The Bath Christmas Market - 10/12

Something to do with route perhaps? With Tangmere today down the Brighton line even a minor delay would of caused significant knock on delays, even on a Saturday.

 

Well Tangmere departed Salisbury this evening on time with the 37 just ticking over. The usual Bulleid slip was soon caught and they were off into the crisp darkness of the Wiltshire countryside.

 

No need to get all stressed because someone didn't agree with your rather negative and unhelpful world view...

 

Could the Diesel pushing be specific to Tangmere in poor railhead conditions ?, Bulleids have a slip happy reputation and 34067 itself has come to grief on more than a few hills in it's Mainline career.

 

I really dont understand why you have to be so utterly childish about it, its embarrassing. After all, you dont need to be a mind reader to see the logic behind the decision - just think about her recent troubles while looking out the window, and remember the damage done to mainline steam's reputation recently.

Chris

 

Posts #13 & #15, pushing at Keynsham & Bath. Not exactly Lickey are they?

 

Don't read it then!

 

I hope you are not trying to suggest anything with that picture. I am entitled to my opinion like everyone else, not asking you to agree. At least I don't keep posting personal remarks about people if I don't agree with them.

 

No need for Tangmere to screw up the Brighton line today, the signal failure at Haywards Heath shortly afterwards managed that all on its own.

 

Remember your squabbles can be searched on google for the whole world to see...longer than after we may have removed them.

Put the handbags down, go to the bathroom and apply fresh lipstick before someone sees you.

 

Balcombe viaduct this morning, just as the sun rose up.

 

Thats a stunning photo, congratulations as it must have been freezing.

 

Seen at Neston St. Loe / Corston this at lunchtime (sadly no sun) and on the way back at Bath and Dundas. Yes it was Dark but I think the Dundas shot is quite atmospheric!

34067 Tangmere - Bath Christmas Market - YouTube

 

Agreed, that last clip in your video is very nice, I guess that was at a foot crossing, bet that was fun to walk to in the dark! Super shot from Balcombe Viaduct Nigel. Went out to Shoreham and Hassocks tonight, will upload video tonight and post tomorrow.

 

Cheers for the comments. Yep, it was cold! I had hoped the exhaust would lift a bit more but she wasn't working at this point. Still, worth the 5am wake up call I think!

 

Keynsham enjoyed a dry day with occasional sunshine. In the evening when Tangmere passed through, the skies were cloudy. It was certainly not icy. The line has been cleared of excessive vegetation for fear of slip slidy units and HSTs coming to grief. The line is as flat as a pancake.

On Friday, on a similarly graded stretch of railway, we watched Clan Line haul 13 VSOE coaches and a class 67 diesel. The 67 was dead in tow.

A diesel at the rear of the train at this time of year is sensible for insurance purposes. But for the sake of the punters aboard let it be used only when necessary. The racket of the diesel this evening must have been very annoying for anyone sitting in the second half of the train. <BJ>

 

Beautiful picture. Don't normally see pictures from that side of Balcombe Viaduct so it makes a nice change. Sadly didn't go out to see her again and sadly didn't hear her either as the maisonette I am living in is a few minutes walk from the station and you can hear trains leaving or going through sometimes.

Things were back to normal around 15:00 when I went to Brighton so it didn't do much damage. I think Tangmere did arrive at Haywards Heath late this morning but these trips usually do.

 

My video from Burgess Hill and Preston Park in the morning, and Shoreham-by-Sea and Hassocks in the evening is on Youtube...

BOB no.34067 'Tangmere' with 'THE BATH CHRISTMAS MARKET' 10/12/11 - YouTube

 

There was no hint of a diesel for the Southend-Winchester-Eastleigh tour today. 70000 Britannia proved that despite the frost, falling leaves et al that a diesel on the back was not necessary.

Congratulations to Steam Dreams for producing the spectacle of a steam train as it was always meant to be - wonderful!

As for the diesel pushing the Bath Market Special, the driver must have been asked to push when it did because those are the rules. I would have thought Tangmere is quite capable of pulling its train certainly away from places like Bath Spa without the intervention of the box. Maybe there was a problem with Tangmere. If not, then it was unforgivable and an insult to the paying passengers.

Nick

 

Gentlemen

Where you to see the bills for performance, which we (and DBS, too) regularly receive, you might begin to understand the reasons for diesels being taken as insurance. We do not make these decisions (which are incidentally, the responsibility of the operating company, not the promoter) lightly or, indeed, merely to wind up members of this forum, although, given the nature and, by definition, narrow perspective of this forum, the latter is usually inevitable.

Remember, it is now over 43 years since the end of regular main line steam operations and the current level of steam charter work is currently at an all-time high - and as I deal with all WCR's charters, I should know - but if we took to heart all the hue & cry from the vocal minority of keyboard warriors on this type of forum, we'd have probably said what's the point and given up long ago. Indeed, if you had taken part in the incident enquiry into the East Coast fires, as I did, you would have reached that decision there and then.

Nobody plans to fail but many fail to plan. On an increasingly congested and divisive network, we simply cannot afford to take chances any more; if it were that good and easy, where's the queue of willing new operators, just waiting to jump in?

JS