Ideas for the Main Line

I suspect that anyone who has a class 4 tank engine, mogul, 0-6-0 goods engine - or any of the other suggestions on this thread - available for traffic is likely to find several preserved lines biting their hand off with a guaranteed 50 or more days of steaming per year, which has to be a better financial bet than going to all the expense of fitting the modern electronic gizmos and then finding you get maybe one or two mainline tours per year. And that's before you consider the issues of pathing tours for locos that are generally small-wheeled and likely to be restricted to 50mph or so.

Tom

 

Surely this "could" be tested out by say a didcot as and when they have this swapable equipment? What ever is in ticket "could" go on?

 

The RPSI operate 2-6-4T No 4, which is basically a 4MT, on the Irish mainline very successfully.
She is awaiting an overhaul, so for all those who fancy seeing a 4MT on the mainline, why not donate a little bit to her overhaul, and then join one of her railtours? Not only much cheaper than Great Britain based tours, but more fun: ask anyone who has been!

 

Slight correction - she is actually under overhaul, albeit low key as other locos (131 and 171) are ahead of her in the queue. There was an update on the RPSI website on 7th March this year showing work taking place on her steam pipes.

The RPSI has also successfully run J15s 184 and 186 on the mainline.

Keith

 

AFAIK The Tysley GUV is basically an extension of the tender and tops up as you go

 

Yes, but by adding it to the rake, you lose a passenger vehicle.....

 

Could a 6 wheeled CCT not go mainline? If so how much water could you put in one of those? Surely spread over each axle you should be able to put some decent amount of water? And then its only 1/2 a coach?

 

Never really been into the main-line scene but have often wondered whether lightly used lines like Uckfield - Oxted could be used for something like this. Only problem would be running round so it would be top and tailing. Steam on the met seems to work like this OK

 

if a replacement bus service is put on to replace service trains for the duration of any steam running day, it may be an option, and make it easier to operate, especially on a sunday when there may be less service trains running, prehaps the regular TOC could organise it,and sub contract it to either WCRS,or DBS, as a public good will / local thing working with local charities, ie any profit after costs, go to charity.

 

SVR's 80079 did some M/L runs along the Welsh Marches double headed with 43106 in the early 1980's, from memory water was always a problem. 80079 also came to Rainhill with (4)5000 for Rocket 150 in 1980, rumour had it that the fire was dropped on the last leg into Manchester because of a water problem leaving the Black 5 to complete the trip on it's own.

 

The problem with many single track branches is the lack of capacity, especially for trains which can't keep up with multiple unit timings, and weight/speed restrictions for loco-hauled trains - both may well be an issue for Oxted-Uckfield.

 

As I said it was an idea. Oxted Uckfield does have several passing places en-route. When I lived in Crowborough not so many years ago there wasn't actually a Sunday service at all!

 

That wouldn't be as daft as it sounds - in Cornwall for instance - though a 45 mph limit would apply in both directions.

 

The Uckfield single line has two passing places - Ashurst and Crowborough (Its double from Hurst Green to Heaver). For the hourly off peak service the norm is to pass at Ashurst, but in the peaks when additional trains are run then all loops are in use. Various pressure groups are pushing for the service to go half hourly throughout the day too and thus use both loops (but limited size of Southern's diesel fleet makes this impossible at present).

The Sunday service on the Uckfield route is hourly these days - while the East Grinstead branch is now half hourly on Sundays too (which is relevant given the signalling constraints at Oxted.

There is NO WAY the local authorities, the DfT, Southern or the sizeable number of users would put up with a 'bus replacement' service (look at the distaste passengers have fr them during engineering works and the efforts of TOCs to avoid using them if possible) service simply to let a few enthusiasts 'play trains'.

There are no run round facilities amywhere along the line (plus all the loops are 'dynamic' or 'long' ones with uni-directional signalling) and running round at Oxted is not easy, plus the bay there is not bidirectional (I think trains terminating there have to terminate in the up through platform then shunt back into the bay). Uckfield itself has a single platform meaning that prolonged stops there are not possible.

You need to realise that the Uckfield branch is no longer the sleepy backwater it was in the days of the Thumpers. Just because it is one of the last bastions of diesel units in the SE makes no difference. The new diesel stock and the extension of all services to London have all conspired to make the service very attractive to both commuters, shoppers and leisure travellers - even at off peak times. This is helped by the relatively low fares on the route compared to the neighbouring railheads of Tunbridge Wells and Lewes. Furthermore since the conversion of all services to through trains it is imperative they hit their correct slots on the BML - terminating trains short at Crowborough so they can get back on time and decanting passengers onto buses is a surprisingly common tactic in the off peak period (The trains are too full for this to normally be an option during the peak).

 

It is another case of mistaken singling, like the North Cotswold Line, Salisbury-Exeter and Swindon-Kemble. Mind you, a complete re-doubling wouldn't go down well with the Spa Valley Railway. Even so, short single-track pinch points need not be too problematical - the neighbouring Tonbridge-Hastings line has a few, especially through the more restricted tunnels such as Mountfield and Wadhurst. It could be possible to put back most of the double track but leave a short single track section from near Birchden Junction to Eridge station. Uckfield Station itself may also be a bit tight for a second platform as the line ie very close to the river at this point.

However, I would think that any plans for re-doubling would only be considered in conjunction with reopening the Uckfield-Lewes line. Although George Osborne mentioned it in the budget this year, I remain sceptical. It could well have been no more than an election ploy and if its objective was to secure a Conservative victory in Lewes over its Lib Dem incumbent, Norman Baker, it was successful. Whether we will therefore hear any more of it now the election has come and gone remains to be seen. I for one will not be holding my breath.

 

The T9 and a Maunsell Mogul - 31874, wouldn't need a main line ticket if they returned 'home' to Okehampton. A series of trains could start from Exeter Central behind say, 34046 and stop just beyond Coleford Junction on the private line. 30120 or 31874 could come on as pilot, for the 1 in 77/80 climb to Okehampton. It is way overdue for the T9 to return to the place it is associated with more than any other (open) line. 31874 was withdrawn from 72A Exmouth Junction so, another homecoming there.

 

Work out the problems with a 9F. If you can put a brand new locomotive, with several design changes from what used to be, on the mainline, then a 9F should be relatively easy. Some song and dance about crossings? Network Rail should have all offending pieces of trackwork recorded in their databases, so run the things on routes that don't feature those crossings. If Network Rail say they don't have every crossing with all of their track geometry listed by now, they are not doing their job properly.

Other suggestions? 6229. Known performance parameters, quite unique appearance.

For small tendered or tank locomotives, running a water gin on the train is a given. In NSW, we run them and in the past, the diesel pumps fitted were startable from the locomotive footplate, so you could water on the run. Something that you might want to seriously consider is through piping your locomotives, as is done in NSW, so that the loco in the front of a double header can have a drink too. Someone earlier in this thread complained that a water gin means one carriage less. So what. if you want to run small water capacity locomotives on the mainline, it is a mandatory cost.

 

Flangeless wheels are, I understand, incompatible with the raised checkrails of modern pointwork used throughout the network - such a fundamental issue would have the same impact on a new build as it would on a 9F.

 

Okay What about W1 Medina to Ryde St Johns Road then

 

Always wondered why the IOWSR didnt put a connection in at Smallbrook Jcn. Even for just occasional use you could have some fun with Calbourne or the Terriers.