Steam loco survival myths

As 9Fs can't work the network these days if they ever had been suggested as an official strategic reserve they can't be used as that now.


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Although presumably the absolute flattening of everything would resolve a few guaging issues.

 

I'm sure I saw another Strategic Reserve (or hoax/April Fool) story of some 8Fs being found behind an tunnel on the London Underground (I forget where it was on the LU or where I saw the story).

I've been fascinated by the Strategic Reserve myths but never believed them. The story on that website from Heapey seems to be debunked now by that picture above.

 

Or the alternate scene where they ignore the jobsworth, carry on and derail on the next high checkrail crossing and stop everything moving for the next 12 hours...

 

Or find that all the signals have returned to danger (and all catch points set to derail) due to all of the systems failures that would no doubt result from an apocalyptic event?

 

Too good not to post here, a photo credited to Ian Hilton of the withdrawn locos at Heapey ROF sidings. The tanks on the right can still be found, the line from the sidings to the tunnels/main site runs L-R mid photo, the level crossing is on the right.

 

Going back to my former EPO role one of the more realistic scenarios in desk top planning exercises for which the debate on can we use these preserved steam traction units cropped up was what would happen in the event of blockaded oil imports etc. Back then we still had UK coal being mined. How in the same scenario an even higher % of electricity production will be hard hit.


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I think we still do don't we? Just not from deep mines.

Dave

 

What's the percentage of UK coal produced compared to the amount of coal used in the UK ?, we might still produce some but be surprised if over a quarter is "homegrown".

I find interesting reading other threads recently that a a decent amount of problematic coal seems to be of the Welsh variety, presumably what's being mined now is not in the same area as the stuff that was held in such high regard ?.

 

Coal usage has fallen off a cliff in recent times. I think there was a day, or maybe days, recently when none was used for power generation.

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

 

Very true, but take out power stations, presumably there's some demand from industry for the stuff too ?, in any case don't the power stations all source from abroad now anyway ?.

 

Looking on YouTube I found this short video about Heapey depot.

 

One last bit from me, the following is from the Chorley Guardian, Tuesday 09 December 2014. I love the decription of how to idenify something going wrong on the site. Having visited the crater of what was once the Fauld ammunition depot (until it exploded in 1944), you would definitely hear "a loud bang"........anyway, over to the Chorley Guardian:



"Residents will gather at a public meeting next month to hear about a company’s plans to store explosives near their homes.

Redcliffe International (Shipping) has taken over the former BAE-owned Royal Ordnance site at Heapey.

The company, which provide storage for hazardous goods, including explosives, has organised the meeting in a bid to allay any fears residents may have about its operations at the site.

A site visit, which was attended by Chorley councillors Gordon France, Margaret France and Kim Snape, who is also a Lancashire County councillor, took place on
Friday.

Coun Gordon France, who represents Pennine ward, said: “High explosive material has been stored there apart from 2010, going back to the Second World War.”

Among the explosives Redcliffe plans to store there, are TNT and gunpowder, explained Coun France.

However, he said he had no issues with what company was proposing to do at this stage.

He said: “Redcliffe are wanting to store less than when it was a BAE site.

“It was built for purpose. It’s just basically a site for storage. It would appear to me it’s just business as usual.

“The public safety of people in my ward is paramount.”

Coun Snape said: “It’s nothing for people to panic about. It’s just making people aware of what is there.

“There’s a public meeting in January with the county council, borough council and emergency services. People will be able to ask questions then.

“Everything will be explained at the meeting and there are all sorts of precautions with these sites.”

However, Malcolm Allen, of Heapey Parish Council, said: “Obviously, when the ROF was operating there, they did use it as a storage depot. The problem now is they have sold the water tanks off – they have sold the property off, which is being redeveloped.”

He added: “It depends on what the storage is.

“If there’s a fire there, where are they going to get the water from – given they had to pipe water from the canal for the Dressers Arms fire?”

Redcliffe has to comply with Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations. It has to notify nearby stakeholders and has put together a draft leaflet.

It says that “in the unlikely event of a major incident, it would likely be short-lived consisting of a loud bang with some debris throw.

“The emergency service advise to shelter immediately by going inside and closing doors and windows. Stay inside until you are advised to do otherwise and tune in to local radio or TV for information.

“The site siren should activate, but if you hear loud noises or notice any debris please shelter and contact the emergency services. Please note, the siren is tested on the first Wednesday of every month at 11am.

“Major incidents involving explosive storage sites are very rare.

“However, in 1976 an accident occurred at a chemical plant in Seveso, Italy, which led to more than 600 people being evacuated from their homes.

“This prompted the adoption of legislation aimed at the prevention and control of such accidents.

“As a consequence, the so called ‘Seveso’ directive was adopted in 1982 and has been updated twice since.” "

 

Ah well, that would have been an EEC directive, so soon there won't be any need to comply with it!

 

Of minor insignificance.

More importantly what livery would they carry?

I think I know.

I know a bloke who met someone in a pub who told him that a bloke he thought worked near Box Tunnel had bought a load of ex WD grey paint at a car boot sale from someone local whose cat was killed on the GWR mainline. So that proves there must be a strategic reserve somewhere in Wiltshire.

 

Seems as if the bloke wanted to either paint whatever was in the tunnel, or do an all-WD grey painting.

 

I heard there is definitely a strategic reserve stored in a building in Shropshire on an old colliery sidings, and it's still rail connected. Highley unlikely I think.

 

I still need it to keep my house warm.

 

No kidding! These experts really know their stuff don't they....

Dave