Great Western Coffee Shop

No not FGW's 10:00 (SSuX) Paddington to Paignton but the summer steam service from Bristol Temple Meads to Kingswear.

According to their website http://www.torbayexpress.co.uk/ (http://www.torbayexpress.co.uk/) there was an "incident" last week with a steam loco and so Network Rail have banned steam in the West Country due to the current hot weather.

I did find out before going down to the seawall but thought I would go anyway to try out my new tripod and saw D1916 come through with a nice rake of coaches all in the same livery (that makes a change from some excursions!)

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/torexp.jpg)

Now the really annoying thing was had it been a steam loco I was in just the right place and the light was just right as the train was brought to a stand at the signal gantry for 30 seconds following a late running HST.  But then again had it been steam it might not have made such good progress and so no point worrying about it.   ;D

Great photo, by the way, bobm.   :)

Why thank you - better than the first comment I got....  "Nice picture - shame about the train in the middle of it...."   ;D ;D

Something steam hauled is working out of Temple Meads today

According to uksteam.info the Torbay Express is running today with GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 no 5029 Nunney Castle on the front but with a diesel just behind which could take over if there are problems.

Sadly I'm "up country" so won't get to see it.

Also, the Railway Touring Company have an excursion to Weymouth today. It should have been hauled by Tangmere, as was the trip I went on last year (we ended up at Salisbury because of flooding. Mrs FTN was not impressed, although I was). UK Steam shows that as cancelled, but something steamy definitely went under the bridge at Langton Court Road just before I got there.