Today's "Missing link" Rail Tour - was it worthwhile?

[eMeS]

I heard about this tour too late, so contented myself videoing the train both ways crossing the flyover at Bletchley. Inspection of some of my still snaps suggests that seeing out from the train this morning could have been poor due to misted up windows...

 

[yorksrob]

If those on the railtour enjoyed it, then yes, it was worthwhile

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I hope it was a good trip, I should have liked to have gone on it but it clashed with something else. I wonder if it was successful, if they will repeat it at some stage.

 

[PeterY]

Yes for me it was worth the trip. I completed a few missing links, in my line bashing, albeit not a lot of mileage. I'd never rode over the Dudding Hill line, Poplar Curve, Greenford LTE Bay Jct to Greenford West Jct, Quainton Road to Claydon and Acton Canal Wharf Jct down to the West Coast Mainline.
The carriages were lovely and warm but the windows kept steaming up.
Worthwhile, then yes.

 

[50039]

I saw it through Tring in the morning (had planned to go to Bletchley but didn’t have time) and again at Marsh crossing in the afternoon... made an unusual sight on the single track to Aylesbury!

 

[33056]

Easy answer to steamed up windows on tours, invest in one of these (£3.50 from Wilkos)

 

[DarloRich]

Easy answer to steamed up windows on tours, invest in one of these (£3.50 from Wilkos)

Most humans come with a free de steaming implement already attached. It is called a hand.

 

[33056]

Most humans come with a free de steaming implement already attached. It is called a hand.

Works far better than anyone's hand / sleeve / paper hand towel from toilet and gets used for cleaning house / car windows as well

 

[DelW]

At least on mk1s you can wipe the condensation away, unlike misted up double glazing. We used a fair few paper towels which worked fine.
My new mileage was Aylesbury - Claydon - Oxford, and a short link from the Dudding Hill line to Wembley yard. Plus doing the flyover in daylight, unlike the one previous time I'd been over it.
Everything ran more or less to time, and we had nearly an hour and a half at Quainton Road, which I'd not visited before. So all in all I thought it worthwhile.

 

[gazthomas]

At Quainton Road


And earlier in the day at Husborne Crawley on the Marston Vale line.

It was snowy and very cold!

 

[Kite159]

I learnt a good trick when it comes to dealing with condensation on Mk1 windows, basically you get a couple paper towels and put a small amount of soap on it (wet the towels if it is hard soap). Wipe the window with said soap so that there is a thin layer of soap, which prevents condensation from forming so easily.

 

[gazthomas]

I learnt a good trick when it comes to dealing with condensation on Mk1 windows, basically you get a couple paper towels and put a small amount of soap on it (wet the towels if it is hard soap). Wipe the window with said soap so that there is a thin layer of soap, which prevents condensation from forming so easily.

Good advice!

 

[eMeS]

Here's a snap of the Missing Link tour on Bletchley Flyover

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I learnt a good trick when it comes to dealing with condensation on Mk1 windows, basically you get a couple paper towels and put a small amount of soap on it (wet the towels if it is hard soap). Wipe the window with said soap so that there is a thin layer of soap, which prevents condensation from forming so easily.

(I have tried that too a couple of months ago.)

The whole trip sounds excellent and covering a lot of unusual bits of track. Glad it all went so well.

 

[mushroomchow]

Inferring that a tour may not be worthwhile because "the windows seemed a bit misted up" must be one of the strangest things I have ever heard in the already strange world of railway enthusiasts.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I am just trying to work out in my head, by what routing did that train run? I presume it was along the normal West Coast Line from Euston to Milton Keynes, then reverse back to Blecthley and onto the flyover, did it then go back into Bletchley & onto Bedford, or did it go direct from the Flyover to Bedford.? I presume it was then southbound on the MML to the Mill Hill area for the Dudding Hill Line, but from there towards Aylesbury I am a bit lost. Did it then go forward from Alyesbury to Quainton Rd and Claydon/Calvert? for another reversal to join the Line through to Islip and Oxford and then on the GWR to Acton & up and round to Euston?

 

[PeterY]

The tour from Dudding Hill went down the Poplar Curve, West Ealing, Northolt, South Ruislip, Alyesbury Quainton Road (rest) and Claydon Jct. Back via Oxford, Acton Wells, Wembley South Jct, Harlesden Jct back to Euston. It also went direct from the Blatchly flyover to Fenny stratford.

I am just trying to work out in my head, by what routing did that train run? I presume it was along the normal West Coast Line from Euston to Milton Keynes, then reverse back to Blecthley and onto the flyover, did it then go back into Bletchley & onto Bedford, or did it go direct from the Flyover to Bedford.? I presume it was then southbound on the MML to the Mill Hill area for the Dudding Hill Line, but from there towards Aylesbury I am a bit lost. Did it then go forward from Alyesbury to Quainton Rd and Claydon/Calvert? for another reversal to join the Line through to Islip and Oxford and then on the GWR to Acton & up and round to Euston?

 

[Kite159]

I am just trying to work out in my head, by what routing did that train run? I presume it was along the normal West Coast Line from Euston to Milton Keynes, then reverse back to Blecthley and onto the flyover, did it then go back into Bletchley & onto Bedford, or did it go direct from the Flyover to Bedford.? I presume it was then southbound on the MML to the Mill Hill area for the Dudding Hill Line, but from there towards Aylesbury I am a bit lost. Did it then go forward from Alyesbury to Quainton Rd and Claydon/Calvert? for another reversal to join the Line through to Islip and Oxford and then on the GWR to Acton & up and round to Euston?

RTT links if they help:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53330/2018/03/17/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53331/2018/03/17/advanced

Reversed at Sharnbrook junction on the MML due to being too long to reverse at Bedford.

 

[DarloRich]

I am just trying to work out in my head, by what routing did that train run? I presume it was along the normal West Coast Line from Euston to Milton Keynes, then reverse back to Blecthley and onto the flyover, did it then go back into Bletchley & onto Bedford, or did it go direct from the Flyover to Bedford.? I presume it was then southbound on the MML to the Mill Hill area for the Dudding Hill Line, but from there towards Aylesbury I am a bit lost. Did it then go forward from Alyesbury to Quainton Rd and Claydon/Calvert? for another reversal to join the Line through to Islip and Oxford and then on the GWR to Acton & up and round to Euston?

Euston>MKC>Swanbourne>Fenny Stratford>BEdford>Sharnbrook>Bedford> south

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

RTT links if they help:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53330/2018/03/17/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53331/2018/03/17/advanced

Reversed at Sharnbrook junction on the MML due to being too long to reverse at Bedford.

Brilliant, thank you for that, I have worked it out from this info and my rail atlas.