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61306 Mayflower - Cathedrals Express - 7th June 2015

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by LMarsh1987, Jun 5, 2015.

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  1. hatherton hall

    hatherton hall Well-Known Member

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    Ambled through Reading on the new platform 12. No whistle. No noise from the chimney. And so despitge busy platforms, no one seemed to notice the passing of the B1. More interested in their Sunday papers I suspect. Here's my video.

     
    hatherton hall, Jun 7, 2015
    #21
  2. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    Given that the general public view of railways is purely that they run when they want them, on time and that fares stop rising it is no surprise that few were excited at the passage of Mayflower.
    I feel that it would be regarded just as some older junk than that they normally travel on. ;)
     
    Greenway, Jun 7, 2015
    #22
  3. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    I doubt if it's even that, so many people these days seem to be in their own little bubble and anything going on outside just does not register...
     
    RalphW, Jun 7, 2015
    #23
  4. horace

    horace Member

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    horace, Jun 7, 2015
    #24
  5. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    Cholsey - At some speed!

     
    mrKnowwun, Jun 7, 2015
    #25
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  6. hatherton hall

    hatherton hall Well-Known Member

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    Great shot but as with my video at Reading, an absence of a blast on the whistle is disappointing. More than anything else it is what makes the hair stand up on the back of......................!
     
    hatherton hall, Jun 7, 2015
    #26
  7. pedantic_p

    pedantic_p New Member

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    Not wasting steam then;)
     
    pedantic_p, Jun 7, 2015
    #27
  8. buseng

    buseng Part of the furniture

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    Deleted, why should I bother with the immature school kid crowd on here.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2015
    buseng, Jun 7, 2015
    #28
  9. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    Sounded absolutely brilliant at full chat through Iver tonight in the gloom, could hear her not long after she'd set off from Slough, definitely determined to make up time! :)
     
    Duty Druid, Jun 7, 2015
    #29
  10. AlexGWR1994

    AlexGWR1994 Member

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    Mayflower thundering through Cholsey and Lyneham Road just near Ascott-Under-Wychwood.
     
    AlexGWR1994, Jun 7, 2015
    #30
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  11. D1002

    D1002 Resident of Nat Pres

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    The down run filmed at Combe, and the return seen climbing Campden Bank.

     
    D1002, Jun 8, 2015
    #31
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  12. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    I was there next to the camera position to witness this, and what an impressive sight Mayflower made on the climb of Campden Bank!

    The video indicates a speed passing under the Mickleton Road over-bridge (99m 51c) that crudely would be somewhere around about 45 mph at this point on the bank. This is just a guess, and it would be interesting to know if anyone on board can corroborate this, because quite clearly this was an exceptionally good run over the entire North Cotswold Main Line section between Norton Junction/ Worcester and Wolvercote Junction/ Oxford.

    It looks like the 51 (slightly rounded) miles were covered point-to-point in just over 51 minutes (according to RTT) at a pass-to-pass time of just a smidgeon outside even time, and from this I would infer that Load 10 is an entirely appropriate trailing weight for this locomotive on this kind of route.....which conclusion more or less accords with the very favourable reviews of Mayflower's earlier Spring outings to Cardiff from Paddington and to Kingswear from Oxford.

    5MT constraints notwithstanding, Mayflower looks like a very worthy addition to the 75mph-capable main line motive power stable at this time of relative 7P/ 8P drought in terms of locomotive availability. Over and above its visually appealing Apple Green livery, I would rate Mayflower somewhere on the performance spectrum between "purposeful" and "energetic", and I have to say on the strength of yesterday's excursion that this locomotive is an absolute delight to behold.
     
    Where's Mazeppa?, Jun 8, 2015
    #32
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  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I agree with the above. It was always the intention of Steam Dreams to use Mayflower for many of their trips at the start of this year and it looks as though, in conjunction with WCRC, they have made the right 'call' on how many coaches she should haul - no doubt influenced by the owner as well. As a result the loco seems not to have disappointed, even on the more challenging routes.

    I do wonder whether tour operators will rethink their attitude to train loading and move much more in the future towards charters with a maximum of 10, possibly 11 if a Class 7 is guaranteed, and price accordingly. We've experienced the excitement of the 'trial of strength' in the early days with Tornado (over Shap and the Highland ML for example) but there arguably is nothing to be gained in the long run by pitting locomotives against their upper load limits. It appears that maybe the ORR also has a view about 'unassisted' steam on the ML.

    Obviously, there is a massive temptation to add another coach especially when that is pure profit but I really believe that there is a long game that should be played here and that includes the absence of diesels in the consist except when there is a compelling operational reason to do so. We all like a bargain, but if I do the maths on my wasted money on trips that disappointed for various reasons I know that a more secure product at a higher price from the outset would be more attractive to me.

    We know that the VT business model is different because they own their stock but they have got it right from the outset haven't they and others perhaps should price accordingly and with the same logic.
     
    Big Al, Jun 8, 2015
    #33
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  14. stephenlammas89

    stephenlammas89 New Member

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    Hi Guys

    Here is my video of mayflower climping campden bank. really impressed with this locomotive and its livery.



    enjoy.
     
    stephenlammas89, Jun 8, 2015
    #34
  15. 46203

    46203 Member

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    And the Tornado people thought they were the only one's with an A1;)
     
    46203, Jun 8, 2015
    #35
  16. ragl

    ragl Well-Known Member

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    Plenty of common sense there Big Al. It seems that the market/quality of product balance has to be adjusted for a variety of reasons, not least the continued presence of steam hauled trains running amongst higher speed service trains and the need for an authentic "steam" experience, which, as you mentioned, VT seem to pull off very well.

    Cheers

    Alan
     
    ragl, Jun 8, 2015
    #36
  17. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    I have to say I stated I was a little fearful that Mayflower, being relatively untried on the main line, was going to be over optimistically overused and abused. However, eat my words, it has performed splendidly with all thrown at it, and done so with much fanfare, presence and gusto. Without it, this year steam in the south would have been a complete disaster. And while a Black 5 looks a little more like a pure breed, you have to admire the bulldog looks of the B1.

    Hats off to Mr Thomson
     
    mrKnowwun, Jun 8, 2015
    #37
  18. damianrhysmoore

    damianrhysmoore Well-Known Member

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    I think what is nice to see is a loco running at design speed...The pacifics are only just getting going at 75 and the black 5s (pure breed my a***, they're just slimline halls with the copper bits knocked off :Troll:) have those diddy little wheels so they can't go at grown up speeds - sorry, couldn't resist it love black 5s really, but the point stands that the B1 at 75 has a similar excitement to Bittern at 90
     
    damianrhysmoore, Jun 8, 2015
    #38
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  19. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    She looks completely on top of the job - steam tight, nice even beat and no clag. I wonder how she'd do over the northern hills compared to a certain 'pure breed' loco of late? ;)
     
    Sheff, Jun 8, 2015
    #39
  20. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Without knowing the actual measurements, I'd say the Black Five (boiler barrel) is fatter :p

    A B1 will do just fine.... providing you don't start treating it as a class 7 with class 7 loads.
     
    david1984, Jun 8, 2015
    #40
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