September 5th Exeter Cathedrals Express changed again.... to 30th October!

Worry not! There are some trains from Waterloo to Woking even after midnight so even if the train is heavily delayed, you should get home. Trains before midnight are plentiful but after the bewitching hour of midnight, things change dramatically. Here are some examples with arrival times in brackets:
Waterloo 0005 (0035)
Waterloo 0009 (0057)
Last train Waterloo 0105 (0148)

I guess the reality is that passengers were projected to arrive at Woking on the return at around 9.45pm and so this is clearly a blow for them as the earliest they can expect to get to Woking now is some 2 hours later!

It really is such a pity that Network Rail impose changes at such short notice. It is totally indefencable that they can suddenly exclude Waterloo when it has always been the plan to end the tour there. Scheduled trains are running up from Woking up to midnight and beyond and so why not this tour.

Can anyone from Network Rail have the courage to come on line and give us suffering passengers just one reason why this last minute change has happened. Let alone the changes earlier in the day.

Come on. Where are you? What do you have to say?

Why am I so heated? Because this is the first tour for me of the year. Yes guys, the "Window King" is back.

I can cope with getting back to Woking in the early hours. Many folk cannot.

 

Hoping to see at Bristol Temple Meads. Can you get on to the platforms at Bristol TM anyone?

 

Woking passengers can catch a service train from Basingstoke (at no additional cost to them), arriving 21.29.

 

There are automated barriers at Temple Meads. You could ask the barrier staff and they might let you through. Alternatively, buy a day return to Bedminster for £1.80.

 

Sounds like you've had to do both! Thanks for the tip!

 

Most of the staff at Temple Meads will let you onto the platform if you ask them. In any case the barriers aren't always in operation.

 

Agree with you completely,but surely anyone from Woking concerned about late arrival home can get off at Basingstoke at 2101 and catch service train at 2109 arriving Woking 2129? From past experience on Steam Dreams this may be offered without extra charge,I understand they have an agreement with SWT and maybe other TOC's to accept each others passengers,although this might only apply when the steam train is delayed.Can anyone clarify this?

 

Yes., that's what I said in post #23.

 

Nick,i will polish your window frame for you before you get on. Its the last window on the train isn't it?


See you there,now your out of hiding!

Cheers,
Mark

 

Out tomorrow for this one, not sure on location though, am in Putney but from past experience, the view from the Bridge is abit dark and high up, next up the track, Wandsworth...not sure, Clapham, not sure either....maybe Vauxhall or Waterloo itself. Anyone got any advise for locations between Putney and Waterloo??

 

Waterloo for departures is a bit hit and miss sometimes the staff have opinions on letting you in as well.

Ive used vauxhall and Clapham several times
Here's some examples from my usual Clapham spot.

 

I think Clapham it might be then, means I don't have to get up as early!

Thanks for the help there!

 

Hi Mark

How are you doing my dear Northerner?

My new model railway has consumed almost all of my energies, not to mention money, over the past couple of years. It has grown to 73 locos of which 65 are steam, of course!

Thanks for polishing the window frames but you are a great lad and I would have expected nothing less!

How is your Dad? I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow if you are on the trip.

Can't wait to get back to winding up the unsuspecting gricer. I just hope I don't have to wrestle potential windows hoggers to the floor as I did at Waterloo many years ago. Such fond memories.

As to the tour, I believe the weather is improving - it's chucking it down in Berkshire just now - and I look forward to a great run by 60019.

Cheers Mark

Regards

Nick

 

stood at vauxhall this am, saw the route set, bit of smoke...now the route is cancrled and service trains are terminating detraining at plat 2 at vauxhall.

 

News filtering to Waterloo that she has failed at Waterloo but as it's second hand news; not sure how accurate that is!

Then again, SWT are reporting signalling issues between Waterloo and Clapham and there have only been 2 arrivals at Clapham going west and some very busy platforms!

 

just announced due to an accident / incident at waterloo three platforms are closed, leading to 1 train operation on several platforms.
hiunslow services are a mess and there is some wrong line working at vauxhall. hoping everything is ok

 

bittern is fully out of the station except the last coach and 37 on plat 19 with 60019 at first signal, only 1 crew on footplate is blocking the platforms, seccond hand info from plat 17 says the train has split the points, I have to say from where i am, on plat 16, that it doesnt look derailed but it has been sitting in section blocking plats 19,18 &17 for 90 mins now, everyone is still onboard

 

Just passed her going into Waterloo; just out of the plaform with some fitters working under one of the carriages.

 

60019 Bittern Cathedrals Express 30/10/2010

Just seen on UK Rail gen(thanks to 47826 Springburn) group that Bitterns failed at Waterloo. Any more on this? I was hoping to video it later.

 

Blimey Steam Dreams aren't having much luck with Bittern , hopefully they will get things sorted quickly and enable the tour to run.