The Great Britain XI - 2018

Some good footage there, only had chance to look at the last two days so far, and I must have been very adjacent to you on Upwey, at Afflington Bridge and Swanage. Regretted not going to Dickers Crossing on the Friday as you did, although it was moving far better there than it was further on the climb to Harmans Cross.
ps those cows on Evershot have become quite famous on here in the past few days!

 

The 45mph limit is to do with visibility, when a train is top and tailed or tender to tender, limit is set by the lead locomotive - which in most cases is 60 mph if facing smokebox first.

 

Some years ago Vintage Trains ran some shuttles over Harringworth viaduct which was top and tailed by a hall and a black 5 or Leander from memory. The maximum speed limit was discussed at length on thus forum then and it was 60mph in either direction - the maximum speed of the hall.

 

Finally managed to sort out a few photos from the GB...

35018 climbing past Selside


1264 departing Bo'ness for Edinburgh (had the wrong lens on the camera... the damaged one!)


1264 waits for the road at Achnasheen



31806 leads the GB out of Evershot tunnel

James

 

I'm not attempting to be pedantic here but that location is actually Bo'ness Junction, which is at Manuel, 5 miles from Bo'ness. Anybody coming to Bo'ness proper and hoping to view passing main line electrics would be sadly disappointed.

 

To be more pedantic, that location is actually the Avon Viaduct, located at Linlithgow Bridge and about a mile West of Linlithgow Station, or about 600 yards East of the position light signalling the movement out from Bo'ness Junction.

 

As there seems to be some interest in the issue of speed limits when running tender first can I try to clarify the issue. All steam locos have a max. permitted speed printed on the inside of the cab roof. This varies according to the class of loco in the forward direction, but is limited to 45 MPH for all locos running "tender first". Now running "tender first" refers to working a train - or running light engine - with the tender leading. It does not apply to a loco in the train which is not the leading loco. It can be running "backwards" inside a leading loco or at the rear of the train and need not be limited to 45 mph. In this situation my company instructions are that speed should not exceed 60 mph. Other company's instruction may be different and there may well be other factors that dictate a lower speed. The reason for the lower tender first limit relates to the potential instability of the tender as a vehicle when being propelled, especially if water and coal have nearly been exhausted at the end of a run.

I hope this explanation helps

Peter James

 

maybe designed to be diesel free but in recent years has had plenty of shoving hence why I don't do it anymore

i did the GB for 5 1/2 yrs , the 1/2 being when I abandoned the farce that was gb8 half way though

i have them the benefit of the doubt and tried gb9 after that due to unfinished business on several climbs.

sadly gb9 turned into a shovathon on said climbs albeit rtc representatives seemed quite happy they'd provided steam upfront !!!!

For the premium price is should be diesel following and steam only on the train as it was for the early GB trips which were rather enjoyable

 

Only 46 days behind the curve this time, here's a video of the Jubilees double-heading this tour over Beattock:

 

Thanking you 'likers'; here's another from earlier on day 2, of 35018 on the S&C: