Ahead of next weekend’s Watercress Line Spring steam gala, we see one of the planned visitors in action on the mainline from regular UK Heritage Hub contributor James Corben. Please check out his youtube channel and subscribe (click here).
Video description:
On the 24th January and 1st March 2014, 35028 ‘Clan Line’ hauled the British Pullman around the Surrey Hills from London Victoria to Shalford and back. This video features both of those trips.
Starting at Byfleet and New Haw, the Merchant Navy accelerates away from a pathing stop, and makes light work of the 1in60 gradient up to the station on the South Western Main Line. The trip on the 24th January actually left the pathing stop 8 minutes early, and as a result of the early running, the raw video clip shows the quick reposition as steam was spotted rising from underneath the main line!
At Worplesdon, 35028 speeds through on the 1st March, with the sun taunting the photographers on the station. Had the railtour been a couple of minutes later, the sun would’ve been out! The 13 coach load was no problem for the engine, which regularly hauls this prestigious train over this route for the VSOE.
To finish the first proper video on my new channel, the trip on the 24th January was captured arriving into London Victoria, at the end of another successful trip.
Loco Yard 