Great Western Coffee Shop

Headed down to the seawall at Sprey Point near Teignmouth today, partly to see if the scheduled steam charter would appear but also to try out my new tripod.

Captured 60009 Union of South Africa being assisted by a diesel on its way to Kingswear.

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/uosa1507.jpg)

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/uosa2.jpg)

I then wandered to the other side of the Point to take some pictures of Teignmouth town.   After a short time I was approached by a gentlemen who asked if I knew what time the steam train was returning.   I told him and he thanked me adding "A guy round the other side told me it was a secret".  I thought that was a bit unusual but carried on experimenting with my camera.

Minutes later I was joined by another photographer who asked me if I had been asked about the steam train returning.  I told him I had.  He then retorted "I didn't tell him - he walked right in front of me when I was shooting the train!"

"Union of South Africa" is just about the only locomotive who's number reads the same the other way up.   And it's unusual to see it coupled to another locomotive who's number is also readable - all be it as a different number - if it's the other way up.

Typical mathematician's reply!  ;D

On a similar tack there have been a couple of reports of train drivers being confronted with speed boards showing 08.  Turned out an 80 board had flipped round.

"Come in boat number 9; your time is up."

"We haven't got a number 9."

[pause]

"Number 6, are you in trouble?"

Caught sight of it down Kingswear. We did a Round Robin to give us more time to sober up after going to the Kingsbeer festival last night!

Noting a suggestion elsewhere that hinted that the train was really powered by 66106 ... and that 60009 was little more than a decorative figurehead.   Is that the case, and does it mean that the train was really pulled by a steam engine or not?

The Sophos Riviera Express we went on 2 weeks ago had a steam locomotive at the front and a diesel.  This was because Network Rail restricted the power of the steam loco so as not to cause lineside fires.

I believe heritage steam locos have been banned in much of Northern England because of the fire risk.

I think of it as a double-headed train with 60009 doing some of the hauling, but the diesel doing more of the work on climbs and pulling away from stops. Reduces risk of hot embers being emitted.

The diesel was doing all of the hard work except on the Kingswear branch

Yes, there's a general steam only ban on Network Rail metals at the moment. Steam locos can fire up but the regulator has to remain closed.

Yes the videos of 60009 on the tour certainly confirm that. However she seems to have been allowed to stretch her legs once on the Dartmouth Steam Railway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcUdMaKf0Kk

And another

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/800_008.jpg)

mmm.  To my trained eye, those 8s are upside down though...... :P

It was admitted on twitter shortly after 800 008 was "rainbowed up" that the number transfer had been applied upside down.

Not all the transfers were upside down though....

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/trainbow.jpg)

Found the tweet  (although looking again at Graham's photo I think that *has* been inverted while being edited and posted)


(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/trainbow.png)

In that case the warning flash to the right of the numbers is upside down as well...... ::)

My photo was inverted ... I had not been aware of the original having them done that way!   Times when fact and co-incidence is stranger than fiction!

Funny how there seems to be a platform edge at the top left of the picture...  ;D

Well spotted Rob....

What was the purpose of that? the weird little man, honestly some people are such idiots.  Its not like hes going to draw a massive crowd by telling him, only a few people bother going to see the return that late on a Sunday anyway.