Powderham Castle Vintage Vehicle Show 2023

[CaptainK]

I was there on the Saturday just gone. It rained a bit whilst there, but hey hum.

Anyway, I spied two Corvettes amongst all the cars, and one Sir Nigel Gresley locomotive passing by on the main line - going at a fair old main line speed ! The steam traction engines in the show field, and Sir Nigel were all whistling to each other as Sir Nigel went by. Coincidentally, the C1 and the Jag next to it overtook us on the M5 just before the Exeter turnoff to the show, and we waved to each other. Alas, we got stuck in a traffic jam when the Police closed the motorway for a bit. Ultimately ended up with the C1 following me all the way to the show after the motorway re-opened and we turned off (with the Jag behind him). Had a chat with the owner - had it for 19 years, also co-owns the Jag with his son. Really nice chap.

(Obviously lots of other nice cars, and lots of steam traction engines at the show too. But I don't fill up this post with millions of photos.)

 

[Mad4slalom]

I was there on the Saturday just gone. It rained a bit whilst there, but hey hum.

Anyway, I spied two Corvettes amongst all the cars, and one Sir Nigel Gresley locomotive passing by on the main line - going at a far old main line speed ! The steam traction engines in the show field, and Sir Nigel were all whistling to each other as Sir Nigel went by. Coincidentally, the C1 and the Jag next to it overtook us on the M5 just before the Exeter turnoff to the show, and we waved to each other. Alas, we got stuck in a traffic jam when the Police closed the motorway for a bit. Ultimately ended up with the C1 following me all the way to the show after the motorway re-opened and we turned off (with the Jag behind him). Had a chat with the owner - had it for 19 years, also co-owns the Jag with his son. Really nice chap.

(Obviously lots of other nice cars, and lots of steam traction engines at the show too. But I don't fill up this post with millions of photos.)

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Nice vette and gorgeous loco

 

[Chuffer]

I was there on the Saturday just gone. It rained a bit whilst there, but hey hum.

Anyway, I spied two Corvettes amongst all the cars, and one Sir Nigel Gresley locomotive passing by on the main line - going at a far old main line speed ! The steam traction engines in the show field, and Sir Nigel were all whistling to each other as Sir Nigel went by. Coincidentally, the C1 and the Jag next to it overtook us on the M5 just before the Exeter turnoff to the show, and we waved to each other. Alas, we got stuck in a traffic jam when the Police closed the motorway for a bit. Ultimately ended up with the C1 following me all the way to the show after the motorway re-opened and we turned off (with the Jag behind him). Had a chat with the owner - had it for 19 years, also co-owns the Jag with his son. Really nice chap.

(Obviously lots of other nice cars, and lots of steam traction engines at the show too. But I don't fill up this post with millions of photos.)

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I was there on the Saturday just gone. It rained a bit whilst there, but hey hum.

Anyway, I spied two Corvettes amongst all the cars, and one Sir Nigel Gresley locomotive passing by on the main line - going at a far old main line speed ! The steam traction engines in the show field, and Sir Nigel were all whistling to each other as Sir Nigel went by. Coincidentally, the C1 and the Jag next to it overtook us on the M5 just before the Exeter turnoff to the show, and we waved to each other. Alas, we got stuck in a traffic jam when the Police closed the motorway for a bit. Ultimately ended up with the C1 following me all the way to the show after the motorway re-opened and we turned off (with the Jag behind him). Had a chat with the owner - had it for 19 years, also co-owns the Jag with his son. Really nice chap.

(Obviously lots of other nice cars, and lots of steam traction engines at the show too. But I don't fill up this post with millions of photos.)

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Wowza , Corvettes and an A4 Pacific roaring down the main line ! What a great day out . Just love Sir Nigel Gresley in that early British Railways experimental express passenger blue livery that was short lived after nationalisation of the railways in 1948 . I was a rooking fireman on it in the late 1980`s when it carried its origonal LNER `Garter Blue` livery with red driving wheels and raised numerals and LNER lettering on the tender in raised polished stainless steel . Very art deco but a tad garish for my liking .

 

[CaptainK]

Just love Sir Nigel Gresley in that early British Railways experimental express passenger blue livery that was short lived after nationalisation of the railways in 1948 . I was a rooking fireman on it in the late 1980`s ....

Is there ANY steam loco you haven't been in command of? Jokes aside, and sad though it may be, but one of my thoughts on the day when Sir Nigel went by was actually "I wonder if Chuffer has been in command of this one?".

But yes, it was a good day out except for two sessions of rain. One at lunchtime, so we ate lunch in my Vette (also exhibiting). It reminded me I hadn't tested the new weather seals since I had installed them. The report is that the t-top leak is still there, but not as bad. And I've created a new leak on the passenger window - it seems when you close the passenger door it pushes the window out of the groove at the front so its not watertight any more. A quick "down/up" of the window solves that problem though. Not noticed before as this is the first time having a passenger in the car since the new seals. Anyway, tweaks to seals are needed now.

 

[Chuffer]

Is there ANY steam loco you haven't been in command of? Jokes aside, and sad though it may be, but one of my thoughts on the day when Sir Nigel went by was actually "I wonder if Chuffer has been in command of this one?".

But yes, it was a good day out except for two sessions of rain. One at lunchtime, so we ate lunch in my Vette (also exhibiting). It reminded me I hadn't tested the new weather seals since I had installed them. The report is that the t-top leak is still there, but not as bad. And I've created a new leak on the passenger window - it seems when you close the passenger door it pushes the window out of the groove at the front so its not watertight any more. A quick "down/up" of the window solves that problem though. Not noticed before as this is the first time having a passenger in the car since the new seals. Anyway, tweaks to seals are needed now.

To answer your question , I have been extremely fortunate not to have missed out on too many loco types . The one big bucket list job to tick off would be a `Royal Scot` to allow me to bag all of the LMS express passenger types but that won`t happen now I have hung up my grease top cap . Just done a quick count up and my tally is 38 different classes of steam loco type ( add to that a total of 14 other different numbered locos of some of those same classes ) and 5 types of diesel locomotives .
Sir Nigel Gresley was hauling the `English Riviera Express ` from Wolverhampton down to Kingswear when you saw it go by . That run along the coast down along the shoreline of the River Exe past Powderham Castle , Starcross , and along the sea wall through Dawlish is stunning and simply awesome on the footplate . Done it in the opposite direction all the way up from Penzance as far as Taunton .
Hope you get your last annoying leaks sorted out . Try adjusting the buffer pads on the inside top edge of the door to see if that improves the glass alignment . There are also for an aft adjuster bolts to get correctly align the window winder mechanisms inside the door panels . I know the C3 Haynes manual covers it but you might be able to google some info .

 

[CaptainK]

Cripes Chuffers, that's a lot of locos! Impressive stuff.

Leaks wise, I think my t-tops don't actually leak from the rubber seals under the t-tops, but actually just behind them where the roof goes from horizontal (under the t-top) to vertical to get to the height of the roof behind the t-top. I'll put some sealant in it.

And yeah, taking doors apart has been on my "to-do" list for ages anyway - mostly cos the driver's side elec window is a bit slow, and because the glass alignment is not great and they wobble a bit when the windows are open.

 

[Chuffer]

My drivers window was and still is to an extent slower than passenger and had much more wear in the mechanism as obviously than passenger side . Having the door card off and checking everything for alignment and tightness of fixings might help no end .

 

[CaptainK]

Sadly the windows / door card issue is quite low down my list of things to do right now. One day I'll get to it. My drivers window is quite random though, sometimes it goes up and down as its normal fairly slowish-speed, on the rare occasion it goes a little faster, but on the slightly more common side going up it can almost come to a stop and I then assist it with my hand to get it to keep going up.

Hey hum, joy of old cars is they always keep you entertained.