x4 tours in 1 day | Britannic Explorer, 33207 + 33025 & 47848, 47830 + 47810, Hastings unit + MORE!

A crazy day out in the sunshine chasing no less than four railtours today! We begin the video at Bishops Lydeard where the luxury Britannic Explorer sleeper is seen preparing to head down the line to Norton Fitzwarren, while 9351 is steamed up for WSR services.

The Mogul is seen coming off shed, as 66745 ‘Wigan Springs Branch’ and 66748 ‘St Michael’s Mount leave Bishops Lydeard, and are then seen passing 40 Steps on their way to Cornwall.

As the prolonged hot weather continues across the UK, Network Rail have had little choice but to impose a black alert steam ban across the national network until at least 29th of this month and possibly beyond, due to fears of lineside fires and in an effort mitigate any delays and disruption caused to services in the event of heat related incidents.

This meant that while WSR were able to cautiously operate 9351 on the Minehead branch, two railtours today saw their itineraries altered to meet the latest fire risk ban. Locomotive Services / Saphos English Riviera Express rail tour should have seen a Locomotive Services Group steam engine relieve one of the diesels on today’s trip, originating at Woking once the tour arrived at Taunton. Indeed there was a pathed move to bring 5029 ’Nunney Castle’ down from Crewe yesterday but again due to the steam ban this was cancelled and owing to fire risk, 60007 ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ remained firmly tucked up in the shade on the WSR at Westridge, giving way to BR two tone green Class 47s 47830 and 47810 ‘Crewe Diesel Delpot’ to head today’s ERE to Kingswear.

The Railway Touring Companies ‘West Somerset Steam Express’ also previously set to be steam hauled by SR 34028 ‘Eddystone’ had to switch to diesel haulage with x2 West Coast Railway Company Class 33 Cromptons 33207 ‘Jim Martin’ and 33025 with WCRC 47848 on the rear, and this arrived not long after the LSL 47s departed, heading from London Paddington up to Minehead along the West Somerset Railway.

This kick started something of a Southern diesel theme on the Minehead branch today, as the lines own DEPG resident Crompton D6566 was out on the diesel diagram, and a fourth railtour was also inbound later in the afternoon, formed of a x6 coach consist of Hastings Diesels LTD green set 1013 (with motorcars S60119 and S60118 'Tunbridge Wells') working the Branch Line Societies 'Cotswold and Exmoor Explorer charter' operated by GB Railfreight.

Final scenes show the Cromptons running round at Minehead as the Hastings unit arrives, before the 33s power out of Minehead and are also caught at Castle Hill, then we finish with the Hastings unit briefly pausing at Bishops Lydeard before heading for the mainline bringing to a close a very busy day for the WSR and mainline charter industry in the Westcountry!

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