What was it?

Geoffers · Post by **Geoffers** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:37 pm

At 11.15 this morning I suddenly heard the familiar sound of an approaching steam train. Then I saw it. Unfortunately, by the time I'd found my camera and lined it up (it took an age to come on) the train was through and all I got was smoke!

It was heading towards the old Ashley Hill Station but I can't find anything that was due today, unless it was "Bishops Lydeard (WSR)-Didcot" I found under loco movements, but running half-an-hour early?

mjt · Post by **mjt** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 1:48 pm

Well, here's a photo of 70000 & 6024 waiting to leave the WSR this morning bound for Didcot!
http://www.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery8a ... 0411_1_man

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:06 pm

It was supposed to be looped at Hullavington 1209 - 1222 but it was running early so we missed it.

Somebody else out there said that the times are on the UK Steam info site, but they aren't on the tours page. Anybody have any idea where they are there?

Edited to add - found it now http://www.uksteam.info/tours/lem11.htm

Geoffers · Post by **Geoffers** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:13 pm

Robin Summerhill wrote:It was supposed to be looped at Hullavington 1209 - 1222 but it was running early so we missed it.

Somebody else out there said that the times are on the UK Steam info site, but they aren't on the tours page. Anybody have any idea where they are there?

Edited to add - found it now http://www.uksteam.info/tours/lem11.htm

Yes, there is a link there which goes to:

http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t11/t0405p.htm

which agrees with your timings above!

Geoffers · Post by **Geoffers** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:15 pm

mjt wrote:Well, here's a photo of 70000 & 6024 waiting to leave the WSR this morning bound for Didcot!
http://www.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery8a ... 0411_1_man

Yes, that was it, nice photo.

Shame I was not expecting it, though even if I had been I'm sure the early running would have been a problem. Good photo opportunity missed!

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:56 pm

Geoffers wrote:Shame I was not expecting it, though even if I had been I'm sure the early running would have been a problem. Good photo opportunity missed!

In my days on the railway, a timetabled light engine movement was always more of a statement of intent than something you could rely on as "gospel," and I doubt that things have changed much today

(Over to Alex/ Stumpytrain to put me right if I need putting right

)

stopblock · Post by **stopblock** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 6:18 pm

Alot of it is up to signalmans discretion at the time or those signalmen that think for theirselves and let the trains l/e run. I notice that a lot of freight trains have genorus timings between certain points maybe to allow for enginering work etc. I suspect that in this case the London may have been late or the freight it may have supposed to have been following didnt run so no need to loop the move.
I know that Bristol is pretty good at giving l/e moves and freight a chance to run if its there but also if they make the wrong call they feel the wrath of their controll.