34046 Braunton The Solent & Sarum 13 September

Timings are up for this one :

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55308/2014/09/13/advanced

and:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55311/2014/09/13/advanced


Appears to be booked fast line all the way on the outward run and no water stop. There are LE moves to and from Stewarts Lane booked so yet again DBS can manage without assistance.

Its booked out of and back in to P16 at Waterloo. Is that unusual? I thought steam could only use P19,but I could be wrong.

Also note booked Havant(pass) to Haslemere in 30 min. Thats only 4 mins slower than a fast SWT train with one stop at Petersfield. Surely thats got to be a bit optimistic with those gradients?!

 

P16 at Waterloo suggests a modest load (10 or less?) and so a fast run from Havant to Haslemere is also possible. The SWT times are usually a little on the slack side.

 

Good job I'm booked on it for my first run behind 34046 on the mainline. Also quite nice to get a bit of fairly rare route into the mix as regards the Portsmouth Direct line. In fact, Salisbury-Romsey southbound is fairly rare, too, and I've not done Romsey-Chandlers Ford-Eastleigh-Fareham by steam either. It has to be said, when DBS have steam crews available and cleared for the route, there's little to touch them. Its just a shame there's no network-wide coverage.

When I did the DCE in July, 44932 arrived at platform 10 in Waterloo, so I think steam is gradually being cleared for more platforms. It probably also depends upon operational issues on the day.

 

Just booked on this one. I've never tried UK Railtours before as they don't do much steam, but having read great reports of the Tornado run to Exeter recently I'm hoping for the best. Fingers crossed that Braunton survives it's trip to Cornwall this weekend!

Another attraction for me is that I haven't done the Portsmouth direct line by steam. I understand that it is has some meaty gradients in places. If that is correct can someone say where they are?

 

The "Portsmouth Direct" is quite a challenge, though it's no S&C. 8 miles uphill from Havant to just before Buriton tunnel on gradients mostly around 1-in-140 to 1-in-100, finishing with just over 1.5 miles at 1-in-80; just over 1.5 miles at 1-in-80 from Liss, then mostly uphill for the 7 miles to Haslemere , ending with another 1.5 miles at 1-in-100. See table S6 in Ian Allan's book of gradient profiles (I have the 1997 paperback edition).

 

I fully agree Al. Presumably the non stop timing and direct route is only available at a weekend?

 

wow a tour that promises to deliver ???

whats the catch ?

 

I think I've only done it ex London. One run was with 34017 on the down Belle in March 1966. 11 for 460 tons and considering the loco was said to be very rough riding with pressure down to 140 psi at times we did very well indeed. Not sure who the Nine Elms crew were, (big bruvver Don might know), but Driver Berryman of Guildford was the pilotman from Guildford. Saw him at a Bluebell reunion three years or so ago. Didn't get the chance to chat, sadly. I wonder if he would have remembered the run. Bit different from taking moguls on three cars to Redhill!

 

I've done three trips with UKRT, and they are generally well-worth doing as they sometimes take in rare routes such as the VSOE Surrey Hills route (not often used for your average railtour, and an even rarer UKRT/WCRC operation with 34067 in 2009), Paddington-Worcester via Snow Hill (Royal Oak, 2010 with 6024) and the less-rare Berks and Hants route, albeit from Waterloo (Merchant Venturer with 35028 in c2011). However, as steam is few and far between, it is one of those companies that only rarely gets my attention, despite the outfit being one of the best there is. It just goes to show the power of reputation on the big railway.

 

That is a very good point. But its still very nice to know,in advance, that assistance is not actually planned. For me,anyway,that means its worth booking on.

 

Some of the UKRT steam trains including the 13 September trip are jointly promoted with Icons of Steam, and there will probably be more of these in the future.

 

Yes that was a very good run for a light pacific short of steam. I have a tape recording of the climb to Haslemere and its pure rebuilt Bulleid being worked very hard. Not sure who the NE crew were but we ran Gfd to Havant in 44 mins 24 secs S/S with 54 at Godalming falling to 28.5 at Haslemere, 72.5 max and 40 min at Buriton.

Don

 

Ha, great post. Cynical, but great at the same time, : )

 

UKRT steam trips are usually very good. Cant be on this one though as it my wife's birthday and I don't think she wants to spend it on a train

Don

 

All UKRT trips are very good to be fair, as were Hertfordshire Railtours tours before them. John Farrow operates to a very high standard. As a rule, he only runs steam tours where the loco concerned has a high reliability rate. You also wouldn't expect UKRT to offer an itinerary other than those alrready tried and tested.