34067 Tangmere, 44871 + 45407
Just as this iconic tour seemed about to unravel due to mounting unavailability of loco's, in step Ian Riley's super reliable duo for what turned out to be a pretty spectacular couple of days in the far West. The second part of the first leg from Victoria to Exeter on the old Southern line turned out to be a disappointment as a "powered" class 47 diesel was attached at the back of the train hauled by 34067 Tangmere from Salisbury. At the top of Honiton Bank we can unfortunately see the results of over-enthusiastic "banking" although the weather and spectacle certainly made for wonderful images. A quick grab shot on an over-bridge just before Pinhoe catches the train coasting through the countryside. On to the next leg from Exeter to Par where the crowds are enjoying the sun at the Double Locks Pub we see the Black 5's in the far distance gradually picking up speed after leaving St David's as they head off over the city viaducts through St Thomas. Emerging from the trees at Matford the immaculate black pairing speed on towards the Exminster Marshes under the noisy M5 motorway. The final location for Day1 is the pretty viaduct at Forder where we leave the train heading off over the short summit into the sunny West. Overnight accommodation in Cornwall allowed for an easy start for the Day 2 leg from Newquay to Cardiff. The summit of the climb from sea level at Newquay over the backbone of Cornwall is the overbridge on Goss Moor, where the extra weight of the diesel, attached for all the manoeuvring at the mainline end of the branch turns the climb into a real challenge! Next to the Glynn Valley for a long shot of the climb from Bodmin Parkway, here a shower of rain a few minutes before makes the climb between Swainsford and West Largin just a little more difficult! Then to Bittaford where we see just how close the GW mainline gets to Dartmoor as the pair make a fine sight passing around the foot of Ugborough Beacon on the way to the summit at Wrangaton and Brent Hill beyond. Finally a nice close-up (the immaculate polish of yesterday now burried under a nice layer of grime) as they hurry the train up through the Exe valley at Woodrow Barton and eastwards towards Bristol and the remaining 7 days.
20 апр 2013
