VSOE to Dover. Clan Line is back. 3rd December 2011.

Times now on UK Steam. Clan line in disguise as Belgian Marine!

 

She is Going to Dover. Cool
It shall definitly be nice to see her getting away from Guildford. Being the Clan Line that she is with a succesful reliability rate hopefully Dover may become a more regular destination. Guildford, Bristol and Oxford are just not enough places for her to go.
I'm very glad to see this change.

 

Lets hope the trip is completed without any problems. As I too would like to see her back in Kent again more often.

I see that there is no booked stop at Deal! (Phew...). But the train is booked back up the hilly Maidstone East line.

I wonder if it will run with a box tucked behind the loco? Leaf fall is not fully over down here yet. To me it would make sense to do that. First full trip since overhaul, leaf fall not fully over, on a route that saw two loco hauled trains stall in one day not that long ago............

Be a shame as I'd like to photo "35017" on her own. But would much prefer not to see any more Kent steam problems.

 

Hopefully the skip will be on the back is it usually is. But it's great that the VSOE is coming back to Kent. I remember seeing her a couple of times when I was at school in Hildenborough, the school's grounds backing onto the line.

 

A very welcome surprise, Clan Line visiting my neck of the woods on the 3rd and 10th of December. I'm very much looking forward to it!

 

But the box can't go through Shakespeare tunnel on the back?

And there isn't a stop afterwards for it to be detached at Dover and re-attached. Which I have seen happen with Tangy once.

 

Ah, I'd forgotten the routing takes her via Shakespeare Tunnel. But perhaps not a problem as Pullman doors open inwards?

 

Sounds good, me and my Dad will probably phot her going through Charing Station.

 

Aah yes. That must be it. Good. Don't want such a heavy train coming to grief in Kent. Really will be nice to have 35017, 35028 or whatever number is chosen, back down here regularly.

 

According to one of the DBS traction inspectors, this tour cannot happen as shown. He claims that there is no way this tour will reach Dover without a water stop on that route with that engine.
I quote from this video (it's not my video, or indeed a Clan Line video, but listen to the conversation from 3:50 onwards) 60163 Tornado at paddington 26/11/2011. - YouTube
So a re-route might happen yet.

 

An additional stop at Lenham would make sense.

Mike M. (70c )

 

Hang on, so Merchant Navy pacifics can't run from Stewarts Lane to Dover without needing to take on water? How the hell did they make it from Nine Elms to Southampton non-stop back in the day then?

 

I think it has something to do with traversing the hilly route via Maidstone East rather than the main line from Tonbridge to Ashford. Colin Kerswill basically says that in the video. I have taken steam trains to Canterbury and Hastings via that route and they always seem to stop for water at Lenham.

 

Waterloo to Southampton was 79.25 miles plus 2 (ish up from Nine Elms).

Victoria - Dover just under 80 miles, (ish), plus 1 point something up from Stew Lane.

Victoria - Maidstone East-Ashford - Canterbury - Minster - Dover, is circa 104 miles over a hilly route with speed restrictions, (those at Maidstone East at the foot of Bearsted Bank and after Deal being the most significant), plus the run in from Stew Lane. On a train that, with the box on the back, is around 100 tons or more heavier than the heaviest normal trains, (including the Bomo Belle), that ran Waterloo - Soton and Victoria - Dover, (Night Ferry used to have pilot loco, some /all days).

And back in steam days if water was needed due to delays or any other reason the train could just stop without formality, (as they did), at any platform they were due to pass that had a water column.

35017/35028 could of course follow that route without an extra water stop. Just get the box to do half the work. Would that need the box marshalled behind the pacific? That could be the easiest solution at this late stage?

A1X. Stick to the Hayling Island Branch in future! LOL, (wink). A1X on the Hayling Island Branch in 1962

Oh. Why didn't myself and one or two others, (no names, no pack drill), think of the lack of a water stop en route when I/they were prattling on about dragging a box through Shakespeare Tunnel........

Doooooohhhh.............

 

Back in the day, stations like Sevenoaks, Orpington and most others had water columns at the platform ends so locos filled up en-route.


However if you look at photos/videos of MNs in BR days Rebuilt or original, they throw out a lot of black smoke. Now 35028 doesn't do that (often), so I think it's nuclear powered really, with aHornby steam/smoke generator in the smokebox! ;-)

 

This train has again been rerouted, not unexpectedly. It is now back to the Surrey Hills itinerary, and not running via Maidstone East and Dover.

David

 

Bugger. Still, we have her down this way on the 10th.

 

I know I've probably missed seeing this somewhere, but why the 35017 guise?

 

Maybe someone reather liked 35017 and has paid for it to be renamed for a while?

And I do know someone who would love to see 35023 on a Waterloo - Weymouth train again.......................