As the train stops at for a brief moment to pick up the token Dartmoor's Thumper Man Julian Pope pops his head out of the rear cab.
Below is a screenshot from Real Time Trains showing the timings of the train for that day, you may notice it says 'No Report' for the times at Taunton and Exeter, thats because the train was turned short of these stations
As the service to Credition is pretty poor I got the closest available train which arrived around 2 hours before the booked thumper time which meant I had a long wait on my hands.
After a longer wait we the signaller done the usual trick with special trains and held it at Exeter Riverside Yard for longer than booked which meant it arrived at Crediton 48 minutes late.
Unfortunately the sun was so bright I couldn't get decent shots of both ends of it so I just had to take a gamble in my position.
The delivery of 1118
Unit 1118 aka 205018 was delivered to its new home at the Dartmoor Railway on 3rd June2015 after an extensive restoration which was undertaken on behalf of its new owner by the West Somerset Railway.
The move should have happened a week or so earlier by another railway company but they had problems with their traction which was as old as the Thumpers.
The job was then given to Freightliner who provided a Class 66 for the job.
The timings were published a good 24 hours in advance on www.realtimetrains.co.uk where it was booked to reverse in the stations at Taunton and Exeter but the Chairman of the Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association, Peter Chapman who also happens to be a driver for Freightliner told me that often trains get turned in the yards before the stations so even though its booked to go to the stations there is no guarantee of it.
Looking along the line the only intermediate station is Tiverton Parkway where I thought it would be travelling quite fast to get some decent shots, the only other place was Crediton which was the only station between Exeter and the Dartmoor Railway.
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