Dramatic Ascent up Hemerdon - 45699 Galatea attacks the West Country Banks unassisted! - 2023

[@oldwobble916]

Brilliant video. I like those long shots with the smoke and steam appearing and disappearing between the trees, with the smooth panning in between. Those cows were a bonus 😀 At approx. 14:00 I feared the train would go backwards.

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@mckendrick4046]

Stanier's finest... and most handsome.

[@peterhewitson2669]

Brilliant video. Cow shot excellent. 😎😃

[@philipridgway2783]

Absolutely brilliant video nice to see from the outside speaking as a passenger on board

[@railfreightdrivergallagherGBRf]

Superb unassisted performance from the 6P ex LMS stalwart, and not the slowest I've seen over the south Devon banks! Driven one of the two other preserved Jubs 'Leander' several times as a main line steam registered driver so know these are very capable locos indeed. Great video 👍🏻

[@andyjackson3414]

Is that the hill in Dicken's "Tale of Two Cities?" If memory serves, novel begins with a stage-coach struggling on the summit.

[@johndrew3202]

Excellent shots thank you. The crew deserve medals for getting up all those banks, especially Hemerdon!

[@ntsteam59]

For person who loves see GWR steam on the mainline the LMS Jubilee is up there brilliant effort up Hemerdon hats off the the driver and fireman. Another fantastic video.

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Couldn't agree more!

[@jhmasterson3087]

@@steamtothewest-trecanrail & taking 9 up the bank one more than normal!!

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

@@jhmasterson3087 I thought 9 is the limit for a Jubilee 5XP/6P

[@ColinHarris-mh8xg]

Superb. Thank you for posting. Unable to get to see the real thing but your videos are absolutely the next best!

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Thanks

[@marmion150]

Must admit I was slightly worried during the Hemerdon sequence, but she did it ! Well done that crew.

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

I’m sure it looked worse than it actually did onboard.

[@bobcharles2683]

Excellent Film loved it. Some difficult climbs especially up Hemerdon. Thank you.

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Many thanks!

[@martin1703]

Excellent filming not my favourite loco but boy the crew handled those banks brilliantly and Galatea was well on top of the job, thanks for sharing 👍

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

My pleasure

[@alsmith5604]

That attack on Hemerdon was fabulous!! I did a trip behind Galatea up the West Coast over Shap a few years ago and she did the same trick... lost all her speed in the first half of the clib, showed every sign of not making by the half point... but then just digging in and slogging!!!! What an amazing loco and a brilliant video!! Thanks for sharing.

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

It was superb to watch

[@martinphillips9686]

Am so glad that galatea was saved and given a second chance of life well done to the custodians of her she is doing you proud

[@briantitchener4829]

Saw 'Galatea' whilst train-spotting as a youngster. Never dreamt then that I would be watching her again on something called KZbin 58 years later, still as awe-inspiring as ever. Fantastic.

[@jhmasterson3087]

Yes my dad took me all round the northwest every weekend he was not working in the last years of steam mostly Std's 5f's , 8f's occasional Jubilee, my job was to run the reel to reel & take 2 or 3 stills, I was 8 going on 9, plus many a walk round the sheds & occasional footplate ride in the yard! having a youngster seemed to help us get in!.

[@snowjohnb]

Brilliant and wellworth getting wet for ! Thanks for sharing.

[@laurenceskinnerton73]

Fantastic!

[@stevelewis6154]

Great footage and an epic climb up Hemerdon in challenging conditions.

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Many thanks!

[@johnjephcote7636]

I was getting very worried at 13:04.

[@roysimmons3549]

Excellent video and locomotive. Jubilee power to see and enjoy.

[@thomasrowe7499]

Epic video !

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Very lovely for you to join me for the day.

[@hurleyfunbags]

Superb video. 45699 on great form.

[@blackcountrysteamvideos8021]

Fantastic soundtrack on Hemerdon!

[@mick5eye]

Very good

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Thanks

[@TheSmittenman]

Very rare to see a steam excursion out without a diesel attached, nice vid

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

The Railway Touring Company have been quite confident with their machinery, the only helping hand this year up Hemerdon was for the Great Britain XV back in March.

[@michaeltaylor1869]

Nice video great camera work as usual I am really enjoying your lovely videos and camera work keep it up bye for now Philip

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Thanks, will do!

[@joshjones3408]

That's a lot train but it did tho without stalling 👍👍👍👍

[@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge]

Magic

[@johnkeepin7527]

Enjoyable to watch. Not much risk of line side fire after last months rainfall!

[@andrewhotston983]

Hemerdon - one wheelslip away from disaster!

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Maybe next time...

[@johnjephcote7636]

I've had many good runs behind Jubillees. I fondly recall them taking me on Euston (old station) - Bletchley semi fasts.

[@AndreiTupolev]

Probably 8 would have been a better choice for a single chimney 5XP. Nevertheless, brilliant sound.

[@Rosie6857]

Even 8 would be hard going. The tractive effort (which is all that counts here) of a Jubilee is less than that of a GW Hall, which was limited to 8. Asking a Jube to get 9 up Hemerdon is asking for trouble and a couple of hundred yards more and the whole thing would have wheezed to a halt, causing endless trouble. Great fun but frankly a bit silly. Halfway round the slight bend near the top the gradient changes from 1 in 42 to 1 in 51 and the train just noticeably started accelerating, to the great relief of all concerned, I'm sure.

[@nicholashunt9522]

Not helped by the huge driving wheels either. A Manor with a higher T.E. and smaller drivers would really struggle with 9.

[@DerekWalsh-l4i]

Someone in authority taking a risk here, in permitting a Class 6 engine to take 9 coaches over the Devon banks unassisted. It would normally be 8. Good job it wasn't raining, or it could have been a whole different video! And well done that footplate crew.

[@michaelpowell3980]

Somehow, steam trains are even better in bad weather - well done for doing such a good job in this year's 'summer'. And don't 3 cylinder engines sound great?

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

That's the only thing I like about a Jubilee, you can hear them from miles away.

[@rwhb1]

Reminds me of 0-6-0 tanks loaded with ironstone bound for Corby a long time ago…

[@rogerwhittle2078]

Three cylinder engines always sound gorgeous and as Gallatea accelerated from cresting Hermerdon, she really sounded like THE iconic steam engine. I have often remarked on 4014 (Big Boy) vlogs that 844 and 4014 are rarely heard actually breaking sweat. Of course, unleashing 4014 into a representative load (not her excursion train) would not only be spectacular, but worryingly destructive. It has always slightly bothered me (not much though!) that we Brits rebuild and restore really iconic and even historic locomotives, coset and polish them to within an inch etc., point them up some horrific bank or other and then give them the beans, stop watch in hand! As Gallatea passed at Hermerdon summit, you could hear and see the tremendous effort being put in and I wonder if her crew (not just driver and fireman) feel every cylinder bark as another hour of maintenance needed before she can do it again? Don't get me wrong, I love it, but like any historic ship, racing car, road car, historic aeroplane and, of course locomotive, every hour they run is paid for not just in lots and lots of cash, but endless effort on the part of their engineering staff.

[@AndreiTupolev]

4014 did have an opportunity with a proper load quite recently...

[@andyjackson3414]

They were "on their knees" for a while. In other words, slow enough for an engine crew member to get on the ground, pick up dirt along the track, and throw the dirt under the wheels of the locomotive for extra traction.

[@itzyaboialli007]

Hi, would just like to ask if this was filmed today ie 30th July 2023 as it wasn't 45699 Galatea on the steam tour as she was pulled. It was 45627 Sierra Leone. I know this as I was at Par today filming. Video coming soon on my yt

[@AndreiTupolev]

That is actually Galatea. It's thoroughly misleading, but the owners have given it no fewer than two fake identities (two fake numbers and a fake name) for the sole purpose, it seems, of misleading people.

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Yes this was Sunday 30th. This locos front and cab numbers don’t match up 🤦‍♂️😂

[@railfreightdrivergallagherGBRf]

It is Galatea, but just renumbered/renamed ....by Stevie Wonder seemingly! 😁

[@steamtothewest-trecanrail]

Clearly it confused you so much it’s been 3 weeks and your video hasn’t come out yet!