TOPs number etc ex British India Line thread.

Mallard does have a Tops No. as it has been dragged on the network and needs one to be dead in train.

 

She does indeed.

98868

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_98

 

Interesting that 813 (based at SVR) is on neither list but has been dragged in and out of Didcot a few times (most recently this week).

 

Did the Railmotor have to have a TOPS number when it was towed from Didcot Railway Centre to Didcot LIP the first time? Ie when it went to Llangollen?

 

The Railmotor presumably would have needed one for the Brentford branch regardless of any special arrangements for Didcot.

Going back to diesels briefly, I remembered that 'peak' D123 / 45125 had an 89xxx number when it arrived at the GCR (having moved part of the way by rail) so I looked this up, it was 89423. So they based the TOPS number on the D number and not the former TOPS number. Is that unusual? (And what's wrong with the BR-era TOPS numbers for all of these preserved diesels, anyway?)

 

Heritage traction (both steam and diesel) are limited to 15,000 miles, I think it's something to do with that.

 

Looking at the list the ivatt flying pig is down as 98406, So when 31806 goes mainline, will she take the ivatts tops number, or become 98407? im assuming an Rebuilt river is 4p3f, or is it a 3p 4f?

 

I have just checked a list taken from TOPS earlier this year.
31806 = 98406
43106 not listed

Cheers, Neil

 

43106 therefore not main-line certified hence could be interesting if moving as visitor to another line. I presume the cost of TOPS certification helps budgeting towards road transport for such moves.

 

This begs the question... when the AC Loco Group finishes returning 89001 to working order, will its 'official' TOPS number be... 89001?

 

Nope; the "0" representing Power Classification will be replaced by whatever the RSL (Rolling Stock Library) deigns 5850 hp to represent; its number will therefore be 89N01 where "N" represents the allocated Power Classification.

An alternative is to use the Tractive Effort as the basis with 89001 producing 40100 lb. Whilst a Standard 9F produces 39670 lb to be in Power Classification 9, a Stanier "Duchess" produces 40000 lb to be in Power Classification 8 hence "Avocet might end up with the official TOPS number 89901

 

From what I understand what's classed as 'Heritage' traction (steam and diesels like the Deltics, D1015 etc) are limited to 15,000 miles travel each year on the national network. I'm unsure exactly why, but I think the roots of it go back to the late '90s when D9000 was being used by Virgin and Anglia.

 

Not aware of that, some steam locos used intensively must get quite close to that limit?

 

I can't remember which loco it was, I think it was 60163, did something like 12,000 odd mainline miles a few years ago. But as one mag editor said some time ago 'if it's good enough for the mainline, why artificially limit it to 15k'

 

I'm sure when I spoke to one of the guys on Flying Scotsman earlier this year he mentioned having done a higher number than 15,000 in the last year - though conceivably not in a calendar year. (I may have misremembered, of course...). It's easy to see how the mileage for some locos stacks up if you add in the positioning moves as well as the revenue-earning trips.

Tom

 

I believe that this limit is imposed on heritage traction (of all types) because they are not kept up-to-date with all the latest requirements and operate under various derogations to enable this to happen. Failing to update stock and keep them operational with derogations is not what is wanted. Happy to be told that's rubbish, though.

 

That sounds about right to me.

 

Presumably the data is recorded by the OTMR equipment otherwise it would be difficult to audit/enforce?