Steam Dreams 2024

But….Thinking about costs. Coal now is far more expensive than back in those days. Very roughly 2019 we are talking £90-£110 a ton. Now £400-500 a ton. 4 to 5 times the price. So it’s either pass the cost on to the punter, or reduce the amount of steam haulage. Oil is not a lot better, that’s gone up.

Then there’s the track access. Faster modern trains, less paths available for longer distance slow moving steam. Again it’s much easier if you can fit in with a 90mph diesel job for 2/3 of the trip.

Realistically how much better is something like a Chester Dalesman with WCR? Steam Hellifield to Carlisle followed by a short dash back to Carnforth.

 

Plus the costs of crewing the steam engine, probably the steam mileage fits neatly into one shift.

Fully agree with Harry costs are only going one-way and at the moment the fares aren't on the same gradient.

Andrew

 

Also depends on where the steam loco can be based. It is a pity that on the Riviera's the steam can't start/finish at Bristol as an original Torbay would, but they obviously have their reasons for staying at the WSR instead of St Philips Marsh. Besides that LSL have a main base at Crewe and another at Southall for their southern operations. The last steam dreams trip of the year may be low on steam milage (Peterborough to Chester), but that's a perfect excuse to move whichever locomotive it'll be back up to Crewe, and probably a lot easier and cheaper to have a diesel haul the tour back to Colchester and then ECS back to Crewe, instead of the steam going all the way there (or just Peterborough again) and then having to be dragged back to Crewe either with the ECS or go on it's own LE. That's another day required for a steam crew even if it's being dragged by a diesel.

 

Not sure how 46100 is getting down to Southall not seen any paths for tomorrow. Unless it’s already there?

 

This was something I weighed up before booking the Great Western with Vintage Trains. Despite it being £250, steam mileage wise it was equivalent to 3 or 4 tours when you look at what is being advertised elsewhere.

 

A list published on a gen group this morning showed both 70000 and 46100 already at Southall.

 

0 Royal Scot 46100n on 1Z70 approaching Bax Crossing Teynham with the Steam Dreams Kent Circular on JUne 20th 2024. Running about 13 minutes late.

 

So you got some steam but no sun. The other way round at Meopham, sadly. There was more visible exhaust coming out of the 47 on the back than from 46100.

Brian, if back in the 1950's you heard on the grapvine that a Scot would be working along the LC&DR main line, I bet you would have moved heaven and earth to go out and see it!

 

Is that NR's new grass cutting machine?

 

You may be right on that John! Although it would have been big brother Don leading me out to see it, probably after walking down to the footbridge over the platforms at Bromley South.

But, and you may have just noticed this, I am rather focused on SR steam these days - plus those BR Standards that I have memories of from the late 195os and the SR steam years of the 1960s. I have an enormous job in front of me as I put my SR steam loco memoirs into book form, whilst still trying to keep my Short-eared Owl study going as I hope one day to produce a second edition of my book on that species. So I have to keep my steam loco focus on photos etc I really need. But, if 70000 had been on the train today I would probably have gone out to get the return run at least on the section where Dad and Mum used to take their growing family to watch steam loco action - a location near to Bickley Junction.

Bryan B

 

That's good to hear Bryan. My father would take me to watch numerous steam trains blasting out of Chilcompton tunnel. Happy days indeed. I'll never forget the final Pines Express hauled by 92220 Evening Star. [BJ]

 

Interestingly, as a bird-watcher, the only SE Owl I have ever seen was from a train, on the ECML in Northumberland!

 

The Garden of England Lunchtime Tour, 46100 Royal Scot, 20th June 2024.
Filmed at Aylesham:

 

Through Chilworth on time. Sun disappeared which was a shame, but sounded good with little assistance evident from the 47.

 

46100 tonight on the Sunset Steam Express Seen at Egham and Shere with little assistance from the diesel at Shere

 

46100 heading through Egham (with a cameo appearence from the Northern Belle set prior) and raising the echos through the Surrey Hills at Albury Heath:

 

Storming out of Woking

 

Well taken. Drones seem to present very steady images - is there a built-in image stabiliser or was it actually that steady (or, of course, post-shoot editing/steadying)?

 

A video frame from Buckland. Being the summer solstice, the sun was setting in the north-west! Video to follow.