Flying Scotsman

Weren't the test runs at night ?

Tuesday 18th November

https://a1steam.com/index.php?optio...-p3m-steam-locomotive-tornado&Itemid=124.html

Departs York station at 19:00
Passes Northallerton at 19:29
Passes Darlington at 19:41
Passes Durham at 20:01
Arrives Newcastle Central Station at 20:43

Unlike Scotsman, Tornados times are not a secret, yet the crowds at the time as were much as now.

Not quite the same in the winters dark, to wait in a field for something that may not come at all, because it's a test..and in undercoat, compared to a Saturday morning, fully painted and advertised on TV.

 

We've also evolved in the south to stop throwing rocks at the moon too.

 

Well I like them, cos that's just how I remember the few A3s I saw.

 

I also like them and I saw plenty of them, with and without.

 

This all reminds me of the time when 4472 ran from Stratford to N Woowich with three coaches and the Queen Mum on board to open the Museum. Security was tight with police on every bridge as The IRA were very active then and everything was kept secret or so they thought. I was at West Ham with about a dozen others when a police Sargent turned up to check things and said "how the f.... Did you lot get to know about this it's supposed to be top secret and even we didn't get to know times until yesterday".

 

Pure hyperbole.

 

The test runs were after dark. A major discouragement to Joe Public wanting to go see a steam engine.

 

Indeed they were after dark but that didn't discourage too many people. Hell of a job getting the tea onto the footplate at Newcastle!

 

I really couldn't give a gnats backside about these tours and I suspect that the NRM have been the victims of their own success in publicising the return of the locomotive, however I seem to be one of the very few on here who realise a few home truths...

a) if the regulators want to stop people window hanging they are quite within their rights to stop it and as its their train set if you want to play there you play by their rules, bleating on here about it and throwing ones toys out of the cot is not going to achieve a great deal apart from making the perpetrators look like spoilt kids...
b) likewise if the regulators state they don't want times published again its their prerogative and again the same outcomes in point a apply.
c) If someone gets mown down on the ECML or elsewhere that's their look out (it would be the driver I feel for!), however I fear it would rapidly lead to a suspension of all mainline steam (whether you think that is knee jerk or not frankly your opinion counts as little as mine in the big scheme of things!) NR's objectives include keeping people safe (even from themselves) and getting shot of steam would be a jolly easy solution and save them a fortune in the process - why should they pay £60k in compensation just to keep a few enthusiasts happy so hey lets not make it easy for them?
d) recent events have shown that if ORR/NR want to get shot of steam on the mainline its a fairly swift and easy process, therefore one would expect the sensible thing to do would be happy to play by the owners of the train sets rules for now. The apparent desperation of many on here to provide the bullets that can be fired to cease mainline steam truly flabbergasts me at times, we live in the 21st century, not 1950 and we play by new rules which we might not agree with but that's life.

Yes it might appear to be overkill, but some poor bugger at NR and WCRC will have had to risk assess all this nonsense and sign their name on the dotted line as the responsible person, considering that previous events have seen kids and the elderly playing chicken with 100mph+ trains I don't envy them that job and they could have easily said the risk or financial cost is too great for idiots to be wandering about!

I think everyone needs to take the German Smoke Deflectors off and have a little think..... You think its hyperbole - possibly but lets not let common sense get in the way of things?

 

Northeners out in large numbers to see a steam loco? Shock, horror!

 

Absolutely spot on, I expect "them that know better" will not agree - but do they ever?

 

Yes they were at night, and from my standpoint at Chester le Street, around 300 people were out on a cold winter night, are were impeccably behaved, then the Talisman run, encountered the trespassing, for all to see on the internet in video's posted.

The evidence is there for everybody to see.........

 

I'll drink to that!

 

Indeed it is. I presume the trespassers in this picture all came from Cornwall.

http://svsfilm.com/nineelms/endbr.jpg

 

Head up on a article on ITV News at 6.30pm tonight regarding 60103 and line side tresspassers.

 

And a feature on the Tyneside addition of the BBC's Look North 6:30-7:00. No mention of the tresspass problems in trailer.

 

Maybe I've got ahead of myself. Headline for the article mentions. They don't want anyone to know where and when 60103 is running.

 

Instead of threats when will we see some prosecutions, without mercy for trespass.
Make some examples of a few people and plaster it on the news.
Much better deterrent than keeping it a secret.

Even the threat of the Q train has worked in the past, today they've got helicopters, dogs, vans, riot gear.. They have the tools.
Some arrests will sort the populace out.

Everyone loves negative news, seeing some convicted for watching a train will be a great negative news story that makes people think twice. Much greater impact on the public.

Reduces the risk assessment a bit.

 

If my memory is correct, a trespasser can only be arrested if he or she refuses to move when asked.
60017 might confirm this.

 

I suspect railway trespass is different, it isn't a common or garden civil matter, but governed by a plethora of specific legislation.