As the Rev Awdry would tell you, engines have ways of expressing their feelings, and this was probably Taw Valley's protest at being painted that icky colour 😌

Great video, well filmed.👍🎥👍👍👍😊

I’d have a massive strop too, if I was made to look like Prince in his Purple Rain phase.🤦‍♂️

Excellent film, great flowing narrative! I was on the SVR yesterday having my second TTI training turn and we had Taw Valley on the head of the blood & custard set plus two GW dining cars. She was facing Bridgnorth. We were the first train out of Kidder, 8 mins late and it started to rain. Bewdley and Arley, we made up some time. When we got to Highley, we got halfway up and stalled. Rolled back over the bridge and past the museum then had another go. Stalled again. Reversed and had a third go and this time, we did it. Most passengers were happy despite the delay and we did manage to make up some time on the return trip. Sooner it bows out, the better most people said. Anyhow, as I say, great film 👍 Cheers and keep up the great work - Alex.

Experts everywhere!

Brilliant footage by both of u. Got used to Taw Valley in that livery.👍

I didn't see a wisp of steam at the safety valves. This could indicate that the boiler pressure was low and perhaps the vacuum was not quite sufficient to pull the brakes off fully?? Re the colour. . .wouldn't Royal Blue paint have been more appropriate and saving a future repaint too. .just a thought.

Nice Footage Phil enjoyed the watch 👍

Rode behind this both ways last week. Very poor steaming performance due to the mixing of real coal with pellets, and on a lighter train load. The northbound standing start out of Highley is on a really sharp curve, and the extra observation carriage probably didn't help...I very much doubt any crew would fare better given the gradient, curve, load AND the less than ideal coal/pellet mix. Well done to them for making it on the second attempt.

Similar incident yesterday where she was late getting to Bridgenorth and hearing from those that had been on the train that it took 9 attempts to get out of Highley having required a run up.

I can remember being behind 80079 on a drizzly day in the late 80's and stalling on the bank. We took 3 bites of the cherry and still failed. Luckily 2857 was sat in the loop being run in after overhaul and was quickly utilized as a banker. Finally made it up 30-40 minutes down

It was the fault of all those Trainspotters with full bellies lol. Should have put that 31 on it . Great vid Phil. Good catch. 👍😎😎

Don’t tell me! That Bulleid light Pacific, temporarily aka as 70 Queen Elizabeth II, has mobility problems?

Bulleid Pacifics were notoriously prone to slipping when pulling away. They used the pilot engine to bank them out of Waterloo Station, so I imagine that's what happened here.

Got to admire the driver's control of the loco (at 2:32) in moving so gently up to the coaches. I have trouble with the car where it's relatively easy to see the end of the bonnet (and also with parking sensors) never mind with that long boiler and no sight of the buffers.

Great video Phil looked hot poor engine.the Flying Pig looked good.

A minor hiccup - but soon sorted and no one inconvenienced. All kudos to SVR and its dedicated volunteers who make it all happen - I expect they'd soon have the UK's shambolic airports sorted too, given half a chance!

This happened during the Spring Steam Gala 2017 to '92 Squadron', it was having the same problem. First train of the day, slightly damp rails and running tender first it struggled to leave Hampton Loade. The 9F had no problem with the next train, but it had dry rails and was running loco first. There is a video of it on here.

Nice work, Harry!

Probably a protest at being painted purple!

Nice video Phil :)

Does that class of loco have sanding nozzles aft of the drivers (i.e. for operation in reverse) There seemed to be a lot of water leaking from the tender in an earlier shot too, so the rails could be wet. Didnt seem to be having wheel slip though, just really underpowered.

Interesting! I've heard said that teak coaches are quite heavy, not sure if it's true though. The other thing I noticed was 43106 slipped twice in the same spot in the two on board shots, curious! Another nice shot from Harry, and the little train ride was great too. Thanks both 😃😃

Bert Hitchen must be turning in his grave seeing his old loco painted up like a tart! No wonder she won't go uphill.

There used to be an old joke that Bullied Pacifics needed the big, brass nameplates over the driving wheel to give them a bit more grip - unkind, but they were notoriously fiddle-footed. As for the livery - someone once said there is nothing to stop a heritage railway painting their engines any colour they like, hence the BR 4MT tank in Caledonian livery which ran for a while on, I think, the Keswick & Windermere line. The LNWR even painted a 'Greater Britain' compound 2-2-2-2 in ivory and lilac to mark Queen Victoria's 60th Jubilee - I'm just glad I wasn't one of the cleaners!

nice one Phil. Looks like a loco out of Thomas the Tank.

The Bulleids were fairly light-footed engines, and thus getting them to start on the grade with a train of a decent length took a lot of driver skill. The struggle is probably a result of the driver misjudging his start-away.

Poor driving / firing , Donald Beele would have had her racing up the hill.

Failed to pull away or struggled to pull away? I'm presuming the second attempt worked? Good film footage, really awful colour for an otherwise beautiful locomotive.

Id assume the loco should have enought power in it? Or is the load to much or gradient to steep? Yeah not keen on the colour myself.

Great video mate you have some of the best shots by the way Is that your son on your profile picture?

Trying out the new artificial coal no doubt

Diesel: 'Pathetic'

Great movie, would love to have it as well on our website, how we can get in touch to arrange this?

34027 Taw Valley regularly made the steep climb out of Weymouth back in steam days. Blame the coal or god forbid the driver !

It could be to do with the changes in coal usage due to Envormental changes Welsh steam coal and coal in general will be more or less banded by the end of this year , and the man made alternative coal is not the same energy value as Steam coal ,plus coal prices have more than doubled since 2019 .

When is 34027 going to return to its much nicer colour?

Change the number, but its still a SLIPPER class to me!😁😁

Can't wait for this weekend to be over ... then that revolting purple paint can be removed. Probably help her steam better too. 😂

Oh that’s why she was late

Should have used that 31 for banking assistance!!

Hi, Is the loco 43106 a ex Lostock hall 10 D, engine? In 1968, i would go to the shed a watch the last months of the steam trains on BR. I think this was one of them. Can anyone tell me , if I am correct. I do have a smoke box number plate off 43031, which I paid £1 ,10s for, Thanks Steve

In my spotting days in the 1950's they were always known as Southern Region Slippers....they could never climb any inclines very much at all

It done it again on the Saturday on the jubilee celebrations

You do wonder "why"? I mean, that loco has been there before with no problems!

Fantastic colour

May not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love that purple colour… it’s as shame it’s not gonna last long… I’m all for unusual liveries, so the more the merrier! Makes a change from the four regular colours, at least

Oh dear

The exhaust beat sounds very uneven to me so perhaps she was down on power?

Seems very short of steam to me

From watching the video I wouldn't blame the driver, fireman or coal quality. The loco probably wasn't fitted with sanders for reverse running. Such express passenger locos rarely needed to travel in reverse with heavy trains when originally in service, so there was basically no need for such equipment. The engine crew were obviously quite familiar with the line and its gradients, coming from a standing start at the station and immediately encountering a steep grade, you could hear the loco slipping with rapid exhaust beats as it was attempting the hill. Once they had backed up and made the second attempt you could see that the last coach was going through the platform at a few miles an hour, the train therefore had much more momentum than on the first, failed attempt. Here's a video with our renowned loco 3801 here in NSW Australia from an excursion some years ago, experiencing considerable difficulty under similar circumstances. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g7mCdtR3y9nTYYU.html As a matter of interest, I'm looking forward to seeing it stop at my local station today in about three hours time, hauling an excursion train from Sydney.

I hate to say this, but I feel that because a lot of the ex BR drivers are slowly disappearing that new and younger volunteer crews aren't getting the same fine touches that they have. I didn't think there was that much of a steep gradient out of Highley.

Shouldn't have painted it that damn silly colour.

This isn't even a regal purple... more of a dark lilac... not nice!

I love the purple loco.

Mission failed 😣

Oh dear !! You are not supposed to propel passenger stock with passengers aboard !! oh dear !! Somebody's broken the rules!

hi phil i grüsse dich da can man sagen dat eure trains top sind

What is with that paint scheme? Jeez, I know the bullies had slipping problems, but she just doesn't want to move, for the sheer embarrassment lol.

that 31 could do a better job .its not even a damp day

Did. Make it in the end

I believe this is the first time for your 11 year old son to be filming this

Purple should be a more common livery. It looks nice on it, although admittedly it doesn't match the poo-brown on the coaches.

I’ve just realised that I film like an 11 yr old 😄😜- Gr8 Vid, thanks for posting 👍🏻

That puce is vile. 🤮🤮🤮

A long long time ago I watched a video of one of those locomotives attempting to depart Brockenhurst, it took amnappalling 45 minutes to get moving, they are just a useless pile of motiveless power as far as I'm concerned

So many 'experts'. So little knowledge...

Just goes to show Taw Valley isn't as good at climbing up hills on preserved railways, as she once was. She's not young any more, and I can see she doesn't like the purple livery she's wearing. She's crying out for the icky colour to be removed. Trust me, purple doesn't suit Taw Valley at all, and she's not royalty. Let's hope she's given a good few days' rest, or she could struggle a lot more come the event. That will never do.😉

Mr Bulleid's Pacifics were not designed to be hill-climbers-they struggled oft times just trying to get out of London Victoria station-and that ridiculous paint scheme certainly doesn't help!

Is there no end to the fawning nonsense perpetrated on a perfectly sensible locomotive by the Flag Shaggers and Forelock Tuggers Locomotive Painting Society?

Still steam engine? Burning Fossil fuel is being avoided every where....in our India steam engine is no more plying...Diesel and electric are in most places....