70000 Britannia. Impressive Power & Speed on the English Riviera Express. 11th June & 9th July 2022

Here are 4 clips captured over 2 trips from Taunton to Kingswear which demonstrate just what a brilliant masterpiece B.R. created back in 1951 under the direction of R.A. Riddles. Steam came to an end early on the Western Region but I was lucky enough on very rare occasions to see this class in action on “Summer Specials” to Paignton from 1960 until the end in 1962 and was hugely impressed by a locomotive that was larger than a King and (dare I say!) more interesting because of smoke deflectors and exposed motion! At the very end of steam they were one of few passenger classes that made a very good job of hauling goods trains, proving what an excellent “all-rounder” this class was. The sun is shining at Dawlish as the train accelerates from a stop at Dawlish Warren. As the station is reached you can see the visual impact of the improved sea defences which now effectively bury the train, necessitating the use of a remote camera before the main camera captures the rest of this iconic coastal stretch. An impressive high speed run up the Teign Estuary is captured at low tide under the wall of Coombe Cellars to partly shelter me from a strong wind, tricky for a smooth pan, whilst low flying aircraft and nesting sparrows augment the soundtrack! The depart from Kingswear in glorious conditions as an immaculately clean 71 year old "lady" powers by and luckily the ferry stayed away long enough to preserve the soundtrack. It is interesting to compare this “daytime” shot with the “night” shot from 02:52 here:    • Trail Blazer!  Reflections on an Amazing W...   Finally a nice close-up of this wonderful loco climbing up to Churston through the lush countryside. I have shortened the time taken to pass through the tunnel! Note: the diesel on the rear of Saphos Trains tours is there mainly for providing power to the dining cars and for shunting, however, you will hear the diesel working lightly on climbs in order to counter its own weight, which is the equivalent of three extra coaches! Chapters: 00:00 Title 00:14 Dawlish 04:29 Teign Estuary 07:28 Kingswear 11:09 Greenway Halt