RTC: Dorset Coast Express 22/7/26

First of the season BUT subject to Network Rail not having a 'Black' [NO STEAM] regime in place for Wednesday week:

WCRC Southall to Victoria [ECS]: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...2/detailed
Victoria to Weymouth: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...2/detailed
Usual trundle to Basingstoke then a rare (?) outward routing via Eastleigh and Botley to Fareham where the train reverses with the tail-end diesel taking over to haul the whole train via Hamble to Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth.
Winchfield seems to be the usual outward water stop and I wonder if the 22 minute stop at Brockenhurst Platform 1 might also see a water tanker attending or car park fire hydrant used [subject to third rail not precluding this]. More water (and coal?) at Weymouth Jersey Sidings I guess.
Weymouth to Jersey Sidings: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...2/detailed
Jersey Sidings to Weymouth: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...2/detailed
Weymouth and main line all the way to Waterloo: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...2/detailed Water stop possibly at Eastleigh Signal E85 [alongside Southampton Road Car Park] ?
Waterloo to WCRC Southall [ECS]: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...2/detailed

 

Also, I understand, the first time 34028 will have run into Waterloo since withdrawal in 1964.

 

Although with only a few days of drizzle forecast down this way a temps still in the high 20's or low 30's before then I will be surprised if it is not a bit longer still before 34028 hits Waterloo again.

 

Indeed. But that's the historic context for whenever it happens first this summer.

 

I will be amazed (and, frankly, worried) if there is any steam at all on this run, sadly. No rain forecast so the already bone-dry conditions can only worsen. A great shame - I was looking forward to seeing 34028 out.

 

Hope NR decide soon as if they ban steam it will save the support team from travelling needlessly to Southall and back again.

 

I think that has happened already looking at other threads.
Red for Scottish Route, Black elsewhere.

Cheers, Neil

 

Sad though it is, I think it's the correct status.

 

RTC website now shows diesel.
Anybody recognise which set of NR gardens the 47 is passing in the picture?

https://www.railwaytouring.net/dce-22-07-26

 

I think that I know, perhaps it should be in the Location quiz thread.

Cheers, Neil

 

It wasn’t so long ago that the first a steam loco support crew knew that it wouldn’t be running that day due to fire risk, was when the driver turned up in diesel driver uniform rather than steam crew blues!
The loco was in steam, FTR’d and ready to go.

 

Yes, and they couldn't even be bothered to remove the bit in the same paragraph about 'reliving the golden age of steam' with the "disel" loco (or giving a brief explanation about the reason being the fire risk)!

 

Well technically you could celebrate "the golden age of steam" for the route rather than the motive power. The spelling mistake is well just that.

 

"Technically", yes, but that isn't the spirit of it. Typos on web sites annoy me because it's just sloppy not to take a few seconds to check.

 

According to the paths in RTT the train goes direct (i.e. not via Andover) in both directions.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U88716/2026-07-22/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U88719/2026-07-22/detailed

 

Presumably something to do with not needing to turn/service a steam loco now. Or have I missed something more obvious?

 

I guess so, although if it hauled by a 47/57 I guess you could leave the loco used for the ECS in London as I believe you can still reverse in an out of Jersey Sidings as you do not go past more than one signal.

 

would you rather, they just cancelled the whole train instead?

 

A good idea but the run round in Weymouth Jersey Sidings is locked out of use. The run round in Weymouth station is roughly 8 coaches, so I'm afraid you're stuck with a top and tail formation.

Cheers, Neil

 

I would rather they put a bit more effort into their descriptions of their trips.