55009 'Alycidon' at 95mph with 'The Capital Deltic Reprise'! - 29/07/23
Making a return to the mainline for the first time in nearly 4½ years, Deltic Preservation Society's 55009 'Alycidon' took Pathfinder Tours' 'The Capital Deltic Reprise' from Willington to London Kings Cross. From Willington the train would run through Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield to Doncaster. To allow the train to be facing south, it ran north to Pontefract, and turned right at Gascoigne Wood and again at Selby to rejoin the ECML at Temple Hurst Jn. After a dash to Peterborough, the train would run via March to Ely and then Cambridge to Hitchin to reach Kings Cross. The return ran down the ECML to Newark, where the train would travel via Lincoln to Cleethorpes. Following a reversal to Ulceby, 55009 would lead to back to Willington via Doncaster, Sheffield and Derby.
The Deltic is first seen at Cromwell, north of Newark. At Burton Wetmore Sidings, the coaching stock required a major shunt for the charter, and so it left 47 minutes late. The crew were evidently keen to make up for lost time as 'Alycidon' was racing along through Cromwell at 95mph! The characteristic Deltic drone can be heard as 55009 storms past the level crossing with the eclectic 12 coach train.
Next we catch up with the Deltic at Welwyn North. Having rejoined the ECML behind 2C41 Cambridge - Kings Cross stopper, the Class 55 had a clear line from Digswell Jn. As such, 'Alycidon' can be heard roaring through the Welwyn Tunnels. Two shots hoots and the train bursts from the tunnel, with both engines screaming away in a cloud of two stroke smoke! The train gathers speed towards Kings Cross with no assistance from 47826 at the rear.
Excellent to see 'Alycidon' back on the mainline and on home metals! The Deltic drone is well and truly back!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Cromwell
01:14 - Welwyn North
Filmed on a Panasonic HC-X1500 with an AudioTechnica AT8024 Microphone.
Enjoy.
Lovely footage, thank you. Everyone loves a Deltic!
Thank you very much Colin. I couldn't agree more, never met someone who doesn't like a Deltic! I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
I remember getting the train from Huntingdon back in the 70s as a kid and always wanting the Deltics to be the locomotive. Standing on the platform you could see them coming down from Peterborough over a mile away, even if they were on the 'fast' through track, the rails would start ticking, then this awesome huge snarling monster with that thrumming sound you never forget would flash by. Superb.
Sounds like a truly amazing experience. It's fantastic that these locomotives are preserved so we can be able to relive experiences like yours of these monsters! I hope you enjoyed the video.
Great vid. Awesome job. 2 thumbs up from me 👍👍👌
Thank you very much. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Everyone loves a Deltic!
Nothing subtle about a Deltic. A proper locomotive! I hope you enjoyed the video.
First clip is wonderful! That Deltic drone..! Great to see and hear her back on her old home turf.
It was and still is an awesome sound! I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Thankyou so much for that, just relived my boyhood when the country was still a lovely place to grow up in. As a lad i lived at Harmer Green just up the hill from the station and spent many happy hours and days experiencing those wonderful Deltics storming through Welwyn North. Funny its gone a bit dusty in here.
Thank you very much. Must have been awesome to see the Deltics in their prime regularly thumping up and down the ECML. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Massive Deltic fan I always like to listen to the power
You can always rely on a Deltic to make a good sound! I hope you enjoyed the video.
@@Milepost90.25yeah mate
I'm no Brexity, flag waving nationalist but when somebody asked me yesterday "What does England REALLY look like?" I should have told them to watch this. Brilliant...
Wow, very high praise indeed! Thank you very much Alastair. I'm pleased enjoyed the video.
🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Add in a Vulcan too!
Great video
Thank you very much. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Great video !! Thanks for the cool closeup of the beautiful tunnel portal. James.
Thank you very much James. The echo and smokey exit from the tunnel was awesome to film! I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Great video and what a tribute to the men who built her and have maintained her down the years. I'd love to see a train like that topped and tailed with two Deltics.
Thank you very much. I could not agree more. A credit to English Electric and latterly the Deltic Preservation Society. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
I don’t like seeing locomotives being dragged around especially steamers, is there anything sadder than seeing an A3/4 or Coronation class being lugged backwards? (Especially when not in steam). These diesel locomotives used to run around now I understand that at termini that may be impossible or difficult but is it really necessary to drag a locomotive around? I suppose in answer to my own question yes, that’s why they do it and I’m not belittling a magnificent 47 or 50 or anything else it’s just the way they get dragged around for me it reduces their presence and grandeur.
@@eddherring4972 Usually, as with the case of 55009 and 47826 here, the diesel at the rear is either for dragging the ECS out of/into a terminus, banking, electric train heating or for a reversal en route. I hope this answers your question and I hope you enjoyed the video.
@@Milepost90.25 absolutely I enjoyed the vid, I just don’t like seeing locomotives being dragged around, these are real proper locomotive hauled trains, not glorified DMU’S. Thank you for your reply and clarification.
Excellent videos !
Thank you very much. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Superbly edited together there! Nice work. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
That was all the better with good headphones. Appreciate the effort and "presence" shared, will listen to this many more times.😊
The thrumming through the tunnel at Welwyn is much better with headphones. It was an awesome sound! I hope you enjoyed the video.
@@Milepost90.25 Yes, 👍. Truly a great spot to enjoy high speed "growl" and wheel "shrill* painting the soundscape. The tunnel reverb, creating a good "whistled burst out", tonic to eager listening. The only minor moot point, the ever uninvited wind flutter. Really hit a "being there" nerve, so enjoyably, thanks for this one!
I remember seeing them at York.
It must have been awesome to see these regularly in service. I hope you enjoyed the video.
Super video :)
Thank you very much Simon. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
On it, thanks for the video, nice to see and hear from a different perspective.
Thank you for watching. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Beautiful. Good quality camera work!
Thank you very much Jack. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Going well throughout. Regards, John
Thank you very much John, she certainly was! I really enjoyed your shots at North Staffs Jn; a proper Napier soundtrack!
Watching locomotives is my antidote to seeing all the craziness in the news.
It's certainly a good distraction! I hope you enjoyed the video.
Awesome
Thank you very much Robert. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Brings back memories of when I was a young lad and the White striped Blue Deltic used to come through Lincoln Central and the sound was deafening.
The prototype Deltic had a striking livery. I bet that was an amazing sight and sound! I hope you enjoyed the video.
Great 😊
Thank you very much. 'Alycidon' didn't disappoint at all! I hope you enjoyed the video.
Always wondered what a starship-sized TIE fighter sounded like! 🤔😂
That speed can't be real 😊
I timed a number of the coaches past the street lamp over the level crossing. Speed = Distance/Time. So I worked out 95mph by using the length of one coach and taking the average number of frames for each coach to pass. I hope you enjoyed the video.
I like this! Why Milepost 90 1/4 by the way? Is that a particular location?
Thank you very much David. Milepost 90¼ is the spot where Mallard set the World speed record of 126mph. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
@@Milepost90.25 Of course and isn't that an image of the speedometer? What a shame that the world and the railway wasn't big enough for both A4s and Deltics...
I would have said nearer 60 mph than 95!
I timed a number of the coaches past the street lamp over the crossing. Speed = Distance/Time. So I worked out 95mph by using the length of one coach and counting the frames. I hope you enjoyed the video.
Must be something wrong with your internet line. I would have said nearer 120 mph 😀
Moving!
Absolutely! Doing what she was built for. I hope you enjoyed the video.
Worth remembering that the 47 at idle would have added the equivalent of another three Mk1s or slightly less than 4 Mk2s on the drawbar.
Exactly! 95mph with that equivalent load is not too shabby! I hope you enjoyed the video.
Like a Spitfire on rails
Oh yes! I hope you enjoyed the video.
Rocket typhoon.
ship sailed a LONG time ago and all that, but the overhead power gantry really ruins the view of that beautiful 1850 tunnel opening!! Great videos though!! 🙂
The overhead wires are often quite intrusive! I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.
Who says a class 47 cant do a ton?
When trains looked good 😊
I agree! Usually more of a steam nut myself but I will always appreciate the aggressive appearance of a Deltic. I hope you enjoyed the video.
When's the loco back to traffic
I'm not sure. DPS engineers managed to repair 55009 before the thunderbird rescued it in August and it has since had remedial work done to it but no confirmed date for a return to traffic. I hope you enjoyed the video.
It would have been going full speed if it wasn't for the Class 47 at the back...
The 47 was at the rear in case the Deltic failed and for the reversal at Cleethorpes on the return journey. The 47 was idling so this made the 12 coach load more like 15 or 16! I hope you enjoyed the video.
There is NO mistaking the sound of a Deltic....
It's quite an awesome sound isn't it! I hope you enjoyed the video.
I did a sleeper from Aberdeen back in the 1970's. At Edinburgh a Deltic was put on the front. I had the good fortune to be in the berth right next to the loco and spent the rest of the night listening to the music of the 55 through the open Mk1 window...Happy days.@@Milepost90.25
bit of oil on the bodyside
95mph 🤔
90+ almost the entire way between Retford and Peterborough. Hitting 101mph briefly just south of Stoke where Mallard took the steam record
I timed a number of the coaches past the street lamp over the crossing. Speed = Distance/Time. So I worked out 95mph by using the length of one coach and counting the frames. I hope you enjoyed the video.
Great video thanks - I liked the village sign inclusion and the close-ups of the tunnel. Cromwell was a great location to see record the high speed run. I was on the train and your calculation was pretty much spot on 😀👍
@@davebrett3694hope not 47 is a 95mph loco😮
@@grahamallen1970lol - I have a photo of a speedo showing 101mph and the location S of Stoke tunnel
Trademark streak of oil down the side, I see 😁
Oh yes! I wonder if the engine was bleeding oil slightly as 55009 was on one engine only for the return. Just a guess. I hope you enjoyed the video.
95......more like 60!
I timed a number of the coaches past the street lamp over the level crossing. Speed = Distance/Time. So I worked out 95mph by using the length of one coach and taking the average number of frames for each coach to pass. I hope you enjoyed the video.
160
That is never ever 95.
I timed a number of the coaches past the street lamp on the crossing at Cromwell. Speed = Distance/Time so I worked out 95mph by using the length of one coach and taking an average for the number of frames it took one coach to pass the street lamp. At Welwyn North the train was only doing 47 or 48mph. I hope you enjoyed the video.
Why is it the Deltic fans always exaggerate the speed whilst doing their nazi salutes out on the windows?
If you start from 2:05 it's worth watching. The first 125 seconds of your life? You won't get that back. Also there's not a cat in hell's that is going 95 there.
I timed a number of the coaches past the street lamp by the level crossing at Cromwell. Speed = distance/time. So I worked out 95mph by using the length of one coach and counting the number of frames it took to pass the lamp. At Welwyn North the train was accelerating having just crossed onto the fast line at Woolmer Green and was at around 47 or 48mph. I hope you enjoyed the video.