RTC End of Southern Steam: London to Weymouth 9th July 2016

Single headed steam has been fairly regular on the Sunday Bristol/Weymouth/Bristol runs until recently (no longer on the list) with personal sightings in last few years of a Castle, Brit and 8F making it. The return DCE et al trips via Dorchester recently have all been Diesel leading with steam giving varying degrees of shovage/noise generation. Southampton reversal then takes the train round via Laverstock and Andover to Basingstoke & Waterloo not up the main via Winchester.

A late night special with a Black 5 as banker a few years back on a return excursion from the Bristol line (I think to Poole) the most impressive banking job I've been out to see as it was giving the impression the diesel on the front may have been ailing that day as the 5 sounded like it was doing most of the work!

PS Tangmere may have done it Ok on one or two of the Bristol's but they often ran when I wasn't around to watch on Sundays. I know it failed to get past Evershot southbound on one wet day solo run.

 

If its load 10, then that's a reasonable load for the route and motive power. As such, there is as much chance as any that it will be left to do some work of its own throughout the course of the day. However, my general rule of thumb still stands: whenever I seek to ride behind a mainline-registered Bulleid, I get something completely different!

 

It was indeed a special day in 2012. I was very glad to have booked on that wonderful trip with 35028. I joined the queue of passengers in London who went to shake the driver's hand and thanked him for a magnificent run. Let's hope UKRailtours have something special lined up for next year. Not too keen on the SD offering for next year.

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

John

I was on the Quantock Hills Express back in October 2010 (is it really nearly 6 years ago!) which may be the trip you mentioned with the Black 5
The trip was out from Eastleigh to Weymouth then reverse to Castle Cary then reverse to Minehead. Reverse on way back but to Frome before reverse
44932 had 47500 as helper on the day plus 6024 as pilot over the West Somerset both ways
There were hold ups both ways due to lightning strikes on signalling in the Castle Cary area
44932 did very well that day and was certainly noisy that day when needed to be.
The climbs out of Weymouth and Poole on the return trip still stick in my memory now - especially out of Poole
I was in the last but one coach close by the 47 which was working well but I could still hear 44932 loud and very clear underneath a moonlight sky as we stormed up through Parkstone station where I have spent many happy hours over many years. What a memory!

Dick

 

Starts from Victoria but returns to Waterloo:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50649/2016/07/09/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50652/2016/07/09/advanced

 

The diesel caught fire on the trip with 34067 ( 9/7/09) on the turning move between Weymouth and Yeovil. Diesel was left behind. The load was 11 and Pete Roberts was the driver.

As Johnnew said The Weymouth Seaside trips from Bristol were were mostly unassisted, load usually no more than 9 ( only standard and first class). I travelled on the first behind 5029 with a load of 9 in 2010.

 

When I hear about mainline steam trips needing assistance up an incline, or certain loco classes not being powerful enough to be allowed to attempt a climb, I always wonder what happened in the steam era. Were the gradients kinder then? Were loads lighter? Crews more competent? Was it common for locos to stall or get wheelslip on a climb? The only failure of this kind that I ever witnessed was a J6 failing to restart a coal train after a signal check on an incline on the M&GN, late 50s. It kept trying to restart but failed to get traction for about half an hour until a WD 2-8-0 came to give it a push.

 

Glass half full and all that (beer o'clock between Weymouth and Southampton notwithstanding), but it's a better situation than the usual 11 on regardless what is hauling it. Furthermore, steam is on the front on the comparitively easier leg.

 

I was filming on the up main at Woking station and I will never forget the thrill of Clan Line speeding through. The reaction from waiting passengers, including a very fine gentleman on a business trip from Nigeria who couldn't believe his eyes, was unforgettable. Even having forgotten to switch off the camcorder, the added comments from those on the platform were a treasure. Only blemish was that workman who was banging away as Clan Line approached. Clan Line soon drowned that racket though!!

 

I guess that when a driver was on steam day in day out, if an engine stalled he would have a range of solutions up his sleeve to get his train moving because it would be second nature to him. That said, I have been on at least 3 mainline steam tours which have stalled on banks and on each occasion the train has managed to get away. Mind you, in order to do so, dramatic action was necessary on at least one occasion when hand sanding ahead of the loco was needed.

 

The 34067 unassisted climb with 11 coaches is on Youtube and makes stirring viewing, culminating in what seemed like a whistle of relief at the summit!

 

I should have said that unaided steam runs from Weymouth towards London have been pretty rare in the preservation era. Completely forgot about the Bristol trains. Silly me.

Anyway, it looks like we could be enjoying quite a bit of action from Galatea down south. Besides Saturday's train to Weymouth, she's also showing on the RTC website as the rostered engine for next Thursday's Swanage trip. I'd also not be at all surprised to see her in the Dorset Coast Express pool unless 35018 puts in an appearance within the next couple of weeks.

 

Indeed it is steam so at least that is what the passengers will get. I shall probably head out in the evening to see Galatea, not often we get a jube down south so time to make the most of it and I'm sure my 2 1/2 year old son will enjoy it anyway just as I will.

 

A dusk run by Galatea up the fast main line, Woking to Waterloo, should be a noisy affair if it has water and the furnace is properly alight.

 

FWIW the WR load book for Upwey gives 315t for a Brit or Castle and 270t for a Std 5. By comparison Dainton was 315t and 288t respectively.
10 Mk1/2 on B4s (@ 32t each) is 320t and 9 on Commonwealths at 37t each say 326t.
I enjoyed some exhilerating trips behind Tangers on the Weymouth Seaside Express although I was on the one that slipped to a stand on Evershot.
The load book hints Upwey as more challenging than Evershot although Upwey now has much more traffic to keep the rails clean.

 

If the red/BR livery combination is objectionable, why not paint it in Bulleid bright green and give it a Bulleid number, in recognition of the occasion?

 

It's what Wrenn would have done, after all!