Torbay Express Season 2012

Yes, I think you're right about that, though it would be nice if he maybe picked one to cover and travelled Bristol Saturday night and stayed over. There's an ibis hotel within minutes walk of Temple Meads now which isn't that unreasonably priced for a city centre.

I guess he might also call upon his army of followers who have supplied him with logs in the past when he's been unable to reach a tour or been let down by a TOC's service as he described in a recent issue of Steam Railway when he was on his way to join 5043's run to Plymouth and back for VT.

 

I have reported many times that I was on the run driven by Trevor Barnett on his last run upon impending retirement and it was a magnificent climb to Whiteball from the Exeter St David's stop. Not only was it a big load (much bigger than the Torbay Express) it broke the ultimate record - not published for obvious reasons - of the fastest run down Wellington bank for almost 90 years (beating 7029's 97mph in 1964) by achieving 98 mph (100mph was showing on the loco speedo). Along with many others on the train, no other train has come near to surpassing this amazing performance of incredible climbing and very high speed.

We will never witness the same again in preservation, I suspect.

Nick

 

The Record on Whiteball is held by 71000 with a time of 18 min 58 seconds from a standing start at Exeter (19/9/10). The only timer on the train was my 13 year old son with his Mother (the log was publish by Mike Notely later). 60009 toped the climb at 70 mph, also with a 11 coach train (19 min 50 sec from Exeter) and 71000 has done 70 at the summit but with only 9 coaches. The Exeter-MP174 summit record will stand but with 70 mph at the summit I suspect it might be the fasted time for a train running non-stop through Exeter to the summit.

Thanks for the info.

Running on all the TE this year seems to have been superb.

 

No, I'm sure you're right about that. Another abiding memory of mine that day is the sight of John Cameron rushing to the cab of his locomotive, and reaching in to shake TB's hand. The excitement had clearly affected him as it had the rest of us.

After leaving Taunton, had it not been for an all stations service from Weston to Bristol being signaled in front of us at Worle Junction TB would have set that final section alight as well. Sadly that wasn't to be yet we still arrived into Temple Meads more than 30 minutes early I seem to remember. Shame the tour went onto fall foul of an incident near Temple Meads which finally saw 60009 come off at Didcot instead of taking the train through to PAD as planned. I think the load was in the order of 12 MK 1s plus support so yes, a heavier load than the TE is now for sure. It made me realise that very often we only experience a taste of what a locomotive is capable of. That day, TB showed just what a beast the A4 could be, albeit away from it's home turf. I wonder if anyone can recall the name of the Fireman that day as to be fair his name should be just as celebrated as Trevor Barnett for giving us that priceless memory.

Sunday 26th February 1995, truly a date to remember !

 

The date was the 19th Feb 1995 and the load was 11/430 tons.Think there may have been metro cammels in the train.I also question the max speed.I believe that the max was about 96.5 and not what has been quoted.The inspector did not want the train to bust 100mph so the brake came on.This I believe to be the fastest unassisted steam train in preservation.
Also I seem to remember that a HST was routed in front of us at Worle.I personally thought that the running over the Somerset levels was as interesting as the climb of Whiteball.All you could hear was the spitting off the front end and we were doing mid 80s I think.
Trevor was a master of an engine driver.As good as Brian Axtell in his own way.When at Marylebone he managed with 35028 in 1987 two even time runs Princess Risborough-Bicester in 17:50 and Bicester to Risborough in 17:10.No mean achevement when you consider that 60mph was the limit for steam then.

 

Having just dug out PSOVs mainline steam 1995 part 1,I can confirm that the train did consist of 11 ordinary mark ones some with bars on the windows,remember those.The generator 35469 was in the formation.My date is confirmed on the video.

 

Thanks for the clarification, I knew it was a Sunday but thought it was the last of the month for some reason. I remember that the day before , 60009 ran from London to EXD via the LSW and Honiton. I travelled Premier on both trains for under £200 inclusive, (a measure of how prices have changed over the 17 + years that have followed). Mind you, in those days ICOBS were still the dominant force in "on train catering" for charters, and menus were even more limited than they are now, roast being almost obligatory and always a choice between a sweet or cheese course rather than both as seems to be the norm now except on VT.

Happy days indeed !

 

Just notice on UK mainline steam rail tours 2012 that the 19th August trip now also lists 60019 but only this one !

 

I was on the train and the stop watch brigade agreed on 98. Spoke to the footplate inspector and he hinted that when the cab speedo reach three figures he informed the driver that "they'd had their fun and was now time to ease off" or words to that effect.

 

[video=youtube;JJm1CZvxMP4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJm1CZvxMP4[/video]

My footage of 70000's run on 22nd July.

 

[video=youtube;wzPF5TfwOSI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzPF5TfwOSI[/video]

My footage of 71000's run on 5th August.

 

It shall be interesting to see how Bittern's Schedule for that week shall work out. She is rostered as power on 2 or 3 trains. Being available for A Dorset Coast Express(RTC) or Cathedral's on Wednesday, Dreaming Spires(Poole to Oxford)(TBEL) on Thursday, West Somerset (RTC) on Saturday and now a Torbay on Sunday. Some substitutions shall need to be made.

 

I think the fireman was an Exeter man but whose name escapes me.

You may have seen John Cameron rushing to the cab of his locomotive at Taunton (I think half the passengers did such was the magnitude of the record breaking run) but the traction inspector in full view of me was bolloc*ed by his boss Steve McColl who was travelling in the train and clearly fully aware of the high speed, only to shake him very discreetly on the hand at the same time. Magical moment.

I remember the problems at Bristol Temple Meads because the loco stopped short in the station adjacent to the entrance and I remember like it was yesterday when John Cameron who was on the footplate during the extended delay (due to a derailment on Filton Bank - we eventually went wrong line to Parkway) and John saw the needle about to hit the red mark and he said to me, "The boiler is full and I can't stop my engine raising the roof" and he was not kidding. I have never heard an engine blowing off with such noise under that great roof. I swear I saw normal passenger diving for cover.

I am so pleased that you (eco082007;496825) travelled on the train too, as people have said over the years "Nick you are kidding about the high speed down Wellington bank because it would not be allowed" and you are a witness to that historic day which you and I will never experience again on the mainline with steam.

When travelling at almost 100mph down Wellington bank, the climb up from Exeter, magnificent as it was on such a big load, was quickly forgotten as we tore down the hill towards the station I started my railway career, Taunton.

Nick

 

The traction inspector, one of the youngest I have known who later went to Virgin Trains and whose name escapes me, whom I met at Swindon some days later told me that the speedo on the A4 touched the 100mph mark and it was as this point they shut off. Clearly, the speedo was reading incorrectly if the actual speed was "ONLY" 96.5MPH!

If they hadn't hit the brakes, Mallard's world record could have been under threat - now that would be something!

Nick

 

What an inspirational trip. After all these years I still recall the Exeter - Bristol TM section of the tour as being one of the best runs I've ever experienced.
The A4 was driven in such a typical LNER way by an Exeter man (who got his steam 'experience' at Tyseley I believe) and unlikely to have driven an A4 before his time at Marylebone.
I travelled in the rear coach with another 5 members of the Swanage Railway (all of us Drivers and Firemen) and they'd all queried if such a (comparatively) slight figure of a man could handle an A4 properly as he didn't look strong enough. I replied merely to "sit back and enjoy the ride" - and they did!
It seemed very strange to be overtaking everything on the adjacent motorway - but most pleasurable nontheless!
I'd known Driver Barnett during the time 4472 worked out of Marylebone (when I was part of its support crew) so the round of applause for him, echoing under Bristol TM's overall roof, was a fitting end to a fabulous run and a good career I thought.

 

Was the traction inspector Kevin Treeby?

 

Don't think so but am trying to find out from a former Virgin Cross Country driver who had the gentleman concerned as one of his TI's.

 

I too know it not to have been Kevin Treeby. What I do know is that he looked far too young to be a TI to experienced steam drivers. He looked barely 30 years old and I am desperate to find out what his name was. Apart from the post A4 trip when I met him on Swindon station, I had had many chats with on the footplate previous to that event.

Odd, I can picture his face now but no name springs to mind. I will dig out some notes from that period to find his name but someone on this prestigious National Preservation forum WILL know who he is, of that I am sure.

When he told me he was going to Virgin trains, I said surely you will miss the steam footplate. "I will" he said but as that only constituted about 5% of his daily TI work, he had to bite the bullet and accept a lucrative post at Virgin.

What is certain, is he will never forget that run in 1995!

Nick

 

As I've said in a previous post the on board timing lads agreed on 98 as the actual maximum. As for 4468's record being under threat that day, I love my A4s but number 9 would never have achieved 126. It was an exhilarating run though. I well remember the smile on Steve McColl's face when I spoke to him at Taunton. I just wish my windshield was up to coping with a nigh on 100 mph slipstream as it would have been wonderful to relive that high speed dash through my headphones.

 

Sorry Spamcan81, yes the authentic speed was only (ONLY) 98mph. One was used to the driver shutting off coming out of Whiteball tunnel to keep to the 75mph but on this occasion, I clearly remember thinking "crikey, we are not slowing down". And it was clearly way down the bank when 100mph was achieved (loco speedo) but actually 98mph that the driver shut off. I have tingles to this day thinking about it. I had travelled behind steam since the early 60's all over the UK but had never travelled at this speed. And this was 1995!!

You remember Steve McColl's smile, but trust me that only came after he admonished the Traction Inspector for daring to allow the 75mph limit to be exceeded by almost 25mph!!! (and then shaking his hand in a manner that no one else should see!!!)

Just like the London Olympics of 2012, the abiding phrase we can use for ever to the day we die regarding 60009 in 1995 is "WE WERE THERE"

What lucky chaps we were!

Nick