'Flying Scotsman' - merged posts

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Flying Scotsman is always worth a view but the cricket was far more exciting this afternoon.

I've said elsewhere a few times this evening that, despite me not being religious, I think God is definitely an Englishman.

[JayMac]

Oh, and cracking picture of Flying Scotsman Clan Line.

And also, great forum name CL. I have a poster (Art Deco interpretation) of 'Clan Line' steaming through Templecombe, in my hallway.

[grahame]

I knew I had one somewhere - on the outward journey?

[rower40]

Flying Scotsman is always worth a view but the cricket was far more exciting this afternoon.

I've said elsewhere a few times this evening that, despite me not being religious, I think God is definitely an Englishman.

Tangentially (on a GW^▸ (Great Western) forum!)
From a Flanders & Swann revue of the 1960's, in the intro to "Slow Train":
"If God had meant us to fly, He would never have given us the Railways."

[onthecushions]

From a Flanders & Swann revue of the 1960's, in the intro to "Slow Train":
"If God had meant us to fly, He would never have given us the Railways."

There is actually truth in that saying, in that the rolling resistance of a steel wheel on a steel rail is particularly low; c15% of a pneumatic tyred wheel on a tarmac road yet with a co-efficient of friction high enough for braking. Nature has therefore endowed humanity with an especially efficient form of land transport. One day this may even be recognised.

All things wise and wonderful...

OTC

[Marlburian]

Flying Scotsman trip through Berkshire postponed until September

This "trip" was proclaimed on a local news website on March 10, and I duly noted the date (today) in my diary. Having seen it a couple of times, I hadn't been intending to make a point of spectating but happened to be near Tilehurst Station at 0940, not long before it was apparently due to pass through. (It was scheduled - I believed - to leave Oxford at 0920.) So I thought, "might as well".

There were some eight people hanging around, most behind the fence of Platform One. I trotted across to Platform Three and waited until 0955, when another would-be spectator checked on his mobile and told me that the trip had been cancelled until September.

The article to which I link was put on the news website at 1012.

MODIFICATION: Odd. I had thought that the March 10 article said that the train was due to leave Oxford at 0920, but I've just checked it and it said that the journey would start at Paddington then and take two hours 40 minutes - suggesting it would be passing through Tilehurst far later than 0950ish. (On past trips it has made a very long pause at Reading to allow admirers an extended close-up.)

Rather than admitting to senility, I wonder if the original article had got the trip the wrong way around and had been amended.(Local news websites have form when it comes to garbling articles about railways, especially Crossrail.) And those other eight people would also seem to have been expecting the train around 1000ish.

Dunno when the trip was cancelled, and exactly why. Covid restrictions, presumably, and I had wondered how the train could be run cost-effectively without all/most of the seats being taken.

[JayMac]

From that article:

The Flying Scotsman was known for its long-distance journeys but was retired from normal service in 1963

Tut, tut, tut.

[Ralph Ayres]

Some trips postponed (low bookings perhaps?) but some have already happened and others are still going ahead before it heads off to Scotland at the end of the month.  https://www.steamdreams.co.uk/tours.php?loco=6351 has details.

[JayMac]

Muppet photographer in white t-shirt risking life and limb to phot Flying Scotsman. The person taking the video seems too close to the platform edge also.

And my other bugbear relating to said locomotive rears its head too. Spurious definite article.

https://fb.watch/7AI961is4V/

[bobm]

The problem is he is not only risking his life and limb but the enjoyment of the spectacle for everyone else.  God forbid there is an accident caused by actions such as his, because it would very likely bring the whole question of whether steam charters should be allowed on the mainline.  There are already those who would like to see them banned because of issues like lineside fires, damage to overhead wires, potential for failures and crowd control.  A fatality in such circumstances would just add to their cause.

[Clan Line]

Today's Telegraph

[PrestburyRoad]

That's a splendid example of a Kármán vortex street https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_vortex_street.  Rare to see because it needs still air to avoid the steam being blown away.

[JayMac]

Definite article. Arrrggghhh.

[JayMac]

Flying Scotsman will be in the West Country this Sunday 30th April 2023. Hauling The Royal Duchy railtour from Bristol Temple Meads to Par. The trip is one of those Flying Scotsman is undertaking as part of its centenary celebrations.

From The Railway Touring Company:

Our train leaves Bristol Temple Meads steam hauled by locomotive No.60103 Flying Scotsman in the morning and stops to pick up further passengers at Yatton and Taunton. Almost immediately on departure from Taunton, our steam locomotive will be working hard as it tackles the climb to Whiteball Summit. We stop at Exeter St. David’s station for our locomotive to take on water and for more passengers to join the train. We leave Exeter and follow the Exe Estuary to the seaside. We then travel along the famous sea wall between Dawlish and Teignmouth, an experience not to be missed.

After Newton Abbot, our steam locomotive will demonstrate her real strength as she powers up some of the steepest main line gradients in the country. First there is the difficult climb to the summit at Dainton Tunnel, followed by a dramatic drop down to Totnes, then an equally difficult climb up Rattery Bank before descending to Plymouth. Passengers have the option to alight at Plymouth or remain on the train to Par. There will be over five hours free time to explore the historic maritime city of Plymouth which includes the Hoe, the ancient Barbican and seafront areas, and the National Marine Aquarium.

We leave Plymouth, diesel hauled, and cross the river Tamar on Brunel’s masterpiece, the Royal Albert Bridge, to enter Cornwall. Our train continues through the magnificent Cornish countryside to Par, where there will be a break of more than three hours. Buses will take passengers from Par, at no extra charge, to visit either the picturesque seaside town of Fowey or the harbour village of Charlestown. The latter is a working port and home to the Shipwreck, Rescue & Heritage Centre. We leave Par late in the afternoon and stop at Plymouth to pick up those passengers who chose to alight there. Our train then returns to Bristol, stopping to set down passengers at Exeter, Taunton and Yatton enroute.

A little surprisingly, timings were uploaded to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) a day ahead of the railtour.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U66311/2023-04-30/detailed

It is also worth sharing this safety message from The Railway Touring Company:

The Railway Touring Company appreciate there is considerable interest in Flying Scotsman, but stress that anyone wishing to see Flying Scotsman on route should do so from a safe and permitted place - trespassing along rail lines or into prohibited areas of train stations is dangerous.

It is vital that spectators do not venture onto the railway when Flying Scotsman is on the main line as a full timetable of regular services will also be running. For safety, keep away from the railway line.

... and no definite article. So many media outlets continue to refer to this locomotive as The Flying Scotsman. Really grinds my gears does that.

[PhilWakely]

Flying Scotsman will be in the West Country this Sunday 30th April 2023. Hauling The Royal Duchy railtour from Bristol Temple Meads to Par. The trip is one of those Flying Scotsman is undertaking as part of its centenary celebrations.

From The Railway Touring Company:

<snip>
We stop at Exeter St. David’s station for our locomotive to take on water and for more passengers to join the train.
<snip>
We leave Plymouth, diesel hauled, and cross the river Tamar on Brunel’s masterpiece, the Royal Albert Bridge, to enter Cornwall.
<snip>

A little surprisingly, timings were uploaded to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) a day ahead of the railtour.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U66311/2023-04-30/detailed

Two changes that appear to have been made to the itinerary ...
1) FS will be taking on water at Tiverton Loop rather than Exeter St Davids; and
2) FS will potentially haul the train right through to Par as the St Blazey turntable has now been passed fit to be used.