Steam Dreams to Bath: 28/11/23

I've not seen mention of tomorrow's train here yet, but timings are on RTT. Scheduled for 34046.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91879/2023-11-28/detailed

 

Indeed, and the train is shown on RTT as running fast line from Surbiton to Woking (avoiding a Basingstoke working on the slow). Wonder if that will materialise...

 

Even more unlikely is the Swanwick water stop on RTC’s Bath trip on 2nd December. Only possible due to the lack of Southern trains but not sure how it will be possible anyway without disruption to the working of the station as I assume it has to be done at platform level due to the third rail

 

Don't trains often water in the station at 3rd rail locations or is there something different about Swanwick that makes it unlikely that a hose can be run to the train? Presumably if there is a issue they could always stop on RRAP by the carpark and hook on there since the 3rd rail is gapped there anyway to let machines on and off.

 

Lots of trains water at third rail locations, Winchfield, Beaulieu Road, Basingstoke to name but three.

It is midway between the hourly service, if on time, a Google Maps view show you could pull a tanker up outside and run a hose. Is it any more difficult than say Winchfield or Basingstoke, or Headcorn where the hose is run across the footbridge? Although seems strange to water at Swanwick and Soton UGL.
Mind you although P1 at Soton Central is bi directional I have never done it in the down direction, let alone with steam.

 

Not sure why the third rail per se prevents watering. It is done often at Winchfield, Brookwood (up), Chertsey, Basingstoke and several others.

 

In terms of possible service disruption it's much easier than, say, Winchfield, which has a reputation for delaying the following Basingstoke train.

 

The Preston Park water stop will likely see the tanker park by the pub and the hose run through the gate across to the loco, not using any platform. I shan’t be filming the tour this Saturday but I have filmed several water at Preston Park over the years, including in 2017 where 46100 was accidentally routed into platform 2 and had to run out into the old Pullman Works and back in to platform 1 to take water! (from 1:30 in my video)

 

If on the platform it will block the outside access and probably the car park access as well. Thats what I meant by disruption. It’s my local station even though its anonymous with no station name. I probably wont see it there but decide based on whether or not the sun is out

 

Yes I think this is likely

 

Platform access

 

Sorry to drag this thread away from the RTC run on Saturday and back to today.

The correct loco at Victoria just now

 

At Byfleet & New Haw on the down fast section, alas a 701 on a test/training run crawls in 4 minutes early and dawdles away.

 

'Braunton' powers through Hersham, having gained the fast line at Surbiton.

 

Yes, I saw the 701 stopped at Walton while I was at Hersham. I wondered if it was doing station stop testing. You got away with a shot at least (and would have been worse off on the other side anyway). I had very heavy traffic and got to Hersham with three minutes to spare!

 

Well, I can't see any 'alas' there, I reckon you handled that situation very well and got a good and interesting sequence of 34046 racing through amongst other traffic.

I had thought about going to Weybridge for that, but didn't fancy stop - start traffic on the M25 etc, especially as I seem to be most active these days well into the night.

 

A nice photo in the sort of dappled lighting that we get on sunny late Autumn days. So nice to see a Bulleid on the down fast at Hersham, and looking to go faster than my last run behind 34046 on the down fast at Hersham - just 60 mph on the 19.30 Waterloo to Bournemouth train on 19 April 1965!

 

Tearing through Andover with all the smoke possible.

 

My little video from today's outward run, at Hersham.

 

Didn't this morning though it was theS.W.R. with Braunton waiting outside Winchfield station;!!