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I have had a brief account of the weekend’s trips for 70013 from David Thompson (one of the support crew) who has just got back from the South West after a long and tiring weekend. Given that he can only have just got home. I am very grateful to him for his email, which he probably wrote before he had even properly unpacked. It is brief and to the point, but it covers all the essential information about the weekend. Although I enjoy descriptive reports of jobs I wasn’t able to go on, really for me it is enough to know that the engine went out, did her job faultlessly, got to where she needed to go and is now stabled safely ready for the next job. Well done lads. Thanks Dave for the email and the photos.
His email read:
“Thursday saw the start of preparations of Oliver Cromwell ready for the move from Eastleigh to Bristol on Friday then working the Dartmouth Express Saturday then moving to the West Somerset Railway late Sunday with a Monday journey home. A long weekend for some.
While at Eastleigh Oliver Cromwell met up in steam with Manston which was running around Eastleigh yard.
OC performed faultlessly all weekend, with a fine climb of Whiteball in both directions with a load of 12 coaches on the drawbar.
An early arrival back at Bristol was spoiled by a points failure at Bristol Temple Meads, even then we were only a few minutes late arriving.
On a You Tube video the comments were that Oliver Cromwell was a tribute to the crews who maintained her. Thanks all round”.
And Thanks from us to Dave for his email.
On Sunday afternoon, leaving Loughborough Shed, we met up briefly with one of the other support crew members who was arriving for his Personal Track Safety refresher course. His comment about the trip on Saturday was “I thought we all needed ear defenders on the way up Whiteball: It was so loud...”
This weekend was a busy one for the Association’s charges with both Lamiel and the Class 33 in traffic for the War Weekend at the GCR. The 33 was on duty with the 4-big, but unfortunately was trapped inside at Rothley by a points failure on Sunday afternoon (points problems appear to have been a theme for this weekend!)