West Somerset Steam Express 18/08/18

Not true, it is a free Railcam camera, as long as you are registered and freee on the WSR site, as are all their webcams.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2089055934502127

Working along the Berks & Hants this morning, passing Wolfhall Bridge.

 

Some of those may well have been for the passengers from Newbury of course.

 

Yes you can thanks to wsr.org <BJ>
http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-bl2.htm

 

If there has been a lull in the bookings perhaps they will now improve for the diesel free tours. <BJ>

 

A couple of shots from just outside Hungerford this morning - was a bit overcast and spitting with rain as she passed by.

 

Not quite as planned but some you win some you loose. https://www.flickr.com/photos/79185888@N04/30242763098/in/album-72157696153835635/

 

Video from Bedwyn and being checked at Westbury, nice to see some steam coming from 9!

 

Realtime Trains shows the WSE leaving WSR 23 early! Has there been a change of plan?

 

We were told on the way down that it departed 16:15 but a WSR service was due out of Minehead at 16:50 instead. The earlier running was lost with a longer stop at Taunton to get back on the schedule.

 

I'm not sure whether it's a change of plan or that RTT had the timings on the WSR wrong. According to RTT the train was due to leave Minehead at 1650 and BL at 1820, but the WSR working timetables showed it leaving Minehead at 1615 and BL at 1755. The service train that usually goes from Minehead at 1615 left at 1650 instead. All a bit confusing!

The result of this was the charter had to sit in Taunton for about 20 minutes to get back to the original schedule for the mainline. I would have thought that a 1650 departure from Minehead would have been better for the passengers as it would have given them 2 hours there. However the WSR operating department may have had different ideas.

The only problem with charters to Minehead as far as I can see is that the West Somerset leg of the journey seems to take a very long time and you get very little time to do anything in Minehead. I'm sure that when I did one a few years ago we got more like 2.5 hours there, but on that occasion the schedule on the mainline was a bit quicker I think.

 

My footage of No. 9 sounding herself again at Witham Friary and Bruton. Enjoy.

 

RTT is often wrong for times on Heritage lines it seems. The 1615 time was on the WSR timetable published specifically for today earlier in the week.
WSR times on Tuesday even more bizarre shows about 40 mins from BL to MD

 

Heading away from Reading station tonight.

 

Twyford and Crofton this morning.

 

We weren't informed about the 16:15 departure time until just after we left Taunton. Some WSR timetables were issued to people around that time who were getting off at Bishops Lydeard or Blue Anchor, which had the 16:15 departure from Minehead but RTT and the timings in the guide all said 16:50 departure.

Really good day though. 7F and 60009 in good form and it mostly ran to time on the mainline which is rare for me.

 

Coach H had no booked passengers so perfect for us train timers

 

Keeping the timings for the mag Don? Or can you put some highlights up, like Savernake outward; Somerton Tunnel in and Brewham on the return?

 

Managed to get two shots of UoSA, at Bunns lane and Gants Mill.. Looked and sounded great.. we will miss No 9 when its not around..

 

WSR timings for Tuesday's charter to Minehead (ignore RTT WSR version):

B/Lydeard a. 13.45
d. 14.10 (53808)
Minehead a. 15.25
d. 16.30
B/Lydeard a. 17.43
d. 18.10 (60009)