Fast Steam at Brookwood

[mrknowwun]

With a little bit of Assistance from a 47, but it sure looks and sounds the part.

We were due to have LNER A4 class 60009 Union of South Africa run the 12th Aug Dorset Coast Express. Suddenly at the last moment it seems that it could be out of gauge for that route. So at the last moment Mayflower is prepped and fired up, and steps up to the plate for this run. As it turns out its made a fantastic display here at Brookwood, but I cancelled the rest of my plans to chase and film the A4 all the way down to Weymouth and back.

[youtube]iJpnkyOXRNs[/youtube]

 

[70014IronDuke]

With a little bit of Assistance from a 47, but it sure looks and sounds the part.

We were due to have LNER A4 class 60009 Union of South Africa run the 12th Aug Dorset Coast Express. Suddenly at the last moment it seems that it could be out of gauge for that route. So at the last moment Mayflower is prepped and fired up, and steps up to the plate for this run. As it turns out its made a fantastic display here at Brookwood, but I cancelled the rest of my plans to chase and film the A4 all the way down to Weymouth and back.

[youtube]iJpnkyOXRNs[/youtube]

Looks and sounds excellent - but not especially fast, is it? I'd have thought around 60 mph, maybe a tad more - but that is perfectly normal for a B1 with that load. B1s were not meant to be 80 mph express locomotives, but go-anywhere, cheap maintenance Class 5s.

I don't know if this is the original Mayflower ? - used to be an Immingham engine, I think, and would often work the Cleethorpes - KX up to around 1961, when Brits were released for the turn.

IIRC, the Brits knocked 15 mins off the schedule Kings X - Peterboro'. bigger boiler, wide firebox, ooodles more power.

Is the trailing locomotive allowed to add traction at that speed on the open line?