The Bristol Railway Archive

I'm giving up on weather forecasts.

Must have misread the 5% probability of precipitation, which was closer to 95% probability of heavy rain.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16582147@N ... 368047116/

Took photographs near Meadow Lane Bathampton, which now has high green spiked fencing.

Noisy footage from the same viewpoint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8SbVyF4 ... ature=plcp

chippy wrote:http://www.flickr.com/photos/byjr/7525958938/

Terrific photo!

I followed or preceded the Torbay Express (Britannia) to Paignton yesterday, having been convinced the Weymouth express would be cancelled due to flooding near Yeovil, but they evidently found a way around this!

The train did not reach Weymouth because of the flooding ....it is July. It was diverted to Yeovil Jct., turned, ran to Salisbury, turned, and then in the evening returned to Bristol. Network Rail did exceptionally well to salvage this tour and let the passengers enjoy a good day out behind steam. It would have been so very easy to cancel the train at Bristol in the morning <BJ>

free2grice wrote:The train did not reach Weymouth because of the flooding ....it is July. It was diverted to Yeovil Jct., turned, ran to Salisbury, turned, and then in the evening returned to Bristol. Network Rail did exceptionally well to salvage this tour and let the passengers enjoy a good day out behind steam. It would have been so very easy to cancel the train at Bristol in the morning <BJ>

Thanks for that explanation, and I agree, excellent cooperation from Network Rail to ensure it was a decent trip. I see something similar is happening today with a London Waterloo to Weymouth train.

Geoffers wrote: I see something similar is happening today with a London Waterloo to Weymouth train.

I had more than half a mind to book on today's trip, it being exactly 45 years to the day since I last went behind steam from Waterloo to Weymouth. The fact I'm writing this this morning shows that "the other half a mind" won the day

But more to the point - where the hell did those 45 years go????!!!

Geoffers wrote:I see something similar is happening today with a London Waterloo to Weymouth train.

I understand that the line has now reopened. The tour will run as originally planned. <BJ>

The long and torturous climb to Evershot on the outward leg resulted in the train entering the tunnel at a snails pace. <BJ>

No problems on the return. Tangmere blasted its way to the top of Upwey bank. <BJ>

free2grice wrote:No problems on the return. Tangmere blasted its way to the top of Upwey bank. <BJ>

I was at Dorchester West station for the return hoping it would blast its way through but unfortunately it was slow through the station and sped up just as it went out of view!

Apologies if this is obvious to most, but how is Tangmere turned after it reaches Weymouth? We were trying to work it out yesterday, but could not.

Think it's turned at yeovil jnc. J.R.

Geoffers wrote:

free2grice wrote:No problems on the return. Tangmere blasted its way to the top of Upwey bank. <BJ>

I was at Dorchester West station for the return hoping it would blast its way through but unfortunately it was slow through the station and sped up just as it went out of view!

Apologies if this is obvious to most, but how is Tangmere turned after it reaches Weymouth? We were trying to work it out yesterday, but could not.

It probably slowed for the junction at Dorchester.

When the train reaches Weymouth the loco runs tender first back to Yeovil. After servicing and turning the loco returns to Weymouth tender first in readiness for it's departure to Bristol. <BJ>