Borders Railway Steam Services - Autumn 2015

The Scotrail timetable for the re-opened Waverley route to Tweedbank has been published.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/assets/download_ct/122963_newcraighall-edinburgh.pdf

It looks as if the promised thrice-weekly steam service will run on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for the first six weeks after the line's re-opening (subject to a replacement operator being found) as certain late-morning and early afternoon trains on Wed and Thurs may not run until the 15th October and Sundays only have an hourly service.

 

Anyone know what loco(s) are pencilled in for this?

 

I believe it was one of Ian Riley's Black Fives, plus a diesel top-and-tail, but the WCRC problems may change that.

 

In the absence of the A2 & V2 an A1 would be apt and, would also solve the TOC problem to boot?

 

I suspect the A1 is otherwise spoken for but there might be another suitable LNER pacific with strong Scottish connections. I do agree that a V2 would be very nice - the Peter Handford recordings of these locomotives at dawn on the southern half of the route are amongst the most atmospheric that I've ever heard.

 

I don't expect there will be a problem with Ian R's Fives worked by DBS, or indeed any other potential steam TOC, since they are both air-braked.

 

I am led to believe it is a bit more involved than "they have air brakes so DRS will run them."

1 - Does the owner want to use DBS?
2 - Does DBS want to use the loco?
3 - Is the loco certified to run with DBS? I believe the certification process could be in excess of 10k
etc.

 

As I understand it, the A1 is contracted to do the Belmond British Pullman operations whilst Clan Line is being overhauled

 

Go on then, a nice shiny A3, double kylchap, gerry blinks, looking the muts nuts !

 

6201 when she is back on the mainline this year has also done dbs tours.

 

Just to confirm that not all air braked locomotives are on DBS's current list of approved locomotives, even if they were operated by DBS or EWS at some point in the past.

David

 

How do you deduce that these services will be steam hauled? Three is no note about this or about another operator being involved?

Don

 

Do we know what axle limit/route availability standard the line is being rebuilt to?

I don't know a huge amount about the project but I haven't heard of there being any regular freight except periodic timber traffic, and regular service will be DMUs, so the ability to use the largest steam locos cannot, I would suggest, be assumed.

Steven

 

How do I deduce this? Well, to quote Jeff Hoogesteger, CEO Abellio Group, "A steam service will operate between Edinburgh and Tweedbank three times a week on a Wednesday, a Thursday and a Sunday for the first six weeks of operations." I hadn't actually realised he had specified the operating days already which makes my amateur sleuthing redundant but never mind. With a half-hourly weekday service fitting charter trains into the mix will be impossible without suspending regular services.

As Bean-Counter suggests there may well be route availability and gauging issues running the largest locos over the line and we also cannot assume at this stage there will be a TOC prepared to undertake the work.

 

Anyone know whether the DBS list will include 60103?

 

Unfortunately, the situation at present is that the only other player is a part-timer who is unable to make some games due to work commitments, can't always make it to away games and can only use their right foot as they do not have any boots to fit their left foot.

 

If a steam service is planned to be run when it opens I am so up for a trip to Scotland to ride on them.

 

Yep we can do it in a day from Soton

Don