Tangmere this morning @ Yeovil Junction

[wheel]

Hi, I hope this is the right place for my post.

I use the train now and again when I have to go from Yeovil to Chandlers Ford for work as its much less stressful than driving.

My train from Yeovil Junction this mornig was delayed, whilst I was twiddilng my thumbs waiting, I noticed some smoke drifting up behind the old platform complex where the Yeovil Railway Centre is. Curiosity got the better of me so I walked around to try and get a better view.

I saw the front end of Tangmere peeping at me from out behind the Yeovil Railway Centre's buildings. It was 6:45am ish there wasnt a soul about in that area. So I wandered what it was doing there, I guess it had hauled a railtour and was stabled there overnight, but it appeared to be making smoke, but it didnt sound like or look like it had much steam pressure. Compared to when I saw Clan line in a similar position many years ago when I was a kid.

I couldnt go over for a closer look as I would have had to go out of the station and under through the tunnel to get anywhere near it, and I didnt want to miss my train.

Would it have been in the process of being lit up or had they banked the fire up overnight ready to move it today. If so I guess somebody was with it as they wouldnt have left it like that with nobody about. But it also looked like it had been deliberately left to stand where it had in order to obscure it as much as possible from the view of the general public.

It was good to see a Bulleid back on home turf though.

 

[E-G Media]

I believe that she was there to assist 'Bittern' on the return leg of 'The Dorset Coast Express' railtour that afternoon.

She would have only done the journey from Weymouth to Wareham, where she would have been detached and 'Bittern' would do the rest of the journey back to London.
The two engines are rostered to do that every Tuesday for the next few weeks (with 70000 'Brittania' and 30777 'Sir Lamiel' also rostered, depending on what's available and when). So, if you ever happen to pass Yeovil Junc again, you might know what to expect next time.

 

[dorsetman]

Tangmere hauled the Dorset Coast Express yesterday all the way from Weymouth back to London.

 

[E-G Media]

Tangmere hauled the Dorset Coast Express yesterday all the way from Weymouth back to London.

Ah, my bad.
I suppose the roster must have changed at the last minute. Records claimed that she would have only worked to Wareham. But it seems that there were changes to the plan :roll: