Saphos 2025

Just a follow up about Wednesday's trip. It was extremely remiss of me not to specifically mention the locomotive, Sir Nigel Gresley; it looked splendid and I understand performed well throughout the day. My thanks to all at the "Trust" who work hard to keep this magnificent machine running on the mainline. I don't think 60007 has any more booked trips in the north west this year, so looking forward to seeing it in 2026.

It may have been on the "wrong" line but the memory of sitting in a first class mk1 coach with the A4 on the front, on a sunny evening and a grey haze trailing back down the full length of the train as we sped down Beattock at 75mph will stay with me forever.

 

Signallers do weird things!

 

My video from yesterday, outward at Parsons Tunnel and then the return at Torre.

So good to have 5029 back!

 

Oh, the joys of trying to work in a goldfish bowl - so many experts looking on ready to tell you that you're doing it all wrong.

Sorry Alan, but that is your - and plenty of other interested bystander's - interpretation of "Standard Practice" and as so often it is only partially correct. The advice with a steam loco is to stop AT LEAST 6 foot short (and certainly not within 3 foot), and there is a very good reason for this. If you stop just 6 foot short and your loco is a bit reluctant to move again you then have to give it a bit more of a "lungfull" of steam. On a locos with long steam circuits it is then likely to move off quite sharply and effectively join the train with power on, especially if the loco is vacuum braked. For this reason it is better to stop 20 -25 feet short, then get going again in a controlled way and allow the loco to gently roll onto the train without steam in the cylinders.

In the video clip in question you can see that the loco was virtually brought to a stand and then allowed to roll onto the train, just as it should. I suspect that having a GW vacuum brake it worked rather slower than anticipated but as far as I can see the engine was handled entirely correctly. And the sharp impact was no worse than is likely to occur if you stop too close and have to get going again.

Please give the guys at the sharp end a bit of credit.

Peter

 

Here's my footage of 5029 Nunney Castle putting in a very good display on yesterday's English Riviera Express. I filmed at Whiteball Summit, Goodrington Sands, Kingswear and Tiverton Parkway. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Alan, the trouble with these casual observation of yours is that there often seems to be an edge to them. Why else comment as you did in post #325?

Peter

 

I’ve seen a lot sharper impacts with an A4 trying to get a buckeye to close.

 

I don’t think it’s overly excessive compared to what I’ve seen previous. Don’t get me wrong it’s not steady steady, but he’s clearly brought it under control 6-10’foot away and it’s just got on top when he’s blown the brake off. Nothing unusual for a western engine. Personally the reaction on here is OTT

 

There will always be a lot of armchair footplatemen I’m afraid

 

Don't worry, the cognoscenti have piled into the YouTube comments and stated definitively that the chap on the platform was "useless" and you could tell it was going too fast just by watching ...

Tom

 

Yes, indeed? Nothing wrong with my comment on there.

 

https://www.sirnigelgresley.org.uk/mob-news.shtml

60007 now booked for 13th August Carlisle - Edinburgh - rtn (tour starts from York).

https://saphostrains.com/journey/edinburgh-summer-explorer-13-08-2025/