7029 Clun Castle at full speed on the North Wales Coast Express | 29/4/23
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- Опубліковано 28 кві 2023
- Today’s video focuses on The North Wales Coast Express, hauled by WR Castle Class 7029 Clun Castle! 7029 Was hauling this special operated by Vintage Trains from Tyseley to Llandudno in place of 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, and it was far too good a proposition to miss. The tour was heading via Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe and Chester then along the North Wales Coast Line. Sadly on the outward it was diesel hauled from Chester to Llandudno, but on the return 7029 was given the chance to show North Wales what she does best! This was also my first trip to North Wales ever!
I headed out at 7:26 from my local to Birmingham New Street, where we set up on Platform 1 and view the train pulling into Platform 2 before giving a shouty departure; becoming a close call for me with a 158! After this I raced over to Platform 8 for the 8:34 train to Penkridge (meeting @blackcountrysteamvideos8021 at Smethwick) where I alighted and set up. Clun Castle came through at her customary extremely high speed; knocking over my tripod! Thankfully I noticed and caught it, and only the diesel was obscured from the camera so in all it didn’t do any harm. Then we headed up to Stafford on a 350, meeting @LiamsLocos, then grabbing a 390 the rest of the way up to Crewe, before a 153 took us to Chester. I stayed at the station, opting to see her pulling into the through line in the sun and heading off when given the road to turn. From here I was no longer chasing as it was diesel hauled, but I had by now met@harnettyrailwaysso the four of us headed for Deganwy to catch 7029 running light from Llandudno to Llandudno Junction for servicing.
At this point Richard headed back towards Chester, Luke and Liam went to Llandudno, and I stayed in Deganwy for a good Fish and Chips! I then took the 14:47 TfW service over to Abergele and Pensarn where I had a rest on the beach for a bit. After some time I set up to watch Clun Castle thrashing her way along the line at quite some pace, really showing me and the other spectators what she's capable of, beating cars alongside her on the A55 and giving a lengthy whistle for Abergele and Pensarn Station. After this I took the 18:05 service to Manchester Airport with Luke and Liam to Chester, alighting, then heading to Crewe, changing again for a 350 back towards the Midlands. Luke and Liam opted for Penkridge, but I stayed on and headed to Tame Bridge Parkway, which seemed to be a bit of a mistake when a late running 350 decided it wasn't in any hurry to leave my platform, pretty much obscuring the view. At that I headed home, arriving back at about 22:40.
In all an excellent day appears to have been had by all, thank you to everyone involved, TfW, NR, Avanti, LNWR, to VT and 7029's crew, to all the friends I met and people I spoke to! Although the weather wasn't always perfect we seemed to be able to make the best of it, and I hope you enjoy like I did!!
I lived in a bungalow in Prestatyn right along side the Chester to Holyhead railway line,I would sit in my conservatory and watch these beautiful locomotives pass at the bottom of my garden,people would come from miles around and watch them from the crossing at the side of my house,they were there in all weathers taking photographs and videos, enjoyed every minute of it,my children bought me a driver training day at Llangollen which I really enjoyed, the driver teaching me was a main line driver and he used to blow his horn every time he passed my home,what a great day out that was,I will never forget it,not cheap but worth every penny I didn’t pay for it. I’ve had to move back to Manchester because of health problems and to be near my children and grandchildren who do a brilliant job of looking after us.
That sounds fantastic! I would have loved to have been alive to see all of that. Amazing to hear your story, thank you for sharing it with me! I do hope this reply finds you well. Regards, Dan
From Chennai city, India. That was the best way to spend your retired life. Thanks for sharing.
That is so amazing ❤ thanks for the story you’re story is now for ever on UA-cam and every on wil read it so that story wil stay for others🎉😊
Pretty impressive turn of speed - it even impressed the large rabbit family that hopped alongside the line to have a look😂
Haha a very impressive run by considering the speed it was doing by Colwyn Bay - it had been signal checked only a few miles down the line! And the rabbits were definitely interested to watch it all unfold lol, I'm sure they weren't disappointed! Regards, Dan
We used to chase them up the main line from Chester, Saltney, and all the way to Llandudno - such a beautiful trip.
Haha sounds amazing! Thank you for your comment. Regards, Dan
Never seen that loco less than beautifully turned out.
Me neither, Tyseley's crews always turn her out very well. Regards, Dan
Looks like a beautiful summers day in Wales❤😂
Haha it was a bit of a weird day that lol. Cloudy yet rainy and sunny all in one - definitely a normal Welsh summer day 😂! Regards, Dan
Fantastic video as always dan!
Was a pleasure having your company along the way, memories made laughs and most importantly 7029 giving it full beans!
Nice one mate
Thank you very much Liam! Glad you enjoyed the video and the day out mate, lots of memories and 7029 absolutely thrashing it as always! Thank you very much. Regards, Dan
Great video. You certainly covered some miles to get all those shots. Thanks for sharing
Thank you very much, I'm so glad you enjoyed! And yes I did lol. Regards, Dan
Overtaking the silver coach on the A55..... brilliant. Great video 📹 👍🏻
I thought that the A55 really added to that video in fairness lol. Glad you enjoyed and thank you very much! Regards, Dan
For sheer living spectacle, you still can't beat a steam locomotive!
Absolutely agreed! I'm glad you enjoyed, thank you! Regards, Dan
Expertly built , nay a wee leak !
@@simonsadler9360 Haha absolutely! Regards, Dan
*Great Shots - Well Done !*
Thank you very much! Regards, Dan
What a fantastic clip alongside the road, thank you
Thank you very much! I definitely think the A55 aided that shot. Regards, Dan
Beautiful driving - smooth and progressive to avoid wheel slip and with mechanical empathy suitable for the age of the engine and the care and effort that has gone into its fabulous appearance.
Haha I totally agree! Tyseley do an incredible job with their locomotives, they always seem to know exactly how to turn them out and handle them correctly. Regards, Dan
Super good video Dan, some nice catches :)
Thank you very much, I'm happy you enjoyed it! Regards, Dan
Thanks for this. Took me back to my childhood (I'm 74).
Thank you very much! I'm very glad to have let you re experience what you saw back then! Regards, Dan
I was fortunate enough to visit UK and Europe last year, and am doing so again shortly, hoping this year the mainline steam tour on which I'm booked isn't cancelled (it was in 2022).
Terrific filming at Abergale.
Great videography despite the 'near' camera mishap. Most enjoyable. Those of us in other lands are grateful to individuals like you who know how to film and edit to ensure a good result on YT. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your extremely kind words, they are very much welcome! I do have a sizeable base of regular viewers from abroad so it's always great to hear from you!
The UK and Europe are very beautiful places to visit so I'm very glad you got to experience it and hopefully you'll get your mainline steam fix, it's a truly amazing experience.
Yes the camera mishap is the sort of thing that happens occasionally, especially at those speeds but I do try to avoid it lol. Very glad you enjoyed Abergele, I did too, it was better than I'd imagined! Thank you again. Regards, Dan
Good video, like!!!
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed! Regards, Dan
Great video of castle class
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed! Regards, Dan
Dan, Excellent coverage of the day and like me you experienced "bowling" at Tame Bridge. Regards, John
Thank you very much John! And yes I think we both ended up quite unlucky with those trains but sadly it happens sometimes. Regards, Dan
Great video Dan and good to meet you at Deganwy. Love the shot at Abergele, i nearly went there. Shame about the 350 at Tamebridg Parkway, they cause problems at Hartford too!🙄🤣
Thank you very much and you too, even if we didn't have much chance to talk lol! I'm glad you liked that and yes, those 350s are a menace 🤣🤣 Regards, Dan
Wow Its Awesome to See Steam in Action
Indeed, it is quite a spectacle! Regards, Dan
I caught flying Scotsman yesterday at stoke priors going to Bristol for the Sundays royal duchy tour and this is the first time a steamer to ever come down through Stoke priors
i hope you enjoyed that mate! Regards, Dan
@@crunchynutsteamfilms5043 yeah I have Dan
Next year bugger the cost will fly to tge Isle of Man to see the T.T and a steam ride ( from Spain) have 2 good friends there, in my youth all was steam .What is the average cost per mile as passenger ?
In my youth went from Paddington to visit Mum's brother in Cornwall on the Cornish Riviera Express & those Magnificent King class ,we took sandwiches etc , but in those days even the train food was cheap .Is the line still used with King class ?
Even the rabbits in Abergele love watching a Castle come past! 😂
Haha they sure do, and they weren't alone either lol! Regards, Dan
Great video as always Dan, I'm amazed the staff at New Street let you use your tripod. Cheers, Jake.
Thank you very much Jake, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes I was expecting some grief myself tbh but nothing came of it in the end. I guess the staff didn't want to walk through the rain to tell me off for something so trivial lol! Regards, Dan
@@crunchynutsteamfilms5043 Aha, maybe.
Good to see you yesterday Dan. The video has turned out well even with the tripod incident at penkridge.
Good to see you too yesterday mate! Yes the tripod incident was funny but tbf it only cut out the diesel from view so no harm done. Regards, Dan
I think great driving!
She was certainly been driven well indeed! Her crew are very experienced. Regards, Dan
Nice.
Thanks very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Regards, Dan
Brilliant video well done bye for now Philip
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed! Regards, Dan
Lovely to to see it at work. No wheel slip on starting ? Maybe a discrete push from the diesel ?
Thank you very much! Most crews try to avoid wheelslip for obvious reasons, but Castles, being 4-6-0s, slip far less often than 4-6-2s, because far more weight is distributed on the driving wheels making them harder to slip. It still happens of course but it's far less common with Castles than with other locos; that's why on departure at Chester the loco was able to move forward with no diesel assistance. Occasionally diesels will push a little on departure but that's more commonly to ensure the train gets up to speed and stays to time rather than to avoid wheelslip. I hope that helps! Regards, Dan
Nope; it was exactly the same at King's Cross when they had exchange trials running. All the LNER blokes were out on the country end of the platform, to watch how the Western would do in Gasworks Tunnel with a full length express - and, of course, they were used to Gresley's 4-6-2s skittering about as they tried to get a grip, especially in the wet. To their astonishment, the GWR driver opened her up and went blasting up the tunnel - to the equal astonishment of the bobbie at the northern end of the tunnel!
Great filming as ever. I was amazed to see her at New Street. Years ago, in pre-privatisation days, I was told that steam there was out of the question because of smoke detection alarms etc. Apparently for 'elf and safety it was classified as an underground station. Was this a one off or quite normal nowadays?
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed! In answer to your question, I assume the ban was lifted in the early 2000s as the first steam tour through there in preservation was 2012. Since then, it's not been common but it's not exactly rare either these days, still well worth a watch! Regards, Dan
A few years ago I had the misfortune of having to cross the rails and platforms of B/New Street via the roof high bridge. There must have been at least five diesel locomotives belching out dark blue/grey smoke , suffering from an industrial lung disease I was in dire straights. I’m seventy six now but in my youth spent a lot of time in ‘9a’ Longsight sheds Manchester ,enjoying the smell of coal smoke and steam . Diesel loco exhaust are a far worse poison .I’m a Stanier black 5, and B1 fan, but that Castle class is absolutely magnificent. Well done!
Wow, they are definitely living beings aren’t they? I miss steam trains so much. In mid-wales, when I was a child in the 60s, trains would go past at the bottom of our property. We would wave at them & they would wave back. The driver gave us a toot and waved his hanky. Happy days x
Oh for sure they're living beings. That sounds amazing! I would have loved to have seen those days. I'm thankful to the hard effort of those who ensure I can see them even in some cases over 100 years after they were built! Regards, Dan
I was in Goathland, on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, just a few weeks ago. A southbound steam train was stopped on our platform. While we were waiting around for it to leave, another steam train came at quite a chuff, going northbound. It passed behind our train. I couldn't see it go past, because the loco was in my way. All I could see where the chuffs of smoke and steam blowing up the stack, and I could feel the bark of the exhaust. I let me imagination run wild for a few seconds and I swear it felt like some huge, angry monster was running wild just behind that train. It was an amazing experience. Yes, they do feel exactly like living creatures.
@@CristiNeagu Gorgeous.
Plus 8 days ago I finally managed to catch royal Scot’s grey at atherstone on the ECS movement
That sounds great Scott, hope it was good. Regards, Dan
@@crunchynutsteamfilms5043 yeah it was
Even the rabbits are watching at around the 9 minute mark.
Haha definitely! I doubt there is any organism which can take its eyes off the sight of a Castle in full flight! Regards, Dan
i got an Idea would 7029 come the the U.S.A for my Demonstration of the New York Central.
Although 7029 has never gone outside the UK, some members of the Castle Class have gone abroad! Maybe you could twist reality a little there lol. Regards, Dan
What’s that doing at Euston? It should be down at Penzance
On this trip 7029 never went to Euston, and it's been many years since her last trip to Cornwall lol. GWR locos have proved their worth well away from home territory again and again! Hope you enjoyed the video. Regards, Dan
@@crunchynutsteamfilms5043 ok thanks
surely it can go faster
Yes it can although not under Network Rail's current restrictions. Regards, Dan
Quote @ 2:23 "That was Close" Unquote !!! Obviously "Crunchy Nut" does not understand "Interlocking & route setting" methods of signalboxes. Without which there would be train crashes all over Britain on a daily basis. Signals you need to understand are only the final 5% of a very complex and mainly invisible system !!!
A free tip @ 3:35. DON'T position yourself so near to the platform edge, if you want to continue taking photos. Or you WILL end up as the next lump of Strawberry Jam they find splattered along the underside of a train !
Thank you for your comment. I think if you read more closely into the situation at 2:23 you'd find I wasn't referring to a collision between the two trains. All other 7.8K viewers of this video appear to have understood that I meant I was close to having the 158 block my view of 7029. In fairness if I didn't understand UK signalling I doubt I'd be able to produce these videos, and given I've lived in Birmingham for the best part of 2 decades I'm more familiar than most with the operation of New Street station, so it would be a vast stretch to suggest that a station I use many days a year, and the signalling of it, is something I don't comprehend.
Thank you for your kind consideration of my safety at 3:35. Despite your observation, if I did become jam on the bottom of a train it would be more likely that a meteorite caused it from the position I was in; clearly behind the yellow line and out of harm's way.
By the way, if you want to refer to me directly, my name is Dan and don't worry as I do have a slightly larger grasp on physics and the UK rail network than you do and appear to think I do. Regards, Dan
There still is steam in Spain but far from where I live , Britain has £ trillions worth of coal now safely minable ,steel props , modern gas detection , no spark Led lamps , use this fortune
Some day I'd like to go abroad for steam filming but that's probably a while off yet lol. There is indeed lots of coal under the UK and whilst I'm in favour of using a small reserve of it for heritage operations, I believe the vast majority of it should stay where it is in favour of renewables. Regards, Dan