The Cathedrals Express 29.3.14- Retford water stop

[ryan125hst]

I have tickets for the above rail tour and will be boarding at Retford. According to UKsteam, we will be leaving Retford at 10:36 and then stopping at Babworth Down Loop from 10:39 until 11:22. (Realtime Trains link here).

Living in Retford, I am aware of the loop (it runs past the secondary school I attended), but I am confused as to how we will allow other trains to pass. This is because, from my experience, steam trains usually water either on Platform 2 (with the water tankers hose over the fence from Network Rail's offices), or it will move down and water next to West Carr fish and chip shop (there is a gate in the car park that allows access for crew and the water tanker's hose).

However, there are two northbound trains due to stop at Retford while Sir Nigel Gresley is taking on water: An East Coast service to Edinburgh, and a Hull Trains service to Hull. If 60007 stops by the gate shown above, the carriages (probably between 11 and 13 of them) will still be in platform 2, preventing the two regular services from calling and then using the pointwork that is also located next to the fish and chip shop to access the down fast.

So, does anyone know where Sir Nigel Gresley will be taking on water? The regular services can't go to platform 1 as it is not bidirectional signalled. I can only assume that we will move up to the signal at the end of the loop and be watered from there, but there is a football club there, so it all depends on them having permission to access it.

Any ideas anyone?

Thank you

Ryan

 

[sidmouth]

See
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54926/2014/03/29/advanced
Looks like SNG will be watered at Babworth Loop just to north of Retford (10.39 to 11.22).

 

[ryan125hst]

I know that, but what I'm puzzled about is the fact that whenever I have seen steam locos being watered at Retford when heading northbound they have blocked platform 2, either in full (because the train is standing at the platform), or in part (because it has drawn forward to the gate by the fish and chip shop, but some carriages are still on the platform.

I wondered if anyone here has ever known a steam engine to be watered at the north end of the loop. It's the only way it will allow passenger services to continue to use platform 2 (there is pointwork just beyond the end of the platform that allows trains to access the fast line and overtake trains waiting in the loop)

I've lived in Retford all my life and am yet to see it happen, but it may have happened in the past! If no-one on here knows, we'll find out tomorrow!

 

[7Pinza]

Missed this - where was the water stop?

Seen footage of Sir Nigel leaving platform 2.

 

[ryan125hst]

The railtour picked up in platform 2 a couple if minutes late before drawing forward, with the rear carriage clear of the pointwork that allows trains to go straight to the fast lines after a station stop. Sir Nigel was just beyond the iron bridge and, from what my Grandparents and sister told me (I was near the back of the train), the water tanker was just opposite the entrance to Retford Leisure Centre/ Retford Post 16 centre, with Sir Nigel in that same area (near the iron bridge- there's also a signal for trains running wrong line in the up direction as the loop and platform 2 is bidirectionally signalled.)

After watering (the East Coast service to Edinburgh had passed on the down fast a few minutes late by now, it had just gone 11am) we started to move. I thought the Hull Trains service was very late so we were going first, but we were actually moving forward to the signal at the end if the loop (by Retford Oaks) awaiting a path.

We left on time after the Hull Trains service as well as an East Coast HST passed.

On the return journey, we watered on platform 1, a common procedure, with the tanker in the car park and the pipe through the open blue gate.

Hope that helps

Ryan