The Thrill of the Chase!
This channel is primarily dedicated to preserved railways, but for some time I’ve been keen to chase a main line steam tour, particularly with the return of the unique BR Standard Class 8, No.71000 Duke of Gloucester. This blog captures the thrill of that chase as, alongside @ChaileyStowe, we raced the tour across the country from Purley Oaks to Keynsham and back again.
An issue with Duke of Gloucester’s AWS on the Tuesday evening meant that B1 No.61306 Mayflower would take charge of the tour. However, this unexpected change brought with it a rare opportunity: the return leg from Bath Spa to Three Bridges would be hauled by both locomotives in a double-headed move back to Sussex. An event simply not to be missed.
As is customary when travelling with Chailey, the day started early. We made the run from Sharpthorne to Purley Oaks to capture the empty coaching stock move from Southall Depot to Three Bridges. For this tour, I was also trialling a new video technique I’d discovered the night before, setting the shutter speed to double the frame rate. In this case, that meant 1/60 for 30fps video. A bit of risk, but I believe one that paid off, especially when we got into the darker scenes.
This was my first time seeing No.61306 Mayflower. Chailey had spoken highly of the locomotive and why he thought I’d enjoy it, though as a Southern man I’ll admit to a certain bias against locomotives from other companies. At Purley Oaks, Mayflower thundered through on the fast lines, making filming a challenge while leaning over the fence, particularly given the weight of the camera. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by how the footage turned out, especially considering it was shot handheld. One of the many advantages of the Nikon Z series is its superb hybrid capability, excelling at both stills and video.
With Purley Oaks complete, the chase truly began. Our next target was Hassocks, accessed via a quick dash down the M23, although Google Maps had other ideas, sending us on a scenic tour that cost us valuable time. Chailey had warned me about the stresses of chasing main line steam, but at that point I was enjoying it far too much to dwell on the risk of missing a shot.
Video capture of No61306 “Mayflower” powering through Hassocks on 1Z71 to Bath Spa
For station filming, preparation is key. Avoiding being “bowled” (railway enthusiast terminology for having your view blocked by a service train) requires checking multiple resources. I relied mainly on a combination of Real Time Trains and OpenTrainTimes, the latter being particularly useful for tracking incoming Class 377s and 700s. Hassocks is a superb location for main line steam, with its long run-up, straight platforms, and gradient all adding to the drama. Mayflower’s charge through the station was superb, perfectly demonstrating why steam locomotives continue to capture the public’s imagination. It was also at Hassocks that we picked up train.spotter123 (or Sam) for the next leg of the journey towards Bapton.
No road trip of ours would be complete without a playlist, one that Sam initially berated until we landed on S Club 7 somewhere around Fishbourne. With Don’t Stop Movin’ and Reach blasting out, our vocal cords were warmed up and the vocal trio “Bongo Beats” was born (with “Bongo” being Mayflower’s nickname, inspired by her deep, rhythmic exhaust beat). The soundtrack continued with Shine by Take That and All of Me by John Legend. Wedding bookings are, of course, available. Although, I wouldn’t recommend it!
Mechanical issues unfortunately meant we missed the shot at Bapton, but our support car, courtesy of The Southerner, came to the rescue and helped get us on course for Keynsham. This would be the first of several opportunities to film the double-header of Mayflower and Duke of Gloucester. Many thanks to Mr Southerner for the assist, a true gent.
Another video capture of the ECS move from Bristol East Depot to Bath Spa with both locomotives now attached to the train.
On the run down to Keynsham, a passenger was taken ill on the service, delaying arrival into Bath Spa by around 35 minutes. Hopefully the passenger has since made a full recovery. The delay allowed us to reach Keynsham well ahead of the crowds and secure a prime position at the end of the platform. What followed was one of those moments that stays with you, both locomotives working hard, whistles sounding, steam hanging in the darkness. It was main line steam at full power and at its very best. The video really doesn’t do it justice to how fantastic the experience of two mainline locomotives working in harmony was.
From Keynsham, it was a brisk walk back to the car to begin the long journey back towards Sussex. Our next station was Southwick, some 2.5 hours away. This was where the pressure of the chase truly set in. With an 8P and a 5MT on the front, there was effectively 13P dragging the train back east, and we watched nervously as a 65-minute delay rapidly reduced to 50, then 40 minutes. Passenger stops at Chichester proved invaluable, allowing us to overtake the train and get ahead of it once more. It was also the excellent of Chailey that got us back on time, an amazing feat.
We arrived at Southwick station and made our way to the end of the platform just in time to witness one of the finest run-pasts of the day. Both locomotives powered through after a passenger stop at Shoreham-by-Sea. By now, shortly after 20:30, the light had all but vanished, and I began to truly appreciate the Nikon Z8’s exceptional low-light video performance. Well-lit stations certainly help, but there’s always that moment of anticipation, hoping the autofocus behaves when it really matters.
Another video capture of No61306 “Mayflower” leading No71000 “Duke of Gloucester” back home towards Southall via Three Bridges on 1Z72.
The final scheduled shot was at one of my favourite locations for main line steam, Balcombe. It’s a quiet station, but its long platforms allow for a generous run-up, and the small tunnel on the south side provides a lovely backdrop. With the time approaching 21:50 and temperatures dropping, there was plenty of steam in the air. This was a nervous moment for me. The camera had been struggling to focus in the minutes beforehand, confused by the foreground lighting and the darkness of the tunnel beyond. When the moment arrived, however, it performed flawlessly, locking onto Mayflower and producing a shot that ultimately became the thumbnail for the YouTube video. Therefore, as I had hoped, Balcombe did not disappoint. Both locomotives produced a vast plume of exhaust as they tackled the final stretch before arriving at Three Bridges just before 22:00, some 45 minutes down.
Another video capture of the pair at Balcombe as they race towards the finish of the rail tour at Three Bridges.
At that point, I assumed the day was done. But Chailey is always keen to maximise every opportunity. We initially considered Horley for a shot of the empty coaching stock move back to Southall, but with both locomotives turned around quickly, we abandoned that plan in favour of Merstham. However, a last-minute change meant that watering would now take place at Gatwick Airport rather than Redhill. We were getting information come in as we continued north up the M23, taking the scenic route to Merstham with 72bphotography in tow. We arrived at Merstham aware that the watering stop was not at Redhill now. Therefore, we now decided to stay at Merstham although, we had some concerns about the avoiding lines, this led to some indecision, but in the end we stayed, and it paid off. The gentle curve through the station offered a fine view as both locomotives rolled through the night, heading back to the capital and their stables at Southall. Mayflower and Duke of Gloucester, along with their weary footplate and support crews, finally arrived back at the depot at 00:53 on Saturday morning.
A huge thank you must go to everyone at Locomotive Services for their immense effort, not only on this tour, but for continuing to operate steam locomotives on the main line in the 21st century. It is truly an impressive feat to see a steam locomotive undertake the milage that Mayflower and Duke of Gloucester undertook on Friday.
One last video capture as Mayflower and the Duke power through Merstham with the empty coaching stock move back to Southall
Thank you to everyone who has made it this far in the blog, and thank you all for your continued support throughout what has been a fantastic 2025 for the channel. It has been a real pleasure getting to know so many fellow railway enthusiasts over the course of the year, as well as continuing the great friendships formed last year.
This will be the final blog of the 2025 season, and what a year it has been a busy, memorable, and incredibly rewarding on a personal level. I’ve enjoyed every second of it, and it feels fitting to round things off on such a high with an exceptional rail tour.
I’d like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and holiday period, and I hope you enjoy some well-earned time with friends and family. But don’t rest for too long, we go again on New Year’s Day for the Bluebell Railway’s New Year’s Steam Up. Hopefully, I’ll see you there.
Thank you once again,
Ben
