Great Western Coffee Shop

No crowd troubles here this afternoon - between Hawkeridge Jct and Trowbridge - self and one other in a very large, otherwise empty, field.

(https://i.postimg.cc/9X752Q1J/JWN06851.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Was tempted to go to Swindon station and see it come through but it coincided with the climax of the Test Match.

Looking at OTT it looked like a close thing for those on platform 4 with a westbound train in a position to photobomb the excursion’s arrival.

Flying Scotsman is always worth a view but the cricket was far more exciting this afternoon.

I've said elsewhere a few times this evening that, despite me not being religious, I think God is definitely an Englishman.

Oh, and cracking picture of Flying Scotsman Clan Line.

And also, great forum name CL. I have a poster (Art Deco interpretation) of 'Clan Line' steaming through Templecombe, in my hallway.

I knew I had one somewhere - on the outward journey?

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/jm_scotsman.jpg)

Tangentially (on a GW forum!)
From a Flanders & Swann revue of the 1960's, in the intro to "Slow Train":
"If God had meant us to fly, He would never have given us the Railways."

There is actually truth in that saying, in that the rolling resistance of a steel wheel on a steel rail is particularly low; c15% of a pneumatic tyred wheel on a tarmac road yet with a co-efficient of friction high enough for braking. Nature has therefore endowed humanity with an especially efficient form of land transport. One day this may even be recognised.

All things wise and wonderful...

OTC

Muppet photographer in white t-shirt risking life and limb to phot Flying Scotsman. The person taking the video seems too close to the platform edge also.

And my other bugbear relating to said locomotive rears its head too. Spurious definite article.

https://fb.watch/7AI961is4V/

(https://i.ibb.co/1GB71CT/Screenshot-2021-08-24-14-52-20-469-com-facebook-katana.jpg)

The problem is he is not only risking his life and limb but the enjoyment of the spectacle for everyone else.  God forbid there is an accident caused by actions such as his, because it would very likely bring the whole question of whether steam charters should be allowed on the mainline.  There are already those who would like to see them banned because of issues like lineside fires, damage to overhead wires, potential for failures and crowd control.  A fatality in such circumstances would just add to their cause.