The Border Raider with 60163 - 16/09/17

Assuming we'll eventually be looped at Oxenholme. Currently on the main, seems there might be some centring going on.

 

Grayrigg would of been good without the looping. A restart from Oxenholme should be interesting !

 

Are you in the loop now? It's possible you may have to wait there for three trains. Then you could be clear to Carlisle.

 

Yes, looped now. One pendo has passed so far.

Edit: second just gone by.

 

If you get out of the loop well, looking from my armchair like 1330 at Carlisle. Downhill past Plumpton and Wreay might be interesting!

 

Crackin shot Bob

 

Wow - thats got to be a contender for shot of the year!

 

34/35 over Shap ? Sean ?

 

Around 34.8mph minimum on Shap according to my GPS. Excellent climb, and was doing 40 where WCRC trips normally dip to 38. And that with 13 on.

 

In fine form at Leyand, Galgate and Oubeck Loop..........

 

The original pass-to-stop schedule for Oxenholme-Carlisle (50 miles) was 54 minutes, and it looks as if Tornado accomplished this leg in almost exactly that time (based on an inference drawn from RTT). So yes, virtually nothing recovered. But with the incremental task of regaining momentum from the restart, comparing what would probably have been a passing speed at Oxenholme of, say 60/ 62 mph, instead of the crawl which I guess would be the case coming out of the Down Goods Loop, and then factoring in the recovery of speed against the rising gradients for the next 7 miles to Grayrigg, variously at 1 in 104/ 124/ 131/ 106, suggests I would guess that the net time would come out at somewhere around or just below 50 minutes.

Which is significant. Here's my perspective. Many would reckon that the equal best ever Load 13 (13/ 445/480) performance over Shap was that achieved by Tornado on the June 2010 Border Raider - (equal to DoG's brilliant run in October 2006). The 2010 Border Raider achieved an Oxenholme-Carlisle pass-to-stop time of 49 minutes 12 seconds by my reckoning, with Oxenholme passed at 63.5mph and Shap surmounted at 42.5mph. So surely today's effort would stand direct comparison with that run?? I look to those better better versed in the analysis of locomotive performance to confirm or confound that view.

 

Indeed. The schedule was tight anyway and assumed a clear run, not from a standing start at Oxenholme. I would say that a remarkably steady speed of around 41-ish all the way up Grayrigg followed by no lower than 35 up Shap hauling 13 is about as good as it gets.

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I agree 200%. Simply awesome. In fact, if the 21st Century ever witnessed the publication of something as truly magnificent as Colin Gifford's 20th Century "Decline of Steam" and "Each a Glimpse" landmarks in railway photography, then this image, with all its Giffordian echoes, would surely be a worthy contender for the cover shot.

 

Whole set turned at Carlisle. A full day spent one coach from the rear. Joy