THE EASTLEIGH CENTENARIAN 23 May 09

Passed Berrylands on time at 07:36. Looked fantastic as it went through at around 70mph. Could also hear it whistle for Raynes Park about 3 miles away!

 

With around 450 tons behind the tender Clan Line knocked a minute off the old Atlantic Coast Express schedule to passing Worting Junction!

Just over 49 mins for the 50.30 miles. With the normal slow start out of London and then the 75 mph limit to contend with!

I photted her racing along at Winchfield and restarting from Grateley on a day when I photted four pacifics. 35028, 34007 on the Mid Hants, 70013 and last but not least 34059 on the Bluebell.

Photos later.

 

Seen my workings now, 1840 from Eastleigh on Monday.

 

Hey Wayne, #-o

Looked good in the sun at Worting this morning, going noticeably faster than Tangmere a couple of weeks ago and a couple of good whistles for the video too. Thanks.

 

Passed Ewell East on time at 18:55. She looked good but shame it shut of just before the station!

 

My video now up at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Qj8tA8W5k

Haven't worked out how to stop YouTube from squeezing the vid though I'm afraid. It didn't used to.

I have now! see the new link two posts down. Should have put it here really......

 

was alright I suppose..........















Seriously though, some fantastic running, didn't quite understand why the train was turned and then went back into the yard only to be dragged back out via the exit roads... would have been nice to have only turned the loco, but I'm sure there were operational reasons for playing musical chairs! I assume that locos can't be added in the platfrom at Eastleigh hence the 66 on at S'hampton and the running up to Allbrook? (Did the Chandlers Ford route not have spare path or was there another reason for not going th eeasy route?) Nice to be hauled by steam through 'my' bit of London too!

 

OK Folks,

I've cracked the problem of the squashed video, so the pukka version is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSA_OLwUQn4

I much prefer steam to computers........

 

Saw this tour while awaiting my own home at Eastleigh earlier, while 35028 looked magnificent the state of that Choc n cream Buffet Car should be a disgracefull embarassment to DB/Riviera, even forgetting multi coloured rakes it was the tattiest Mk1 i've seen in a long time.

 

I am quessing here, however I suspect the reason would have been platform length.
The down platforms at Eastleigh are twelve coaches, if we had come via Chandlers Ford we would have had one coach hanging out of the platform. Thus route locking all four of the roads through the station, can not see Network rail agreeing to that.

 

Yes, a cracking run. Greens all the way from Waterloo to Andover! We were about five late out of London and I think passed Basingstoke in about 44 mins. I know we caught a few photogrophers out through running early!

 

thank for a very good day out Clan Line support crew also Foot Plate Crew it was a pity the standard coaches were on the rear all day but i suppose those who pay a premium to dine enjoyed the sound if they had ther windows open

 

49 mins 10 secs to passing Worting, which would mean a Basingstoke pass in about 46 mins 45 secs. I'll soon see the full log from my brother who was on the train timing it. Quite superb to be able to achieve that in 2009! A lot of people on board are very grateful to the loco crew for that lovely running.

As I mentioned earlier, that is a just under a minute inside the schedule that was set for the down ACE in steam days. And that train ran to the fastest ever Southern Region steam schedule. And of course yesterday 35028 was handicapped by the 75 mph limit. Whilst most of the road to Worting is against the collar, there are some level bits and couple of "dips". Not unusual for the ACE to touch 80 mph at Byfleet Junction and then again near Fleet and in the Newnham dip.

I photted it at mp 41, (just west of Winchfield), which was passed in just about even time from Waterloo at 70 mph. Sadly my photo is no where near as good as the running of the train, as I was shooting almost directly into the sun, and the exhaust got partly bleached out.

Second shot was against the sun and very unusual for a warm day. Loads of exhaust steam leaving Grateley! I am told there had been a lot of mist and fog earlier not far away, so presumably a lot of moisture in the air. Shot against the light as I had no choice!

If any of the loco/support crews want full size copies of the photos please just email me. My 35028 photos are always available, (and often used), by the MNLPS of which I am a member.





Incidentally my best ever run with the down ACE was with 35028 in 1964. The Friday of a wonderful week when that wonderful Salisbury top link driver Fred Hoare was in charge. On of life's true gentlemen and a really nice guy. I shall always regret not staying in touch with him after he retired.He was such a friendly guy to chat to about anything steam. And he just loved the original condition Bulleids, (had a great up ACE run with him behind 34002 once: very unusual not to get a MN).

(Edited to reflect changed photo URL's)

 

Got down to Woking station yesterday morning nice and early as the chance of seeing Clan Line on the down fast rather than the slow which is normally the case with the VSOE, was too good to miss. And what a magnificent experience it was. Under clear signals at around 70mph and with whistle wide open through the station - and lots of steam and smoke to boot, she roared through. It was truly enough to make the hair on the back of the neck stand up. The reaction of the station staff and "Joe Public" was amazing. One lady said to the station manager "That was great, but are steam trains supposed to go that fast?" Wonderful.
Congratualtion Wayne. I didn't realise you were 5 late away from Waterloo and yet still on time through Woking. Not surprised therefore that you have beaten the old ACE timings to Worting Junction.
Who was on the shovel - Butch by any chance? If so, he would have loved it.
You will have had an inspector on board - fabulous if it was Colin Kerswell?
Saw Oliver Cromwell 5 minutes down at Wokng at lunctime but was routed on the down slow only to be turned out over the slow to fast crossover at the end of Platform 5 - very rare and I have never seen the move before. Downside was, compared to the magnitude of Clan Line's run, this was an anticlimax. No whistle, no smoke and no speed.
Finally, I do have a great video of Clan Line's speeding passing of Woking but I have no idea of how to get it on to You Tube for others to enjoy (you will love the image of the station staff covering their ears and turning their backs as they train roared through). If it is simple and someone can help, please email me on nick.hales3@btinternet.com
Thanks
Nick

 

Butch would not have let me push Clan Line like I did! He always complains if I open the regulator past half way!
He's on a jolly in Italy, or somewhere that neck of the woods.
Colin Kerswell was the inspector, however the fireman was a Hoo Junction trainee, Paul Majors. He did a very good job, quite rightly he was pleased with himself.
As mentioned earlier, it was a treat to have a much lighter load than the pulmans, nearly a third less.
We were up to 75 by around Esher, where I had to start easing her back. The fire turned a bit 'dead' on us after Woking, so the speed dropped back. So we played around with her for a bit and had her 'hot' again by Farnborough. I think the coal didn't like a light blast on it, the cut-off might had been a bit tight, so I opened her up an extra 5%. Seemed to do the trick. Having said that, there were times when I only had around 80-100 psi in the steam chest whilst running at 75mph down the racing strech between Fleet and Basingstoke. So we could have easily gone alot quicker!
Incidently, Mike Hunt & Rob Binsted were on the return with Malc Hall as Ti.

 

had an amazing day yesterday and the 100% fast run down to andover was a bulleid and southern steam lovers dream! =D>
first well-fast into vauxhall and then lurching through clapham junction going almost as fast as a gatwick express !
whooshed through woking (in 26 mins !!!, wheres the youtube?, lol) overtaking swt trains...amazing stuff.

thank you clan line and her people...
you made my day!
i went on the ACE as a kid many times....memories....

i am often travelling with the wonderful Tornado as a voulnteer and we have have some very sparkling runs but for me as a southern fan
yesterday's re-creation of a fast Atlantic Coast Express allbiet only as far as Grately was a highlight not to be missed!

thrilling, shame our return wasn't near as fast anytime but some nice noise from clan line climbing up over some surrey hills.
=D>

 

some photos of 35028 at eastleigh at http://keyhamtrain.fotopic.net

 

A couple of shots of Clan Line at Eastleigh yesterday, one of her arriving from Waterloo and one of her leaving for Victoria;

http://craigrailpics.fotopic.net/p58454423.html
http://craigrailpics.fotopic.net/p58454416.html

 

Interesting to hear you were using quite a lot of throttle and maybe quite tight cut offs. That was how us young enthusiasts were told by the 1960s drivers was their preferred way to drive a Bulleid. I remember Sid Burton, (Salisbury top link I think), who was working a local back from Waterloo to Salisbury. I went up to the loco at Waterloo some time before the train was due to leave and he took me up onto the footplate and gave me a wonderful impromptu talk on how best to drive one of those magnificent machines. I never got the chance to put the theory into action though, more's the pity! Fred Hoare was also well known for doing the same. Masters of their craft and keen to share it with those interested.

What you showed yesterday is that it would be possible to run the old ACE schedule of 80 mins to Salisbury with the 75 mph limit, (but not with the slack at Hurstborne if it is still in place). Indeed I am told 80 minutes to Salisbury was sometimes done with speed never much exceeding 75 mph on the down ACE when the train had an ontime departure from London and no checks in the suburban area as speed built up. Whether a pathway can ever be found these days for such a run is of course another matter. Such a busy railway now. I am amazed every time I go to Worting for a steam special and see so many trains are running on both the Bournemouth and Salisbury lines.

Anyway. I strongly suspect yesterday was the fastest Waterloo to passing Worting Junction time with steam for a very, very long time. Indeed I will try and find out when!