Saphos 2025

makes a few minutes here and there, then loses them again, hoping to see the ECS through Horley later

 

gained 20/60 by Shoreham

 

Here's my beautiful silhouette shot of Mayflower and The Duke at Keynsham near Bristol. I hope you like it.

 

Dan, looking at the current track diagrams, the up loop at Haywards Heath has two signals. One as you say is at the north end of Platform 4 and the other is at the loop exit out at Copyhold Junction. If it appears that the signal at the end of Platform 4 is not clear for the train to proceed the driver has two options. The first is to stop at the proceeding signal until it shows that the platforn end signal has been cleared so that he can comfortably pass it. Or the second is to instruct the guard not to release the doors until the train has permission to draw forward past that signal. I don't suppose that in normal circumstances it is common to have two trains in the up loop even though it appears that signal protection provides for this eventuality. Either way I'm sure that if it is a problem the train crew will know how to handle it without blocking the up main.

Glad to hear that you can still enjoy steam at HH sixty years after I last saw one there.

Peter

 

The tour was switched to Platform 2 instead and did a quick drop off, it dropped more time during the water stop at Preston Park, I hopped on a Thameslink back up from there and another 2/3 trains arrived before the tour so presumably had to wait for a path, a Southern service was hot on it's heels.

I'll be honest as some born in 1991, I'd can only envy the selection of steam you must have seen back then. Back for another fix tomorrow with 34028's visit.

I'll post some pictures when I get home.

 

Looks like it is being held at Gatwick Airport station for some reason.

Regards,

Dan

 

Additional water stop at Gatwick Airport as they didn’t get enough at Preston Park as they were holding up other services coming in from Hove

 

Here's my pictures from this evening. Firstly at Preston Park and then Haywards Heath, although they're a bit blurry. Quite a few out to see it, including a few families at Preston Park.

A bit of shoving from the Diesel departing Haywards Heath, and some slipping from the Duke, but both locos still sounded good accelerating away.

 

The delay was a medical incident at Westbury, the passengers were informed of the retimed departure by phone/text.

 

Nearly 2300 by the time it was north of Gatwick, where they took water, be interested to know how it was supplied. 5 or 6 of us at Horley.

 

A nocturnal outing for yesterdays double header returning along the South Coast and the Brighton Mainline, captured at Fishersgate, Wivlesfield & Horley

 

I'm fascinated to know how water was supplied at Gatwick.

 

Hilarious seeing the man on the bench facing away and not even glancing round! Surprised 71000 slipped, given the huge tractive effort available for the train! Was water taken at Preston Park before easing forward for passengers to alight?

 

A-ha! A bit hit-and-miss but it just might work! Great shot.

 

Most tours run straight back through these days, but I do remember Bittern hauling a Saturday RTC trip around this time in 2008 and passing it at Three Bridges on my way to college on the Monday morning as it waited to head back to base. But that was before work started on the Siemens depot.

 

61306 & 71000 seen on their run to and from Bath on Friday:

 

A small selection from this year's tours to Bath, with the Duke and Mayflower, alongside Eddystone on its run with RTC. Hope you enjoy it