gordon s Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Really had a great week for mainline steam running. Princess Elizabeth for the Jubilee, Duke of Gloucester yesterday and today was the turn of Britannia on The Cathedrals Express running from Alresford to Ely and return. An interesting route passing through what was the old KX shed area and joining just south (corrected) of the Copenhagen Tunnel. Up the Hertford Loop, ECML and then Royston and Cambridge and finally Ely. Like the other two locos earlier in the week, it looked in great shape as it stopped at Sunningdale to pick up additional passengers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 7, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 7, 2012 ... today was the turn of Britannia on The Cathedrals Express running from Arlesford to Ely and return. An interesting route passing through what was the old KX shed area and joining just north of the Copenhagen Tunnel. Up the Hertford Loop, ECML and then Royston and Cambridge and finally Ely. Lovely pics as usual Gordon. And for a spot of geographical exactitude assuming it went via the North London Incline it would join the GN south of Copenhagen Tunnel at what was once, I believe, - and a long time ago - Copenhagen Jcn but is nowadays first Kings Cross Incline Jcn then Freight Terminal Jcn (where it joins the ECML proper) - those hours spent in meetings discussing signal controls and SPAD mitigation measures on the North London Incline clearly have some residual value . The link line from the North London Line has, I think, moved about a little over the years but I think it has always lain basically on the north side of of the former Top Shed site although it has been altered a bit in more recent times to ease the curve and gradient. It is indeed an interesting route although I have only been round it once - enroute from Waterloo to Peterborough on an HST. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 Apologies Mike, you are of course quite right. I got my Gasworks and Copenhagen's mixed up. Had I known what the route was I would have loved to have done the journey. I was brought up in Palmers Green and spent years of my youth between PG and KX. Also lived in Royston and close to Cambridge and Ely latterly, so it would have been a real trip down memory lane. I wonder if they are running it again later in the year? Off to Google and see what's what... https://maps.google.com/maps?q=gospel+oak&hl=en&ll=51.54067,-0.126922&spn=0.005312,0.011491&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=54.753001,94.130859&t=h&hq=gospel+oak&radius=15000&z=17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 7, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 7, 2012 Off to Google and see what's what... https://maps.google....dius=15000&z=17 Thanks for that link Gordon - seems very odd looking at an aerial picture of something I saw originally on drawings although I've subsequently seen it from a Eurostar carriage window on a couple of occasions (but not quite the same as looking at an aerial view of course). If you fancy a trip in a Tardis this is an interesting comparison http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d4/Railway_map_central_london_1899.gif Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 Something I have just noticed looking at the pics I took this morning. Is that a Westinghouse brake pump fitted at the front? Is that a demand for current main line running? I've not seen this loco for the best part of 50 years as it certainly wasn't there back in the 60's.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesome_whistle Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Many of today's mainline locos are fitted with Westinghouse pumps so that they can run with air-braked stock. DB Schenker (and, before them, EWS) have been AB only for a number of years. In that period West Coast have crewed all the vacuum only main line steam although just the other week DB-S did have John Cameron's K4 on the Cathedrals Explorer between Inverness and Kyle. The K4 has been fitted with a through air pipe (a much cheaper and less invasive modification) which allows it to be rescued by an AB only diesel should the need arise and perhaps that, together with the fact that DB are now contracted to run all Steam Dreams tours, explains the relaxing of DB's previous policy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
45669 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I, too, was out photographing this train this morning and three pictures of it at Frimley are now on Flickr. Here's the first one : RD7054. 70000 BRITANNIA approaching Frimley. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr Clicking on the picture will enlarge it and take you to the others. Hope that they are of interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I remember seeing Brit nearly everyday when I was a kid and she was based at Stratford (RIP). My bedroom overlooked the GER mainline east of Shenfield (which was on an embankment). Particularly spectacular at night with the firebox glow. Thanks Gordon (and others). Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Its appearance at Stevenage was later than we had been led to expect and the weather was less than clement. Tom F and I preferred not to stand outside in the rain waiting for it. [Wimps R Us] Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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