The Worcester Pullman - 26/09/26

There’s a slight weight difference though between the Mk1’s you mention there to the Pullmans being hauled today.

 

Sapperton and Honeybourne

 

Basking in early evening sun at Moreton in Marsh.

 

So impressive leaving Shrub Hill, rolled away without a hint of a slip

 

14 coaches was certainly a surprise, but a welcomed one. Clan Line taking her heavy train through Cholsey, Shrivenham, Sapperton, Honeybourne & Culham:

 

What does a Pullman weigh?
The NR guidance doc I have from 2019 so may well have been revised says 11 Mk1's om leaf all season based on 33 tons for a Mk1 and a total train weight max of 468 ton.
Guess as it is guidance can be ignored?
Very impressive anyway.

 

On average 40 tonnes each car, so 440t for Pullmans and about 110 t for support vehicles and generator car.
In that case well over load for Sapperton in the up direction.

Cheers, Neil

 

Clan Line - what a loco!

 

My footage of 35028 blasting through Honeybourne on the return leg last night.

 

It is indeed, I have been informed that from a standing start at Kemble it was doing 35mph at Sapperton Tunnel on the down journey. If you want to see another one like it 35025 needs donations. £1.5m would probably do it looking a the cost of restoring other Barry wrecks .

 

Leaf fall is from 1st October, so has slipped in before.
Guidance on load can be ignored so long as you can back it up - it can be a costly one to get wrong mind!

 

Can Simon or one of our Southern experts tell us what the headcode would have meant in the old days?

 

Express passenger train off the Southern region which it is . The Southern equivalent on the Eastern Section was Victoria to Dover via Orpington and Ashford, the route of the Golden Arrow that it normally displays on the Dover circuit.

 

Thanks the document from 2019 I have says September 15 to December 31 for leaf fall, so obviously an update at some point.

 

Most of the Pullman's are nearly 50 tons, particularly those with oak underframes. The regular 67 hauled Pullman trips show around 540 to 550 tons trailing load on our drivers slips. This journey also had Clan Line's support coach and the generator vehicle. Therefore trailing load well over 600 tons. The drivers slip showed 670, although I think it should have been around 630/640.

 

My efforts from yesterday, the first at Purton isn't anything special but the position of the sun is a bit awkward south of Kemble> the second is approaching Cheltenham and the last two are on the climb to Chipping Campden Tunnel at Mickleton.

 

So, on the one hand there has been a long standing Network Rail edict as to managing adhesion risk to steam hauled charter trains by reducing the train load in the autumn leaf fall season.
On the other hand there are still RED (diesel assisted steam) and AMBER (consider use of diesel assistance) rulings in place.
The Western Region is still AMBER, the Southern Region is still RED.

 

My two cents from the climb to Sapperton Tunnel and later on up Honeybourne Bank, with an interlude to the GWSR for a couple of shots of 45110. I hope you enjoy it

 

After nearly 3 months away from the camera, a thought of ‘now how do I use this again’ comes into play!
35028 Clan Line on its run to Worcester yesterday, seen at Cholsey, Shrivenham, Coates, the ever popular Honeybourne Bank & Culham