35028 + British Pullman 2026

Saw her arrive at Victoria looking quite magnificent. Phone picture to follow.

 

Sporting the GA regalia, Clan Line seen at Gillingham and Bickley Jn:

 

Nice shots, thanks for posting them here.

A couple of points about the Bickey Junction shot.

Many decades ago there was a track down to the lineside where the house immediately to your left is now situtated. It was all open country side back then. It was down there that Dad and Mum used to take their growing family in Dad's Austin 7 to watch the trains - including the Golden Arrow. That's where it all started for myself and Big brother @gricerdon Dad still had his WWII desert habit (he was a desert rat under Monty at one stage of his six years of war - 'desert rats' was adopted by anyone who was at the battle of El Alamein) of brewing up with a small stove inside an old biscuit tin with a hole cut in the side. It's where we learned that the staple drink of desert rats was a lukewarm cuppa with flies and sand floating on the top!

Secondly, I have used that spot but am very wary about going that side and end of the bridge again for up trains. I've had some near misses with vans and even wider cars not being bothered about the narrow footpath that side. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone now.

Bryan

 

Thanks Bryan, and 100% with you on that bridge, there's almost no point the pavement being there!

 

Was in London today to visit to the Natural History Museum to view the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Some truly remarkable work on show. Highlight of the day though was this magnificent machine at London Victoria. 35028 was carrying Golden Arrow regalia to mark the 97th anniversary of the train's first run.

 

My pictures from yesterday. The outward run approaching St Mary Cray and the return making light work of Hildenborough Bank passing Philpots Lane Bridge

 

The UK Railtours Pullman excursion to Worcester on 26th September is now open for bookings.
Note that there is an "Early Bird " booking discount.
https://www.ukrailtours.com/product/the-worcester-pullman/

Cheers, Neil

 

Two shots of Clan Line on today's Pullman run, wearing the GA for the 65th anniversary of the last Steam Hauled Golden Arrow service on 11th June 1961, captured at Ravensbourne on the outward and Crofton Park on the return, the two shots being in completely different weather conditions!

 

Two lovely sequences, many thanks.

I wasn't out for it today, but I was just over 65 years ago.

11 June 1961 as the last steam hauled Golden Arrow drifted downhill to Bromley South on a dull evening. 34100 'Appledore'. I took the photo with a Brownie 127 which had a shutter speed of 1/25th sec.

Many hours of work on the negative to digitise it and to get it just about recognisable as the steam hauled Golden Arrow.

I also photted the last down steam Arrow that morning, in rain at Bromley South.

Bryan

 

According to Railway Herald, 35028 will have a busy day on 9 July...

 

Plus the Belmond trip which is a murder mystery is not down for steam haulage.
A little copy paste error I suspect.

 

I have heard from an unconfirmed/tenuous source that the 2027 Belmond regular steam circuit is to revert to the Surrey hills, from Kent. I was/am sceptical, and am wondering if anyone can confirm or deny it.

 

I am very doubtful, especially as all the 2027 tours are already live and say the journey is around Kent. Also from what I heard Belmond wanted a more scenic route and as Al said the only the bit from Guildford to Redhill is something scenic on the Surrey Hills and that's only for about half a hour you can enjoy that, coupled along with many hours of London suburbans.

 

I, too, was very sceptical and I'm assuming it is false, even though, as a resident of the Surrey hills, I really wanted it to be true!

 

Where is the steam coming from further down the train in the first shot?

 

It’s coming from the air pump in the back of the tender