of a tour name!) tour to somewhere (reminiscent of the Woking circulars it did a while back), providing there is space on the footplate to arrange the necessary equipment, and it gets certified... Maybe one day, when we get to see a U class on the mainline again.

 

I suspect the M7 would have to have water stops every 25 miles or so [the distance of the Woking triangular trips] which might make tours around London's busy tracks somewhat difficult to plan.
With 5' 7" Driving wheels the loco would be restricted to 50mph and the 2P power classification would limit the number of carriages - the latter point really precluding the borrowing of WCRC's GUV water carrier to increase any range to over 80 miles.
Anyway, it was restored to steam in 1992 so near the end of this year sees the '10 year' close inspection of the boiler. Who knows what will happen once the heavy overhaul is finished!

 

Water would appear to be the major sticking point over any Tank tour round London, that said considering no ones really looked too hard at the idea before, probably no ones looked at loops in the area that have a hydrant nearby or if it's possible to get a hose 'over the wall' from a Tanker in the road.

As for pathing, considering your trundling round the suburbs, surely you'd be turning off the main routes before the Mainline trains are really getting into their stride, say for example, i cant see a train from Charing Cross topping 50 till it's a few miles clear.

Chances are it's still a slim hope, but as far as i know, no ones confirmed it as 'not possible'

 

And don't we know it! Mustn't grumble, though, and the stop start nature through the suburbs does allow you to hear the engine working. More than if it just charged down the mainline. I've yet to do the Richmond loop (it seems to have become a fairly rare route for steam of late, but it used to be used quite regularly. The Hounslow loop seems more common nowadays).

 

All '53 needs to go mainline is the same as any other preserved loco that anybody "wants" to go mainline. £££££
Drummond Locos have done it before.....