Vintage Trains 2024

I was delighted to be able to book on the Red Dragon / Cathedrals Express tour on 22nd June from Ludlow as well as just from the Birmingham area. This gives those of us in the Marches a mainline steam run that departs and returns to a nearby station at reasonable times with no need to worry about significant connecting journeys! Fingers crossed the day is not too dry, flooded, etc...

 

The 1T51 is at 1345 is that correct website still had 1252 but that's unlikely.

 

The extended Shakespeare Express leaves Burton upon Trent with a healthy complement of punters, especially in the dining section. Hopefully this will be another worthwhile experiment by VT.

 

Pullman dining fully booked on both trips so bullseye

 

The Earl going very well at Elford with the Derby starting Shakespeare Express.

 

5043 going well at Wychnor on the return to Derby.

 

The first Shakespeare Express originating from Derby hammers away from Burton upon Trent with the return leg in some welcome evening sun.

 

5043 at speed along the Birmingham to Derby Mainline and 6880 looking well on the GWSR !

 

5043 seen at Blunt's Green on Sunday with the run from Stratford upon Avon to Snow Hill.

 

In not the best lighting conditions (they never are on this stretch of the WCML at that time of day). The Earl is seen racing along the gently rising gradient between Stafford and Crewe at Sytch Lane, Mill Meece, with the Mersey Express to Liverpool.

 

Another spectacular 5043 performance as it headed the Mersey Express today; once again full marks to all at Tyseley for another unassisted run with 47773 on the rear just making the Earl even louder...footage outbound from Clive Green just south of Winsford and raining cinders on everyone blasting through Edge Hill on the return.

 

The Earl waits to get away from the Stafford set down on its return working from Liverpool.

 

5043 at Dutton Viaduct and just about bringing the sun, great sound as she restarted from the junction and powered over the viaduct.

 

For the record, not the most inspiring shot, but had eyed up the view with the Silver Jubilee Bridge in the background whenever I crossed the Mersey Gateway.

 

That has a strange sound track; not only at the wrong speed but it seems to be of a different loco.

 

I made mention it on the YouTube description... There was no noise apart from road traffic, so put in a little bit of Clun Castle at Chester (don't have much of 5043), doesn't quite fit but felt better than the lorries start/stopping past.

 

'Castellated'

5043 slowly crossing the Ship Canal through the lattice girders of the Ethelfleda (or Britannia) viaduct between Runcorn and Widnes. Only my opinion but possibly one of the most frustrating bridges to photograph.

The loco is between the two southernmost piers which carry the heraldic devices of the City of London (left) and Britannia (right). The viaduct opened to traffic in 1869 and did originally have a pedestrian footway (on this side) but that closed in 1965.

There was a plan - the preserved MSC tug tender 'Daniel Adamson' was making a trip up the canal as far as Latchford Locks in Warrington and I had hoped the two would have contrived to be at Runcorn simultaneously, though by the time I arrived here the Danny had already passed; so no single or composite picture here. I did however catch up with the Danny at Warrington.

 

And the lazy photo of the return trip at Acton Bridge, with almost every southbound train taking the Up Slow line.

 

Excellent to see 5043 in fine form, Hoping to have a few runs behind 5043 later in the summer as well as 7029.

 

Sorry I missed seeing that.

Personally I would prefer the lorries or silence. But even wrong-speed chuffing isn't as bad as music.