Thetownend.com

I know some of you are in to such things, I think Flying Scotsman is due through Swindon at around 1950 this evening, don't shoot me if the info is duff but I think this is the train?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54521/2016/06/08/advanced

Bloody Flying Scotsman!!  Went down to Transfer Bridges with grandson, never heard him coming, there was no steam and he was being pushed from the rear by a Class 47 diesel - which was working hard!!

What do you expect from LNER trash?

Late Never Early Railway

Pedant moment, you never heard 'her' coming and 'she' was being pushed.

Steam engines were and are always referred to in the female form (whatever their specific name may suggest), some say it was because drivers loved their engines, others because they were temperamental and hard to manage - I couldn't possibly comment!  ;)

Yes the performance or lack thereof at Swindon (and in fact most of the way back from Crewe to Paddington) seems to have ruffled many feathers, no idea what the issue was?

I went to see it/her at Eastleigh a few weeks back. It was being pushed that day to which takes the shine off a bit.

Should have known better Horlock - many apologies!!  As you say many disappointed comments yet there is a video on-line of HER steaming under the bridge at Brinkworth!!

No worries I had it drummed in to me from an early age from my previously Swindon Works working father (he left after the steam days ended)....

There seem to be various theories as to why the speeds are so slow and so assisted:

• There seems to be a big problem with her fitting through stations on Brunel's Billiard Table, which is odd as it was built to the broad gauge, but seems to be getting narrower year on year- many former Gods Wonderful Railway stuff that fitted for years now doesn't for instance the Halls!
  
• As its been very dry there is a fire risk and if she sets stuff on fire and is temporarily banned on the mainline it will cost the tour promoters and the National Railway Museum a fortune
  
  Or most likely She is poorly designed LNER crap and thus needs help - most of Gresley's stuff on the LNER was only sorted after various ex Swindon engineers got their hands on it after nationalisation!
  
  

Have just read a few replies to the Brinkworth video, now saying that a little steam was for show only and she was not actually steaming in terms of pulling the load!  Incidentally the class 47 diesel (can you refer to a diesel as "she"?) had a rather large union jack painted, or vinyled on the side - a vote leave driver no doubt!!!

I think she had been pulling the load earlier and was in a video I have seen at Iver later?

Videos from Swindon here the 47 definitely isn't just ticking over,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5D1_YdqoCg

I think one issue is that with so much trespass going on with all runs plus the problems with gauging at the stations is that with so much slowing now and having to accelerate they need the diesel for acceleration and to keep time?

Diesels are just it as far as I am concerned, I think the Union Jack is a hang over from the jubilee

And to think that people consider birdwatchers boring...

Depends what type of birds it is, we have a lovely pair of tits in the garden.

Only when the weather is warm enough to get them out.....