Heritage Railway – August 01, 2019

No.61306MayflowerhauledSteamDreams’Prince sRisboroughto WeymouthcharteronJune27.TheB1 isse en

passingTotton.DONBENN

TheRailwayTouringCompanykickedoffitssummerseriesofs team-hauled

trainsfromYorkto Carlisleins tyleonJuly7, whenA 360103 FlyingScotsman

workedthefirst ‘TheWaverley’ofthe2019season.ThePacificisseenpassing

AisGill.‘TheWaverley’trips operateviaLeedsandtheAireValleytot ravel

overthespectacularSettlean dCarlisleline–thenextdeparturesforwhich

arebookedtor unonAugust11,18a nd25.MICHAELANDERSON

Bulleidssteal show

atYeovil Junction

ALTHOUGHthecancellation of a

‘Cathedrals Express’, duetocoincide

withtheYeovil Railway Centre’s 25th

anniversaryweekend on July 6/7,was

adisappointment, compensa tion came

in th eform of visitsbyBulleid Pacifics

before and afterthe event.

Steam Drea ms hadeveryintention of

runningatrain toYeovil butwasblocked

by SouthWesternRailwayswhichadded

extraservices between Salisburyand

Gillingham (Dorset), thereby denyinga

path forsteam.

However, West Countr y4-6-2

No.34046BrauntonranfromYeovil

PenMillfor turning andservicingon

June26and July3withSaphosTrains’

‘DorsetCoastExplorer’. Top-and-tailed

withClass 47 D1944Craftsman,the

Bristol-Weymouthexcurs ions followed

the formerGreatWesternrouteto

the coast viaMaiden Newton and

DorchesterWest.

Thelight Pacific dr ew acrowd of

spectators to the centre but itwasthe

appearanceofMerchantNavyclass

4-6-2 No.35018British India Linewhich

filled the junction’s adjacentcar parks –

enthusiasts driving infrom alldirectio ns

to seeand photogr aph alocomotive

whichprobablyhad notbeenseen at

Yeovil sincethe early Sixties.

Aimedatf amilies,high temperatures

and choiceofhot weatherattractions

took thei rtoll on the 25th anniversary

event–yet the financialreturn was

reportedly satisfactory.

Plans to extend thecentre’s south

chordfollowingthe originalGWR broad

gauge earthworks –the link wasnever

completed–are on theagenda.Track

hasbeen sourcedand sohasthe cost:

track and transport totalling £11,000.

The‘ShakespeareExpress’isbackfor the

summer –withthe Bard himselfonboard!

AFTERayear of inactivity, Vintag eTrains hasreintroduced

itsBirmingham-Stra tford-upon-AvonsummerSunday

‘ShakespeareExpres s’services,which forthe most partwill

be worked byWR 4-6-0 No.7029ClunCastle.

To date,the only exception is the‘Express’running

on August 4,which is bookedforhaula ge by‘Jubilee’

4-6-0Bahamas.

Furthermore, anew additiontothe package willbe the

presenceofacharacteractor playingWilliam Shakespeare

himself–reciting sonnets as he passesthroughthecoaches

on all journeys.

As usual ,passengersboarding trains fromthe

Birminghamendoft he lin ecan chooseto join trains at

Birmingham SnowHill,MoorStree torTyseley main line

station. Childrenunder 12can travelfree.

Promotedasanhour’s ride through theWarwickshire

countr yside,the‘Express’provides catering in theform

of lunch, afternoon teaors nacks from newly-introd uced

wicker hampers.

Trains commenced running on Sunday, July 21 and will

continue onAugust 4and 18,plus September1and 15.

As prev iouslyreported, the‘Express’has fr eshcompetition

from July 28. West CoastRailwayshas entered the Bard’s

market withits‘MerchantofA von’excursions whichstart

from Burton-on- Trent.

Calling atTamworth, ColeshillParkwayandTyseley main

line,thesetrains offer the option ofriding onasecon dleg

from Stra tfor d, picking upat Dorr idge andTyseley main line,

settingdownatMoor Stree torS nowHill.

Runningdates forthe‘MerchantofA von’areJuly 28,

August 25 andSeptember8and 22.

Motivepower is drawnfromWestCoast’sCarnforth fleet.

Writetous:Heritage Railway,MortonsMediaLtd,POBox43,Horncastle, LincsLN 96 LZ. eritagerailway.co.uk 59