Steam Trains Beat The Heat: August Bank Holiday Railtours - 2019 The Dodo [rxmTHIa8aQG]

The August bank holiday weekend (the 24th, 25th and 26th) saw the UK in the midst of another heatwave, with dry conditions and temperatures reaching 30C+ in places. However, this wasn't enough to stop the fine selection of main line steam railtours in operation during the Saturday and Sunday, of which this video features three.

The first of three shots paddy pimblett starts off at Eckington, where we capture 7029 'Clun Castle' in storming fashion, as she returns to Tyseley from Gloucester with the 'Gloucester Goes Retro' tour, which ran in conjunction with the festival of the same name on the Saturday. Clun's final shed during her service with British Railways was Gloucester Horton Road (85B), with this tour being her first visit to her old home since returning to the main line earlier this year.

Still on the Saturday, our second shot takes us over to the Cotswold Main Line, which played host to 6233 'Duchess of Sutherland', returning to London Paddington from Worcester, with a dent 'Cotswold Venturer'. The LMS Pacific is seen just east of Honeybourne, as she begins the charge up the 4 miles of 1 in 100 to Chipping Campden Tunnel. She could be heard for quite a way after she passed us!

After two storming runs, we end on something a little more subdued. The Sunday saw Carnforth based 8F No.48151 working the second of West Coast Railway Company's 'Merchant of Avon' tours from Burton-on-Trent to Stratford-upon-Avon and return. She is captured at Danzey, in beautiful afternoon light, making a gingerly ascent of the long climb between Wootton Wawen and Earlswood with the return run. The exact reasons for the rather cautious performance haven't been stated officially, however, the general consensus seems to be a combination of her being low on coal and there being a potential fire tanker risk, given the conditions. A pilot engine, in the form of Class 31 No.31128 from Nemesis Rail, was attached at Landor to assist with the rest of the run back to Burton-on-Trent. Whatever the performance, it was still nice to see 48151 again for the first time since 2011, especially as this turned out to be her last tour before withdrawal for overhaul, which I was unaware of at the time of filming, despite knowing her ticket was indeed up at some point soon.

Filmed on a Panasonic VXF990 with a Pro Sound L92AA microphone.

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