Lightly used routes

My father has found memories of that run with Burton Agnes Hall, 6106 was at the rear. We still have a recording of the run from our garden when they crossed over the river Thames on an old tape wheel somewhere in the loft. The event was to coincide with the anniversay on the opening of the branch to Marlow, think it was it's 100th anniversary??? Must of been a member within the Passenger Association being well known within the industry / having strong influences to have that day arranged.

Maidenhead to Marlow is indeed hourly except during peak hours where it's every 30mins from just gone 6:00am until around 8:30 then from 5:45 to about 8:30.

You have two through trains to london in the morning and two returns from Paddington to Bourne End in the evening, which run into what was the old up platform when the formation went to Wycombe. (Platform is considerably longer and can handle a 5 car turbo ok.

Peak hours it just runs Bourne End to Marlow from the shorter down platform which since the signalling changes and prior to that, when a turbo hit the buffers, can only handle a two car turbo. This would limit anything going to Marlow.

Off Peak it's Maidenhead-Bourne End-Marlow.

I remember when I was younger, hearing a top and tailed class 47's running into Bourne End with a rake of seacows one weekend (I still live on the river near to the bridge over the thames) and after much shunting they managed to get three seacows top and tailed with the 47's up to marlow, but this was prior to the turbo hitting the buffers, as we now have a RAWE buffer stop in rear of the current blockwork wall. I still have some old photographs of this as my brother and I chased it to Marlow on our bikes.

Anyway, after seeing the panniers running to Chinnor, a run I wanted to be on but it was sold out!, it does spring to mind that maybe / if the GW Celebrations were later on, that maybe one day we could have a top and tailed run down the branch and include the Henley Branch and Windsor.

I also remember, and someone might have pictures or recollect, that I saw what may of been a black five, running to Henley from Twyford with a 37 on the back, must of been around the early to mid 1990's.

But alas that was then and not in today's Network constraints. If anything would come to fruition I'd jump on it like a shot.

 

And I’ve been throwing darts at a map all this time! What’s this market research stuff?

Seriously though – York / Scarborough are good destinations for us, however, we are also blessed that our passengers travel with us for the journey as well; Evidence being our twice-yearly trips to Carlisle via Shap and S&C. Or does Carlisle have such an appeal to Midlanders that they want to go there for 2 ½ hours?

 

I'd like to see your Scarborough tours routed through Sheffield. Say pick up at Meadowhall so anyone wanting a day shopping at the centre gets to do it by steam from midlands area. Us Sheffielders a day out to Scarborough with a local pick up. Water could be taken at Brightside sidings as has been done before.
Not such a big change to the route.
Brian

 

My suggestion would be (on a Sunday especially as there are no stoppers between Wakefield and Pontefract Monkhill) the route from Wakefield through to Goole/Hull (then up to Scarborough?),seen a relativley low amount of steam loco's over it in preservation. At least in recent years anyway. Can't be bothered to research it but off the top off my head through Pontefract Tanshelf in recent years I recall travelling behind 62005,seeing 6233 and then I know that 60009 headed through E+C late at night one evening. In 2010 I think 6233 worked this way on a diverted Scarborough Flyer after cable theft meant Ferrybridge Jn-Pontefract E Jn curve,I.E would be a good diversion from the normal York bound route through Normanton. Got a good 3-4 miles of 1 in 150 from Streethouse-Featherstone too,as well as the climb out of Wakey up to Sharlston. (About 3 miles).

Much better than the back streets of Cas,then again,I am totally against that place for obvious reasons (Fev Rovers )

 

Carlisle is a good lunchtime destination; time to see the castle, and a quick lunch or just a leisurely lunch. There is a good bookshop in town; got a nice book about the S&C last time.