Oliver Cromwell gets up early - Sat 28 June, about 0645

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Gordon T on June 27, 2014 at 9:06

If that's a bit early-ish, there's a nearby alternative: try Highbury & Islington Overground platforms around 1030, or Gospel Oak around 1050 - it's the Cathedrals Express from Ipswich to Canterbury, motive power an LMS 4-6-0. Progress tracking here.  Its return is diesel-hauled however - the steamer drops off at Willesden.

So far this year I've seen no steam-hauled trains through Harringay Green Lanes or South Tottenham, and the only forecast one is as far away as Sat 6 Dec, through South Tottenham but not Harringay Green Lanes.

Permalink Reply by Gordon T on August 1, 2014 at 9:46

A diesel instead of Bittern, but there's steam on the Underground

Bittern was due to pass through Harringay around 0715 on Sat 2 Aug but the trip to Scarborough is now reported as diesel hauled throughout due to fire risk (Network Rail have the final say-so on this).

All is not quite lost though, a little later on Saturday there is a series of trips, partly steam-hauled, between Northfields/Hammersmith and Moorgate to mark the sesquicentenary of the Hammersmith and City line.  Details here: http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/events-calendar/heritage-vehicle.... A repeat performance the following Saturday.

It's getting to be a thin time for Harringay steam-watchers, what with diesel substitutions over fire risk and during firefighters strikes, some locos out of service with mechanical problems, others spending more time on preserved lines and less on the main line, and a tendency to work from the steam depot in Southall with diesel haulage for the rest of the excursion. An extreme example is the Steam Dreams excursion from Southend Central to Minehead on Sat 16 Aug, which will be diesel-hauled all the way to Somerset and back (steam only on the West Somerset Railway part), thus removing an opportunity to see steam through Harringay Green Lanes this year.

Next steam through Harringay I can find is Sunday 12 Oct, a trip from Kings Cross to Lowestoft.

Permalink Reply by Gordon T on August 23, 2014 at 20:37

'Tornado' if you're keen - not through Harringay, last chance to see for several months - but EARLY departure

Departs Paddington on Mon 25th at (gulp) 0719 for a trip to Exeter. After that, it will be out of action for an extended overhaul, where, for example, its boiler will be returned to an engineering works in Germany for fettling. Arrival time back at Paddington 2113. Back on the rails Spring 2015, it seems.

Permalink Reply by Gordon T on October 7, 2014 at 8:10

Late cancellation

No steam on Sunday 12 October after all: the trip to Lowestoft is cancelled. Originally it was to use either Britannia or, in a rare outing for it, a 1945-vintage LNER class B1 4-6-0, both of which hauled trains to East Anglia in the steam era. A week ago the haulage was changed to one of two ex-Southern Railway locos, and now it seems neither of those is available.

Next scheduled steam through Harringay? Good question. There is a trip from Newbury to Cambridge and Ely via West Hampstead on Thursday 16 Oct, but it could travel via Harringay (using the curve at the south end of the northbound platform), or via Highbury & Islington, then Stratford. If through Harringay it would be around 1100. 

Permalink Reply by Gordon T on October 13, 2014 at 18:48

No, the Thu 16 October excursion is avoiding Harringay - via Highbury and Stratford instead. Not too far to go if you're out and about I suppose: Gospel Oak 1057, Highbury & Islington a few minutes later.

Next forecast steam (hah!) through Harringay is Sat 25 Oct around 0745. Even that's already had a revision. The return journey was to have been hauled by a preserved 'Deltic' diesel loco (long-time residents may recall the distinctive tenor whine of the high-speed diesel engines through Harringay up till the early '80s). However it's running on half power, so a preserved electric loco will do the return leg instead.

Permalink Reply by Gordon T on October 15, 2014 at 0:27

Steam through Harringay after all - but only at twilight

Now that the detailed timings for Thursday 16 Oct are out, the return journey from Ely should pass through Harringay station southbound about 1845 - realtime details here on the day.

Permalink Reply by Gordon T on October 15, 2014 at 16:52

And will set down passengers at Finsbury Park 1849 - 1853, if you fancy a night-time photographic challenge on its departure. [Not enough ISO range in my camera].

Permalink Reply by Gordon T on October 19, 2014 at 19:51

Ouch

Sat 25 Oct: provisional King's Cross departure is now 0708, so Harringay a little before 0715 (sunrise 0740).