Steam Dreams 2022

Good to hear if they had full steam but I wonder how many of the dining passengers thought it was worth a two hour wait. Not sure I would have wanted to eat much of something that had probably been prepared to be delivered 2 hours earlier.

 

Timings for the Santa and Christmas Steam Express are up.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...9/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=LS

Looking at the fact it reverses at Willesden, it looks like all the trips are diesel hauled out of Victoria to Willesden, before the steam takes over for the run back to Victoria, the Santas going via Chiswick, the Christmas trip heading for Chertsey via Brentford. Big use of the Kew East triangle, but not so great for the passengers, especially on the Surrey hills trip, was seeming like that would be steam throughout.

 

Thanks for those. The evening Surrey hills trips are pathed at 75mph throughout, suggesting diesel all the way, as 45231 is a 60mph loco. 75mph steam can be pathed at 60mph, but not the other way round, I think? Edit - in fact all the trips are at 75mph. Have I missed something - is 45231 actually passed for 75? I thought all 'Black Fives' were limited to 60. I have to say the diminished role of steam on the day time runs seems quite poor for the passengers in terms of value for money.

 

Steam section for the Santa trips is about the same as last year's runs I think, were they not steam from Willesden to Victoria via Chiswick? Although if I remember correctly the diesel part last year went the same way as steam while it's different this year. Not sure what impact that has on the distance covered but at as a guess it looks shorter, maybe any box fans hoping for a repeat will now be grumbling that their section is smaller than last time.

 

Timing speeds still don’t essentially mean anything…

 

Understood, but I see no point in pathing a train at a speed it cannot reach. I get that a 60mph path doesn't mean the train will not exceed that, but the other way round seems odd.

 

Any news on this?

 

At barking at 08:40


Dave

 

Now 11 late after Barking.

 

Ok thanks. Which loco? Down south here some very late running due no doubt to the wrong kind of frost

 

It's 45231. RTT shows it as 45231 but showed 60007 as 98898 (its TOPS number) when it ran a few days back. At least one W'loo to Weymouth train cancelled owing to "safety checks" according to RTT.

 

Anyone know what’s happened to the train as it was shown 42 late Basingstoke and has now disappeared from RTT

 

Sounded good climbing into Isleworth this morning:

 

Still running.
54 minutes late at Wallers Ash Loop:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U54896/2022-12-09/detailed#allox_id=0

 

Not been a great week for on time charter running. Even a WCRC diesel trip up north nearly 2 hours late to Edinburgh the other day due to a broken rail around the Penrith area. Mind you that one played havoc with the whole of the WCML of course.

 

Wasn't the scene I envisaged last night. I was going for a clear bright morning, with white frosty fields and trees as a back drop. Ho Hum, never mind, great soundtrack.

 

On my way to see this working I stood in a snow flurry, which seemed nice for a carol service event. However the magic was not to last - a broken rail at Queenstown Road was the first issue to afflict the SWML with knock-on service disruption from Waterloo. The steam working lost and gained time at various places on its meander from Essex around London, and joined the SWML about 7 late. It had a clear run through Woking and got to its water stop only about 5 late. However, then a serious over-stay at the Winchfield water stop occurred and it left there 20 late, significantly delaying the following service train to Basingstoke. Next came an unscheduled stop at a fairly chaotic Basingstoke, where services were in disarray and up and down trains were using pretty much any line. The steam working stood there for around 25 minutes, owing to a signal or points failure at Winchester. It eventually left 54 late, with, surprisingly, no diesel assistance at all. It managed to regain significant time to arrive at Chichester only about half an hour down. Another steam run hit by heavy delays. 8K video extract attached, with video to follow.

 

Atmospheric is the description you were looking for there

 

SWR were in disarray long before the Winchester problem. It was a very cold night, down to -5 in the Fareham area so wrong kind of frost no doubt. Some very late running locally but two NR track treatment trains within an hour at Botley and both of these were on time! 45231 could be heard at least two miles away accelerating from Hedge End but my still shot at Botley only average due to drifting smoke as the engine was eased for the single line. No sound from the DL as the train accelerated away. Nice video clip made the near two hour wait in the cold worthwhile. If the DL isn’t going to work on these trips I must think about booking

 

Indeed, hence my mention of the broken rail near Waterloo (Queenstown Road). That seems to have disrupted most longer-distance workings to quite an extent. The big watering over-run at Winchfield and then the long wait at Basingstoke compounded the late running to around 55 minutes at Winchester. A non-contributory diesel today can't necessarily be relied upon in future.