4498 Sir Nigel Gresley chimes to the Bath Christmas Market | Steam Dreams Excursion - 05.12.22

One final railtour for the year for 4498 (60007) Sir Nigel Gresley, as well as her last appearance in wartime black, would see her head the Steam Dreams Excursion from London Victoria to Bath Spa. The train would travel via Ascot, Reading and Newbury to reach Bath, before heading to Bristol, via Lawrence Hill to turn the consist around for the return journey, and then to Bristol Depot for servicing. The return journey would see the train travel back to London via the GWML to Reading, before returning again via Ascot. The video begins firstly at Virginia Water where the A4 powers up the gradient having made a passenger pickup at Staines, followed by the arrival and departure at Reading for a pathing stop. Next it was off to an old favourite, Oldfield Park, shortly after the passenger setdown at Bath. At this point the tour was half an hour down having lost time at Newbury, and Gresley ended up being wrong roaded into Bath and is seen having a 'stand off' with a GWR 800 before crossing over and passing us with plenty of power and whistling. For the return, things went grim, as a delayed coal delivery resulted in the ECS leaving Bristol Depot over 90 minutes late, along with rain having arrived. After a 2 and half hour wait at Kenysham, the A4 finally came through, with a leaky cylinder, charging its way to Bath to pickup its waiting passengers. One thing our modern cameras can't pickup is the smell we all had at Keynsham after the trains passing, the smell of the crews dinner being cooked on the fire! With a water stop at Milton Jn we managed to overtake the train, and our final location brought us to Cholsey, where the A4, still around 90 minutes late, passed at a great pace, and still whistling to her onlookers as she powers her train back to the capital. A very rewarding day out chasing this fine machine, and I look forward to seeing it again in the future, when it returns to BR Express Blue. •Facebook:   / themodsterrailwayvideos