CathEx - London and Bristol to Ludlow and Shrewsbury - Nov 29th

Maybe one day they'll get back to running pure steam specials Waterloo to Weymouth via Yeovil Junction. With a Merchant Navy on the front...........

Really nice days out. Time for a decent fish and chips lunch at Weymouth and a relatively good time back home at night. And the on board company with our group of old timers.

And now of course, my oft used saying, "Nothing stays the same for ever".

But I am still very grateful for those wonderful Graeme Bunker days in SD. Left some truly wonderful and not too distant memories. Glad I've got my Owls now.

 

And heres the diesel:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53373/2014/11/29/advanced

 

Yes,particularly as SD have a policy of having a steward at every joining point this must be a nightmare for them. They do seem to have been particularly messed around by NR this time. If engineering work is the main issue,given this is planned many months ahead its hard to understand why this has happened. On the other hand maybe we should be thankful its running at all (and,alleluia,apparently without a diesel)!

 

I wonder what the reason for going via Gloucester was, because it seems to have made a fairly simple tour into a very messy one. If I was a Gloucester passenger, to have to board a service train at 7.45, only to end up back at Gloucester 3 hours later but unable to board or alight, I'd be pretty fed up!

 

Apparently it left Glos 30 mins early, but hasn't been reported since... Any idea where it is?

On RTT, that is.

 

No doubt still at Gloucester, just leaving or just left. That is almost certainly a false report.

 

Now showing left at 10.43. 11 late


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Passed Lydney 12 late.

 

12 late at Chepstow........

 

..... and .....

 

Going well at Moreton on Lugg, north of Hereford, and pretty much on time.

 

Would seem it arrived at Sutton Bridge Junction (ie. within sight of Shrewsbury station) 4 minutes early, yet was 4 minutes late by the time it was allowed into the platform.

Certainly seemed to be running well past me:

​

 

Heading past a very overcast Wistanstow.........



and the backshot.........





Cheers

Alan

 

Load 13 today so plenty of clag and noise from the Black '5's. The gallery of photographers next to the River Severn at Purton were well pleased
this morning as the mist cleared a short time before the '5's were due to pass. The visibility at one time was down to about 150 metres.
At Abergavenny it was 100% cloud but the sight and sound of the train as it powered up towards Llanvihangel was simply wonderful.

Many thanks to all concerned. <BJ>

 

On time in the gloom at Leominster: http://daviddepperphotography.zenfolio.com/p223811278#h157c5b10

 

62 late from Shrewsbury the rumour on the platform was brake problems with the stock


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The signalman at Sutton Bridge Jnc reported out of the window that the delay was due to a problem with the train, although didn't elaborate further.

Interestingly it ended up following the Milford Haven service out of Shrewsbury, which is the one it was supposed to sit in the loop at Craven Arms waiting for, so I dare say assuming any problems were sorted it should be able to go straight through at Craven Arms and arrive Ludlow pretty much on time.

Edit: Oh well, RTT seems to show they've stopped at C'Arms anyway - perhaps for water?

 

Yes well done Steam Dreams. Don't often praise them but what an incredibly complex logistical exercise. As it turns out we should have been on this but not sure where we would have joined

 

The Fives seen in some lovely weather at Purton after the mist cleared just in time and then again going well up Llanvihangel bank

 

Now 86 late at Abergavenny .....but it's still on the move. <BJ>