Here is a compilation of clips from the last two weeks of English Riviera Express tours to Kingswear headed by Thonpson B1 Mayflower, a plucky locomotive gaining more fans every trip as she mainly ‘goes it alone’ with 12 on the back and a diesel accounting chiefly for it’s own weight and the needs of the catering car.
We start the action on the down leg as 61306 approaches Newton Abbot station after a reduced speed approach causes the safety valves to blow. Through the station and under the road bridge takes the train to the crossover for the Riviera Branch to Paignton and Kingswear.
At Paignton she takes the train onto the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway and the climb, at up to 1 in 60, from Goodrington Sands Halt, now sadly out of use along with Churston and Greenway Halt since the pandemic. Entering the curves in the cutting the heavy load begins to tell before a little help from the diesel restores traction as the train heads on past Waterside as the line climbs above Broadsands Bay.
The return is captured at Churston as 7827 Lydham Manor arrives with the local down service and waits for our train to pass before setting off for Kingswear on the single track. 61306 guides the train under the road bridge and on down the descent to Goodrington. The sidings on the right are level which gives a good indication of the gradient.
I only just make it to Paignton in time and am still setting up as the train approaches. The B1 handles the start and climb out of the station impressively without a single slip and no help from the diesel.
Finally to Cockwood, where the tide is high, the wind non-existent and the weather forecast predicting clear skies. Well, as Meatloaf sang: ”Two out of three ain’t bad” although to be fair, the cloud was thinning and a watery sun was straining to get through creating an amazing faint pink glow. Signal checked at Dawlish Warren 61306 has to lift the train from a stand and we hear speed increasing before she hammers past the foot crossing before gliding over the harbour causeway where this pretty locomotive casts a beautiful reflection. A nice way to finish.
Chapters:
0:00 Titles and Newton Abbot
1:59 Goodrington
4:41 Churston
7:37 Paignton
9:44 Cockwood
