87015
Established Member
As trip reports seem to be a bit more popular at the moment, and I'm bored - 11/6/11. You (should) be able to click on the thumbnails for full phots and there are a few other bits in the gallery from the last month or so...
Woke early for a bus leap to Padd where 57603 was on the blocks with the overnight and just a couple of units were in waiting departures. The 0630 Bristol was the next move with 43171 and 43133 the latter being a complete result as one of my last four FGW powercars for haulage, I have long given up expectations of falling onto them like this!
A very steady run west followed (no grip), 37516/47500 viewed at Southall top/tail a set of west coast bangers and also a couple of CIG(?) coaches. As we rolled into Bristol I still hadn't quite decided what the move would be - West Somerset where half the engines were dross, or kick on to the South Devon where 25262 was working on a mixed traffic gala. A late running 0642 Birmingham-Paignton with 221120 was made so leapt onto, beckoned into FC courtesy a freindly guard and with no other passengers and the engine isolated (hence the delay) one of the better Voyager journeys. After much indecision decided to stay on the Voyager and head for Devon. Bit amused the train was RA Exeter-Torquay, flagging Newton Abbot seems a strange stopping pattern but as its effectively ECS doesn't really matter.
A quick check at Paignton where 7800 was boiling over so no 25185 today, then over to the bus station for an open-top VR to Totnes. An easy ten to fifteen minute walk from the bus stop and across the river to the SDR station were a day rover was purchased - a bargain at £10 and definitely under priced for what was on offer I thought. The 10.52 departure was to be done as a fill in move to Staverton, 5526(k) was the power, it took a while for the penny to drop that it was on 2xAutocoach and therefore wasn't going to run round! A short chuff later and it was bailing at Staverton, grabbing a phot as it pushed out, I don't think I've had a proper push-pull kettle before, the controls in the autocoach looked pretty rudimentary and the bell was a bit old school!
However, the main event was now within hearing distance. As soon as I'd alighted from the kettle the distinct splutter of a 6LDA could be heard in the background and sure enough 25262 was soon rolling in...
The five coach rake was where I would be strapped in for most of the day - for me few in pres things can beat a 25 working away and '262 and the South Devon is one of my favourite combinations... 20110 was also about, working a freight to/from Staverton
Very little change between Totnes and Buckfastleigh, various canoes, walkers and campers exchanging horn tones for waves, although no kingfishers today a buzzard was circling south of Staverton. It has to be said despite the bargain price there can only have been a maximum of fifteen (obvious) cranks travelling, with 5526/3205 on the steam set not looking a great deal busier, but a decent turn out of normals despite changeable weather. The only minor complaint was that bert in charge of the PA was making far too many announcements of minimal value, usually timing it when the loco was under power and just seemed to like the sound of his own voice!
A nose around Buckfastleigh revealed new arrival 25191, after many years dumped OOS at the Moors it'll be good to see these rodent back in use a few years down the line, and if its to the standard of 262 all the better it should be well worth the wait. Had a nose at 191 - doesn't look too bad, fair bit of rust on the bodywork but nothing worse than to be expected really.
33002 and 50002 were also knocking around with a couple of gronks in the shed whilst Buckfastleigh was bustling with visitors.
After five and half single runs off the rodent it was the turn of 20110 to take over, it had previously done a few turns on freight, which added a more brutal sound for the run down to Totnes on the 15.20 off Buckfastleigh.
With a long drag back to London decided to call it a day at Totnes off the 20 rather than going back on it for the DMU, with a bit of a fester at Totnes for a tram east. The announcements about the 'world security situation' in addition to the normal waffle about bags seem a complete waste of time, even the normals were murmuring about how stupid they are. An XC tram headed west on a lightly loaded Dundee-Newquay before 43088 and 43004 rolled in, being the 14.00 Penzance-Padd it was the usual wedge and my pet hate of the GW refurbs in that you can't see down the coach to empty seats meant a prolonged loading. Managed to get a seat right down the back of the TGS whilst the guard (no grip again!) whipping up some normals by moving their bags about. I briefly considered leaping at Taunton on gen 25173 had dropped out at the West Somerset but decided against it and a completely non-descript run via the desert followed, making up some of the lost time (all station overtime) until being signal checked at Reading West.
A few minutes late into Padd where I took the lazy option of fast food then a tube/bus combination home as the early start had caught up with me, another rat for the year and some very enjoyable miles in the bank.
http://87015aewn.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/recent-phots-12th-june/
Woke early for a bus leap to Padd where 57603 was on the blocks with the overnight and just a couple of units were in waiting departures. The 0630 Bristol was the next move with 43171 and 43133 the latter being a complete result as one of my last four FGW powercars for haulage, I have long given up expectations of falling onto them like this!
A very steady run west followed (no grip), 37516/47500 viewed at Southall top/tail a set of west coast bangers and also a couple of CIG(?) coaches. As we rolled into Bristol I still hadn't quite decided what the move would be - West Somerset where half the engines were dross, or kick on to the South Devon where 25262 was working on a mixed traffic gala. A late running 0642 Birmingham-Paignton with 221120 was made so leapt onto, beckoned into FC courtesy a freindly guard and with no other passengers and the engine isolated (hence the delay) one of the better Voyager journeys. After much indecision decided to stay on the Voyager and head for Devon. Bit amused the train was RA Exeter-Torquay, flagging Newton Abbot seems a strange stopping pattern but as its effectively ECS doesn't really matter.
A quick check at Paignton where 7800 was boiling over so no 25185 today, then over to the bus station for an open-top VR to Totnes. An easy ten to fifteen minute walk from the bus stop and across the river to the SDR station were a day rover was purchased - a bargain at £10 and definitely under priced for what was on offer I thought. The 10.52 departure was to be done as a fill in move to Staverton, 5526(k) was the power, it took a while for the penny to drop that it was on 2xAutocoach and therefore wasn't going to run round! A short chuff later and it was bailing at Staverton, grabbing a phot as it pushed out, I don't think I've had a proper push-pull kettle before, the controls in the autocoach looked pretty rudimentary and the bell was a bit old school!
However, the main event was now within hearing distance. As soon as I'd alighted from the kettle the distinct splutter of a 6LDA could be heard in the background and sure enough 25262 was soon rolling in...
The five coach rake was where I would be strapped in for most of the day - for me few in pres things can beat a 25 working away and '262 and the South Devon is one of my favourite combinations... 20110 was also about, working a freight to/from Staverton
Very little change between Totnes and Buckfastleigh, various canoes, walkers and campers exchanging horn tones for waves, although no kingfishers today a buzzard was circling south of Staverton. It has to be said despite the bargain price there can only have been a maximum of fifteen (obvious) cranks travelling, with 5526/3205 on the steam set not looking a great deal busier, but a decent turn out of normals despite changeable weather. The only minor complaint was that bert in charge of the PA was making far too many announcements of minimal value, usually timing it when the loco was under power and just seemed to like the sound of his own voice!
A nose around Buckfastleigh revealed new arrival 25191, after many years dumped OOS at the Moors it'll be good to see these rodent back in use a few years down the line, and if its to the standard of 262 all the better it should be well worth the wait. Had a nose at 191 - doesn't look too bad, fair bit of rust on the bodywork but nothing worse than to be expected really.
33002 and 50002 were also knocking around with a couple of gronks in the shed whilst Buckfastleigh was bustling with visitors.
After five and half single runs off the rodent it was the turn of 20110 to take over, it had previously done a few turns on freight, which added a more brutal sound for the run down to Totnes on the 15.20 off Buckfastleigh.
With a long drag back to London decided to call it a day at Totnes off the 20 rather than going back on it for the DMU, with a bit of a fester at Totnes for a tram east. The announcements about the 'world security situation' in addition to the normal waffle about bags seem a complete waste of time, even the normals were murmuring about how stupid they are. An XC tram headed west on a lightly loaded Dundee-Newquay before 43088 and 43004 rolled in, being the 14.00 Penzance-Padd it was the usual wedge and my pet hate of the GW refurbs in that you can't see down the coach to empty seats meant a prolonged loading. Managed to get a seat right down the back of the TGS whilst the guard (no grip again!) whipping up some normals by moving their bags about. I briefly considered leaping at Taunton on gen 25173 had dropped out at the West Somerset but decided against it and a completely non-descript run via the desert followed, making up some of the lost time (all station overtime) until being signal checked at Reading West.
A few minutes late into Padd where I took the lazy option of fast food then a tube/bus combination home as the early start had caught up with me, another rat for the year and some very enjoyable miles in the bank.
http://87015aewn.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/recent-phots-12th-june/
