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Not Allowed South Of Crewe
The weather forecast for 10 October 2017 in Gloucestershire was pretty good and the lure of a Stanier Pacific with the possibility of two shots at interesting locations was too much to resist. The 'master-plan' was to grab a shot of it at Kemble in the early afternoon and at Standish Junction in the late afternoon with the return working.
Virtually on-time at Kemble is 46233 'Duchess of Sutherland' working Steam Dreams 'The Cathedrals Express' which departed Southend at 09.06 with a destination of Gloucester. It is seen having burst out of the 400 yards long Kemble Tunnel and passing through the station at quite a speed. Of note is the recent addition of a diagonal yellow-stripe on the cab-side (just about visible), these were put on a number of steam engines in the mid-1960s indicating that they were not permitted to work south of Crewe under the 25KV wires, some Coronations received the stripe, but 46233 was not one of them. This marvellous locomotive is due to be taken off main-line duties this winter and is to be repainted into a shade of red and according to comments read in The Railway Magazine it has not yet been decided whether it is to be LMS or BR livery. The engine appears to be less shiny than is the norm for a preserved locomotive and a patina of dirt is adding to the look of these machines towards the end of their service for BR.
I mentioned Kemble Tunnel earlier; it would appear that in 1836 when the line was being surveyed the local squire, Robert Gordon sold some of his land to the railway at a cost of £250 per acre (which sounds like a large amount for over 180-years ago) and insisted on a tunnel being built so that he would not be able to see the railway from his home, 'Kemble House' - the power of money, it was as bad then as it is now!
The second part of the master-plan fell apart as 46233 had some problems with its tender before the return run, meaning a late departure at after 19.00 hours, far too late for a photograph at Standish Junction!
Not Allowed South Of Crewe
The weather forecast for 10 October 2017 in Gloucestershire was pretty good and the lure of a Stanier Pacific with the possibility of two shots at interesting locations was too much to resist. The 'master-plan' was to grab a shot of it at Kemble in the early afternoon and at Standish Junction in the late afternoon with the return working.
Virtually on-time at Kemble is 46233 'Duchess of Sutherland' working Steam Dreams 'The Cathedrals Express' which departed Southend at 09.06 with a destination of Gloucester. It is seen having burst out of the 400 yards long Kemble Tunnel and passing through the station at quite a speed. Of note is the recent addition of a diagonal yellow-stripe on the cab-side (just about visible), these were put on a number of steam engines in the mid-1960s indicating that they were not permitted to work south of Crewe under the 25KV wires, some Coronations received the stripe, but 46233 was not one of them. This marvellous locomotive is due to be taken off main-line duties this winter and is to be repainted into a shade of red and according to comments read in The Railway Magazine it has not yet been decided whether it is to be LMS or BR livery. The engine appears to be less shiny than is the norm for a preserved locomotive and a patina of dirt is adding to the look of these machines towards the end of their service for BR.
I mentioned Kemble Tunnel earlier; it would appear that in 1836 when the line was being surveyed the local squire, Robert Gordon sold some of his land to the railway at a cost of £250 per acre (which sounds like a large amount for over 180-years ago) and insisted on a tunnel being built so that he would not be able to see the railway from his home, 'Kemble House' - the power of money, it was as bad then as it is now!
The second part of the master-plan fell apart as 46233 had some problems with its tender before the return run, meaning a late departure at after 19.00 hours, far too late for a photograph at Standish Junction!