20 December 2006 - Merry Christmas
With the news this week that the proposed final railtour of the year has unfortunately been cancelled, the curtain has been brought down on an excellent year performance wise from the loco. The repairs to the tender axle box had been completed the previous week as well as new TPWS batteries installed ready for the run on the 30th but now all that remains is to move the loco back to Tyseley from Old Oak Common. This is expected to happen on the 30th December as part of a stock move from London to the North West. The next few months will be spent on maintenance getting the engine ready for the 2007 season which for us begins on March 17th.
Thanks to all our members, promoters, TOC's & punters who did their part to make it a sucessful year. It just remains to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
2 December 06 - The Christmas Great Western
This trip started well enough leaving Willesden Junction and heading towards Reading. The relief line is littered with all kinds of restrictions which makes for a stop start affair, but with the loco working well good time was made. Leaving the servicing stop at Challow it was short burst to Swindon where a booking 12 minute stop was made giving passengers time to look at the loco and generally stretch their legs. The Bristol crew soon had the loco on the march again making excellent time resulting in a 10 minute early arrival at Bath. With everyone off it was the short run onto Bristol for the servicing stop. All was going well when just over an hour before departure the TPWS batteries gave up. Normally lasting a full 24 hours and having been fully charged as normal something was amiss and despite being put back on charge for the hour before departure (as well as seeking spares) the system refused to run and unfortunately an EWS class 67 had to put on the front of the train for the return journey. Now an hour late from Bath, the train got green signals all the way back into London, skipping the now un-required water stop at Wantage Road, the train was ontime arriving back at Willesden. It was discovered though on arrival here that an axle box bearing on the tender had melted owing to running hot. This sadly meant the loco was not able to run on the tour to Worcester the following day.
