What was it?

[whole diary]

[chopper1944]

Living in Kingskerswell, I have just witnessed at a distance a double headed Class 73 and I think 12 coaches  with a further 2 Class 73 in the rear, crawling past and up the climb out of the old Kingskerswell station towards Torquay. The coaches were chocolate and cream. It sounded as if two if not 3 of the Class 73 had failed. The train finally managed to clear the top of the climb where the new Edginswell station will be and obviously it is down hill all the way to Torquay. It was a special clearly and does anybody know what it was? If there are problems with the Class 73s could be an interesting journey back as the climb out from Torquay is worse than the climb towards Torquay!!

[grahame]

The Herd of Wildebeeste (or perhaps just one beast)?

http://www.ukrailtours.com/product/the-herd-of-wildebeeste/

[Adelante_CCT]

Certainly problems this morning as it left Eastleigh depot a couple of hours late and started from Basingstoke instead of Waterloo.

The train finally managed to clear the top of the climb

Appeared to take 50 minutes from Newton Abbot to Paignton causing a couple of the following services to be late/terminate short at Newton Abbot.

[LiskeardRich]

From Exeter to Paignton should have been operated by 2x original 73 with 2 x73/9 dead on rear with 73/9's leading Waterloo- Exeter and the full return.

So the rear 2 were supposed to be dead throughout

[phile]

Certainly problems this morning as it left Eastleigh depot a couple of hours late and started from Basingstoke instead of Waterloo.

The train finally managed to clear the top of the climb

Appeared to take 50 minutes from Newton Abbot to Paignton causing a couple of the following services to be late/terminate short at Newton Abbot.

Firebells ringing on 73107, one of the leading locos, and pushed into Goodrington CS^» (Caledonian Sleeper - about) by rear locos.