We went to a meal on Saturday evening with friends and as a parting gift, we were all given a personalised cup cake, which was a lovely thought. Mine was a train. No idea why! As responsible paw-rents, we did not allow Yoshi to taste the cup cakes, although as you can see, he was very interested in trying. Look, it’s been a quiet week, humour me!
With two days of strike action by RMT members during this period, there has not been much notable activity on Yoshi’s home patch. A scheduled steam rail tour to Weymouth on Thursday 18th August, the first of the strike days was cancelled.
Work replacing sleepers and re-ballasting continues on the Hamworthy Branch. Although the branch is still cut off, a “stop” sign protecting the main line was in evidence on 18th August 2022
South Western Railway’s recent release of its 2022/23 business plan did not include any plans for the introduction of their long delayed £1 billion fleet of 90 new Class 701 EMU’s, with only the hope that the Arterio trains would see service as soon as possible. The trains, built at Alstom in Derby, had been scheduled to enter traffic in 2019 but have been plagued with faults preventing the start of driver training and train acceptance. Without the new rolling stock, SWR are unable to operate a full pre-COVID timetable and with overall passenger numbers at 70% of pre-COVID levels any previous plans to increase services in December 2022 have been deferred. On Wednesday 17th August, we caught a glimpse of SWR Class 701 No. 701048 on a mileage accumulation run at Poole:
Class 701 No. 701048 at Poole – 17/08/2022
From The Archive
This week in..
2019: Sunday 18th August 2019 found Class 33/0 D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ and GBRf Class 73 No. 73107 ‘Tracey’ top and tail London Underground liveried 4TC working 1Z74 1626 Swanage to London Waterloo “The Swanage Sunday Special No.4”
2016: The Railway Touring Company ran “The Dorset Coast Express” on 17th August 2016 employing LMS Jubilee Class 4-6-0 No. 45699 ‘Galatea’ and Class 33/2 No. 33207 ‘Jim Martin’ in top and tail formation.
LMS Jubilee Class 4-6-0 No. 45699 ‘Galatea’ working 1Z67 0842 London Victoria to Weymouth on the approach to Dorchester South – 17/08/2016Class 33/2 No. 33207 ‘Jim Martin’ on the rear of 1Z67 0842 London Victoria to Weymouth nearing to Dorchester South – 17/08/2016
2014: SR Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ and Class 33/0 No. 33029 with the return 17th August 2014 “The Weymouth Seaside Express” – 1Z83 1700 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads
SR Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ at Weymouth Jersey Sidings – 17/08/2014Nameplate detail of SR Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’- 17/08/2014SR Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ alongside Class 33/0 No. 33029 in Weymouth Jersey Sidings – 17/08/2014
“The Weymouth Seaside Express” – 17/08/2014BR Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’ passing through Upwey with Railway Touring Company organised “The Dorset Coast Express” 1Z67 0844 London Victoria to Weymouth. No. 70013 was one of the four locomotives which worked the farewell to steam rail tour on British Railways in 1968 – 20/08/2014WCRC Class 37 No. 37706 on the rear of “The Dorset Coast Express”. Due to the unavailability of an additional steam locomotive the Class 37 worked the return tour as far as Southampton Central, where the train reversed for the onward journey to London Waterloo via Laverstock once again under the command of No. 70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’ – 20/08/2014
2013:
DRS Class 37 No. 37402 with inspection saloon No. 975025 ‘Caroline’ departing Dorchester. ‘Caroline’ was converted from the buffet car of a former Hastings DEMU in the late 1960’s for use as a saloon for the General Manager of the Southern Region of BR to entertain VIP guests, but was also used by the engineers for line inspections and assessments. Originally numbered TDB975025 and with a kitchen and catering on board, she became known as the “gin palace” and an invitation to travel became something of a golden ticket. ‘Caroline’ formed the first standard gauge passenger working into the Channel Tunnel on 22nd October 1992. ‘Caroline’ now resides at Derby with LORAM/Network Rail and is widely used for track inspections, line repair assessments and still, occasionally, to entertain VIP’s. ‘Caroline’ has been earmarked for the national collection once her service life is over – 21/08/2013
2012:
SR Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ storms up Bincombe Bank at Upwey deputising for No. 5029 ‘Nunney Castle’ with The Railway Touring Company “Weymouth Seaside Express” rail tour. These were a popular series of Sunday excursions which ran from Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth – 19/08/2012
2011:
Back in August 2011 friends invited me to go along to a book talk and signing being given by author Neil Gaiman (who is currently enjoying success with the Netflix adaption of his “The Sandman” work). This seemed like a great idea, however the location was Edinburgh. Obviously, that’s not a short hop from Dorset being a distance of 548 miles, but after some investigation, I found I could travel from Weymouth to Edinburgh by coach for £9. Which at the time of booking seemed like a real bargain.
The first coach on my journey to Edinburgh ready for loading and departure from Weymouth at 1815. I needed to change coaches at Bournemouth and London Victoria – 15/08/2011The second coach just after arriving at London Victoria Coach Station @2210. This was a very nice coach with plush, comfy leather seats – 15/08/2011The third coach on lease to National Express stands at Charnock Richard Motorway Services during the 0300 driver fag break. This coach reminded me of the ancient vehicles which were employed on school trips all those years ago when the state was trying to educate me. And indeed, all those years ago when schools could organise trips without fear of litigation. My school ran a trip to Woodhams’ Barry Island scrap yard once. Nobody lost a limb and we all came back safe and sound after clambering all over the rusting steam locos. Oh, the memories came flooding back. Uncomfortable seats with harsh fabric made from the short sharp ear hair plucked from goblins, no leg room, defective air-con and the faint smell of sick – 16/08/2011
I thought I’d get some sleep on the coach from London to Edinburgh as the countryside passed by in darkness. I realised it wouldn’t be much of a deep sleep, more likely that light sleep where you’re semi-conscious of the movement of the transport you find yourself traveling in and when you wake up, you discover you’ve dribbled down your front. Or is that just me? Things started badly as we weaved our way through the streets of London and the driver turned on all the interior lights and the radio. The sound of Smooth Radio cut through my own choice of entertainment playing through my earphones making listening to my iPod difficult, and when a section of my fellow passengers started singing along to Simply Red, impossible. Eventually, as a woman a couple of seats in front of me started to wave her arms around in time to Bread’s “Make It With You”, I seriously doubted my decision to travel by coach, although in hindsight, she may have just been trying to get the overhead seating airflow to work.
Eventually, after driving all through the night, we arrived in Edinburgh and I headed off to Waverley railway station to make use of the excellent shower facilities available to weary travellers for the princely sum of £5 – for which you get a shower pack including shower gel and the loan of a towel. I checked Network Rail’s webpage on Edinburgh Waverley just now and the showers still cost £5. How reassuring.
After freshening up, I took a stroll along Princes Street and took in the landscaped gardens in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle – 16/08/2011I took a local bus out to Ocean Terminal to see The Royal Yacht Britannia – 16/08/2011The Royal Yacht Britannia. Again. Taken from the other end to that in the previous picture (someone can remind me of the correct nautical terms in the comments – thanks very much) – 16/08/2011
After visiting the shopping centre at Ocean Terminal, I headed back into the city with the intention of taking some railway photos from Princes Street Gardens, but because of very heavy rain I instead took shelter in the (then) new National Museum of Scotland.
The Wylam Dilly was built in 1813 and is one of the oldest surviving steam locomotives in existence. By strange coincidence, 1813 was the same year the coach I travelled on from London to Edinburgh was built – 16/08/2011The Wylam Dilly is named after the Wylam Colliery where it was used to pull coal wagons along the Wylam Wagonway to the river near Newcastle upon Tyne. A ‘dilly’ was the name used for the coal trucks used on the wagon way. Don’t tell me I don’t set out to educate – 16/08/2011Also in the National Museum of Scotland was Dolly the Sheep, a Finnish Dorset crossbreed and famous for being the first mammal to be cloned. She has to stand really still as she revolves around in her glass box. At night she drives around the museum in cars – 16/08/2011This is Sir Jackie Stewart’s racing car which can be found in the National Museum of Scotland. I observed that there was not much room to take home the weekly shop, but Dolly the Sheep likes how it handles corners – 16/08/2011
After visiting the museum and the rain abated it was time to find the location of the Edinburgh Book Festival and an interesting hour or so in the company of Mr Gaiman. While loitering for my friends to arrive, I inadvertently started a ramshackle queue, so front row seats awaited us. Go me!
A view of the approaches to Edinburgh Waverley – 16/08/2011Following chats, catch ups and pizza with my pals after the Neil Gaiman signing, I headed back south on another coach for the long journey to London. Actually, it was the same rubbish coach I had arrived in Edinburgh on earlier that day. Same drivers, but a different smelly bloke in the seat in front of me. You can imagine my enthusiasm when we met the above sign on the M6 at 4am – 17/08/2011Arrival into London Victoria Coach Station was over an hour late – 17/08/2011As my connecting coach to Bournemouth was due to depart a few hours after my arrival in London, I took the opportunity to stretch my legs and take in LNER A1 Class 4-6-2 No. 60163 ‘Tornado’ and empty coaching stock being moved into London Victoria railway station by EWS liveried Class 67 No. 67008 ready to form “The Cathedrals Express” rail tour to, of all places, Weymouth – 17/08/2011EWS Class 67 No. 67008 with the ecs for “The Cathedrals Express” nears London Victoria – 17/08/2011EWS Class 67 No. 67002 ‘Special Delivery’ and LNER A1 Class 4-6-2 No. 60163 ‘Tornado’ on the rear of the empty coaching stock movement into London Victoria – 17/08/2011LNER A1 Class 4-6-2 No. 60163 ‘Tornado’ departs London Victoria bound for Weymouth piloted by Class 67 No. 67002 ‘Special Delivery’ as the steam locomotive had no fireman at this point of the journey – 17/08/2011Former Wessex Electrics Class 442 No’s 442420 and 442410 on a Gatwick Express service with a SouthEastern Class 465 in the background – 17/08/2011Southern Class 455 No. 455839 with an unidentified SouthEastern Class 465 on the approaches to London Victoria. No. 455839 was one of the first Southern Class 455’s to be sent to Newport Docks for scrap earlier this year (The final journey being hauled by Class 47 No. 47727 along with sister Class 455 No. 455839 on 4th May 2022) – 17/08/2011The start of my own journey from London to Weymouth. However, by the time we reached Bournemouth I couldn’t take any more coach travel and I bailed out and took the train for the remainder of my trip – 17/08/2011SouthWest Trains liveried Class 444 No. 444005 having emerged from Bincombe Tunnel with a London Waterloo to Weymouth service – 17/08/2011 I arrived in Weymouth ahead of the steam tour and was able to see LNER A1 Class 4-6-2 No. 60163 ‘Tornado’ exiting Bincombe Tunnel on the run down into Weymouth with Steam Dreams “The Cathedrals Express” – 17/08/2011LNER Peppercorn Class A1 4-6-2 No. 60163 ‘Tornado’ was built between 1994 and 2008 to an original design by Arthur Peppercorn, the last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway. She was the first newly built British mainline steam locomotive following the completion of BR Standard 9F Class 2-10-0 No. 92220 ‘Evening Star’ in 1960, and the only Peppercorn Class A1 in existence after all the original locomotives of that class were scrapped. In 2017 No. 60163 became the first steam locomotive to officially reach 100 mph on British tracks for over 50 years – 17/08/2011 Nameplate detail for LNER A1 Class 4-6-2 No. 60163 ‘Tornado’ – 17/08/2022No. 60163 ‘Tornado’ worked “The Cathedrals Express” from London Victoria to Weymouth and then went tender first with her support coach to Yeovil Junction for turning while the train followed with Class 66 No. 66101 in charge. ‘Tornado’ took charge of the rail tour once again on departure from Yeovil on the return journey to London Victoria via Sherborne and Salisbury – 17/08/2011DB Class 66 No. 66101 assists with No. 60163’s support coach in the sidings at Weymouth – 17/08/2022
Video of “The Cathedrals Express” and light engine + support coach movement in the Weymouth area – 17/08/2022
2010:
Class 47 No. 47580 ‘County Of Essex’ heads 1Z62 0614 Shrewsbury to Weymouth “Dorset Coast Statesman” approaching Upwey – 19/08/2010Also at Upwey, Class 47 No. 47826 with Scarborough Spa Express branding works the return “Dorset Coast Statesman” 1Z63 1637 Weymouth to Shrewsbury – 19/08/2010The Railway Touring Company ran “The Dorset Coast Express” from London Victoria to Weymouth and back on Wednesday 18th August 2010. Having assisted at the rear of the main train on its return leg hauled by LNER A4 4-6-2 No. 60019 ‘Bittern’, SR N15 Class 4-6-0 No. 30777 ‘Sir Lamiel’ runs light engine with support coach to Weymouth, before running round and proceeding to Yeovil Junction for servicing at the mainline steam centre – 18/08/2010
Video of LNER A4 4-6-2 No. 60019 ‘Bittern’ during the 2010 summer season of “The Dorset Coast Express” rail tours. This is the result of experimenting with reformatting my 4:3 aspect ratio video footage in 16:9, however I’m not happy with the compression rate. But I’ll post it here at the bottom of the page, so probably nobody will notice!
That’s all for this time. Thanks for reading and for your corrections and comments to previous entries. Hopefully we’ll have our feet firmly back in 2022 for next weeks instalment. Join us again in seven days to find out!
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