WCRC Licence Suspended

DBS 66s apparently to answer my own question

 

HR states " A relief driver took the the train on to Swindon, where a new driver joined the train and took it as far as Southall"

 

Thanks Tom. I haven't seem the latest Heritage Magazine but will get a copy tomorrow. The delay at Swindon due to a change of driver makes sense, as West Coast would have had to ship one in from somewhere. Clearly there is a driver within 90 minutes drive from Swindon and able to drive steam on the mainline. Wow. It also explains why the driver on Tangmere in the You Tube footage at Reading station, reveals a someone who does not fit the category referred to in a much earlier post, as a "well known and experience" driver when the train left Bristol Temple Meads.

 

The answer is actually NO, a Driver does not have to be relieved at the next station if he has a SPAD. It is more complicated I'm afraid.

 

As I understand it, it is up to the TOC to decide what training and/or assessment the staff require. I do not believe there are national 'rules' in the way you are suggesting. It would be industry best practice, but the detail is the responsibility of the operator. Willing to be proved wrong here though, not my area of expertise.

 

UKsteam.info now shows tomorrow's Cumbrian Coast trip as cancelled. There's been no update to WCRC main site nor Facebook page since last weekend. The 0657 Bridlington - Carlisle and 1442 Carlisle - Bridlington trains are still shown in RTT, ID = FGRT, TOC = ZZ, which is usual for a DBS-worked train. There's even a L/E move from Carlisle to Carnforth. Make of all that what you will...

 

Also heard the same (that the above is cancelled). I had a look at the various loco lists I was sent this morning and it doesn't look like there are really any Class 67's available in the north... (never mind a driver/crew).

 

Realisation that bluster and attempted bullying wont work this time is more like it.

 

Seen on WNXX forum that it's cancelled, as is Hooton to Littlehampton. There's a tour from Chester to Whitby on Monday that is running though.

 

Your latter point depends on how open minded the business is to offers of competent assistance. WCRC has had a reputation for not welcoming outside help but I'm sure there are many people that would be assets to the business and willing to volunteer their time, particularly in this difficult period, to assist. It's their business and has to be run in the way they see fit when it comes to it.

 

http://www.railmagazine.com/news/ne...-rail-wcr-ban-reveals-ongoing-safety-concerns

The fourth paragraph is interesting.

 

Oh dear.

 

The full Rail magazine wording is:

"Meanwhile, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR, formerly the Office of Rail Regulation) announced that it is “reviewing the company’s safety certification - needed to operate trains on the rail network”.

In simple terms, it has launched formal proceedings to revoke WCR’s safety certificate."

I do not see that the second sentence necessarily follows from the first. At all. (No inside knowledge either).

 

It doesn't sound good, but I'd imagine ORR will wait and see NR's next move, and take a steer from that.That said we know they have already expressed concerns over safety documentation.

 

How ironic that the biggest threat to continued large scale steam operation on the national network seems to be one of the operators themselves.