Day 5 IOM The return 22 Sept 2025

 Originally the ferry was leaving at 0815 but that got moved up to 0800, This meant getting up at 0530, to get the bags ready for collection and having breakfast at 0600. We walked to the terminal at 0650 and checked in. We had been told photo id would be needed but it was not asked for! Obviously in a hurry, the captain left at 0750!

The sailing was dead calm with good views of Anglesey and Cumbria. We arrived at the appointed time and I was very impressed how the boat was turned around to let the cars off in the small harbour

We than had to wait for the one and only of the day Lancaster to Heysham Port train to arrive. The guard has to change the points for the branch line with a key as they are used so rarely! The train was late but got to Lancaster on time. I then caught the Glasgow to London train as far as Coventry, arriving exhausted.

IOM Day 4 Time for walks 22 Sept 2025

Sunday was allocated as a free day. There were many options but I decided to try some walks, carrying the radio gear. I caught the first train of the day on the MSR to Port Soderick, then joined the coastal path back to Douglas. The weather was very good with clear blue skies enabling Anglesey to be seen. Unfortunately due to an operator error I flattened the laptop battery in under an hour (the laptop was charging the radio!) so not much radio was done. It was just 5 miles back to the hotel, mostly on an empty road (a cliffslide prevents cars driving end to end )

When I got back to the hotel at 1400 , having put all the electronics on charge, I considered going to see the glen railway, which had been the other option for the day but as it closed at 1630 I decided I had not got enough time. Instead i decided to walk to the TT Grandstand and take some pictures.

Returning via the promenade I noticed that the tide was very out, so i rushed back to the hotel and took the equipment onto the beach and operated for 2 hours. It was very hard to get the PAC12 antenna base spike through the rocky beach

The evening was spent at the end of tour dinner and packing

The 2025 Steam Excursion: The Mayflower

This years family train excursion was to be the longest yet. Vintage trains had organised the Mayflower trip from Birmingham New Street to Plymouth. The Birmingham to Bristol leg was to be diesel hauled and the Bristol to Plymouth leg was to be doubleheaded by Clun Castle and Bahamas both of which were nearing the end of their boiler certificates

Fortunately the trip was to make a stop at Worcestershire Parkway so the four of us arrived for the 0650 departure. The surprise was that it would be double headed diesel!

Two diesels for the price of one!

The two steam trains had travelled from Tyseley to Bristol Friday afternoon via Oxford (5Z41) so we had to make a detour to Bristol East depot to change locomotives before going to Bristol Temple meads to collect the final passengers

Now with Steam

The scenery along the coast was stunning especially as it was low tide The added excitement was that we followed immediately behind 5029 Nunney Castle hauling the Saphos trains English Riveria express from High Wycombe to Kingswear and we were followed by our diesels (0Z45) just in case our locos had trouble. It must have been a long time since there were consecutive steam trains through Dawlish warren!

Our train arrived in Plymouth at 1310 some 31 minutes early (Saphos arrived 59 minutes late!) ! 

After discharging the passengers at Plymouth, the steam trains had to go for a rest:-

 We went for a walk to  Plymouth Hoo and around the city 

The Harbour

returning for the 1638 return departure (1Z58) which actuually started at  1645, 

The steam trains waiting to attach at Plymouth

The diesels wait to follow us to Bristol

Dawlish warren got exciting as it was high tide and the wind was sending waves across the sea wall. Nunney Castle in front of us got wet!

Passing waves at Dawlish

We arrived back in Bristol at 2016, some 26 minutes late, mainly due to having to accede to Nunney castle returning on the same route.

We changed to our two diesels,  the drivers of which obviously wanted to make up lost time, peaking 85mph passing the Gloucester Junction bypass, between Cheltenham to Ashchurch and Ashchurch to the Parkway, We arrived only 11 minutes late at 2157. The diesels took off in a hurry and arrived back in New Street on time!

The diesels got home at 2310. The two steam locos returned via the same route as us and got home at 0115