Saphos 2022

I'm on the tour, and 70000 was blowing off as we had to brake slam approaching Stoke Works Junction; they only bothered to clear the signals at the last second...

 

My footage of 45231 & 70000 charging through Bromsgrove Station earlier this evening.

 

Here's my footage of the Black Five and the Brit up the Lickey. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Graham, I hope you had a good trip with a great selection of locos. It would be nice to see this trip run more often.

 

The selection of locos, and of course the run up the Lickey were the main reasons we booked onto it. Absolutely brilliant day overall; superb climbs of both Horfield and the Lickey from 45231 & 70000 and D213 performed faultlessly on the diesel sections; well worth the early start and late finish.

 

After their usual break during leaf fall season, the Saphos programme resumes on Saturday with the Great Western Christmas Envoy, which I've booked on.

Outward: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64312/2022-11-26/detailed
Return: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64321/2022-11-26/detailed

Due to the Aslef strike, we'll be the only passenger train all day through Kenilworth, Leamington and Banbury.

Water stop in Hinksey both ways, as is usual for this trip.

 

Any ideas what will be on the front of this, I assume its steam all the way?

 

And the only train of the day to stop at places like Leamington and, even more weirdly, Bath! Hope its a good run for you and the passengers with a clearer rail network.

 

Something's off about a steam loco blowing off while climbing Lickey!

 

Rail Advent saying BR 70000 'Britannia'

 

Personally, I would take anything Rail Advent say with a pinch of salt. Although, in this case they have a 1 in 3 chance of being right!
I do hope it is 70000 though. Had a cracking return run between Kingswear and Taunton with her earlier this year and she was in fine fettle.

 

Looks like there have been some adjustments to the timings in the Oxford area, possibly as a result of the strike timetable now being finalised. Rather than stopping at Hinksey, we now stop at Oxford Up & Dn Passenger on the outward and Oxford Station itself on the return.
Arrival into BTM is now at 1248 instead of 1305

 

Half an hour occupying a platform at Oxford. You couldn't do that on a normal day. It's an ill wind that does no-one any good, they say.

 

Does anyone know if Leamington Spa station is open tomorrow

 

I'd like to think it'll be open in some form as its a passenger pickup for tomorrow's railtour. Looks like its the only train to pickup passengers from there all day!

 

Thank you for your reply. I phoned Chiltern Trains but to be fair they had no clue.

 

70000 + 11 coaches today + 47.853/47.614 (or whatever it's renumbered today).

If you plan on seeing it this afternoon don't forget your brolly <BJ>

Outbound: Realtime Trains | 1Z73 0543 Crewe to Bristol Temple Meads | 26/11/2022
Return: Realtime Trains | 1Z74 1604 Bristol Temple Meads to Crewe | 26/11/2022

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64312/2022-11-26/detailed#allox_id=0

Times to Bath and Bristol.