West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Indeed so; here’s “Taw Valley” on that very working, 31 May 1963.



Tom

 

I've personal experience of that loco coming off the road when hauling a passenger train tender first! Not something I want to repeat.

 

Off subject I know but... Tom, I notice a tender fully stacked with good looking coal, presumably Betteshanger taken on at Eastborne. This diagram was in 1960 a Bricklayers Arms duty (No.531) but I assume with the closing of the 'Brick' became a Brighton duty (34027 was reallocated from the 'Brick' to Brighton in May 1961 and then on to Salisbury in August 1963. )

Was this picture taken on its last working before transfer to Salisbury ? Was this also indicative of the run down state of Brighton depot, which post 1961 was supposedly closed whilst still being a stabling location ie its locos had to coal at Eastborne and it never cleaned them ? Every picture encourages questions !

There is a slight WSR connection; 34027 'Taw Valley' spent time on the WSR, particularly according to my notes in 2000, both at the Autumn Gala and on service trains during August. It was with us long enough for loyal GWR footplate crews to get the measure of it . This was the time I think that it was red post its Harry Potter involvement. It also visited us in 1997 (the first year I spent some time rather than very spasmodic visits to the WSR.) Memory says there was a Main Line summer steam ban that year.

Michael Rowe

 

A definitive answer on the speed was given by Tormagaig on another thread earlier this week.
Speed tender first is 45 mph unless the loco is at the tail of a train being top and tailed.
Will try and relocate the post.

Found it under Great Britain 1X
As there seems to be some interest in the issue of speed limits when running tender first can I try to clarify the issue. All steam locos have a max. permitted speed printed on the inside of the cab roof. This varies according to the class of loco in the forward direction, but is limited to 45 MPH for all locos running "tender first". Now running "tender first" refers to working a train - or running light engine - with the tender leading. It does not apply to a loco in the train which is not the leading loco. It can be running "backwards" inside a leading loco or at the rear of the train and need not be limited to 45 mph. In this situation my company instructions are that speed should not exceed 60 mph. Other company's instruction may be different and there may well be other factors that dictate a lower speed. The reason for the lower tender first limit relates to the potential instability of the tender as a vehicle when being propelled, especially if water and coal have nearly been exhausted at the end of a run.

 

VT's Shakespeare Express is, or rather was, usually tender first from Birmingham out to Stratford-upon-Avon.
Steam specials post-1966 on the Cambrian involved even longer tender first working. The most memorable for me was Black 5 45407 from Shrewsbury to Tywyn in March 2004.
The driver spent most of the run leaning out of the cab to see past the tender, despite near constant rain!

 

Clan Line will turn on the triangle at Norton Fitzwarren on the Tuesday morning (29/05) prior to coming back to BL to collect our support coach and moving on to Bristol.

 

You never know. People can and do move on on occasion.

Noel

 

Clan Line should look and sound great when she is on the Torbay Express heading for Kingswear.

 

Self perpetuating autocracies are seldom a good thing for obvious reasons. We have already seen what happens with one far too close to,home. It is very disappointing that some prominent WSR personalities still cling to the idea that one could be the preferred overall WSR structure. I say a thousand times no.

 

Is there late running? The class 35 has arrived at minehead yet?

 

Maybe it will once the expenditure on legal matters comes to an end. I read, elsewhere, that another valuation of the sold shares is at hand. Presumably the first one didn't give the answer wanted.

 

Pure speculation. Nobody but the Ttustees know at present. Please refrain from doing so.

 

Wasn't the 1715 meant to be the hymek?

 

Unfortunately Hymek '17 failed and was replaced by Crompton D6566, the latter's first passenger outing for 5 years. The 4.15pm steam service from Minehead was delayed for an hour and subsequently ran in the 5.15pm diesel path, the diesel diagram having been cut short. Another incident contributed to the delay but hey, the sun was out and the Kildare Lodge Beer Festival at Minehead was a great success for a group of Somerset CAMRA members that used the train to get there.

 

The valuation bit is not speculation. It can be read on two web sites to my knowledge.

 

For the sake of accuracy D7017 didn't fail as such, it was suffering from an intermittent problem and was removed from the 1315 Minehead-BL as a precaution at Williton in favour of D6566, with no delay caused. The hour's delay to the 1415 BL-MD was caused by a passenger incident at BL - which hence ended up in the diesel 1515 path and 1715 back.

 

Any details of the incident?

 

Do you believe everything you read on the web? I repeat it is idle speculation. Please cease stirring things up. We have had more than enough of it.

 

Hope D7017 is okay for Swanage? The 1715 MD departure with the hall seemed to take awhile to get going after going over the level crossing? Hope that is okay too.

 

By chance I was watching that departure on the webcams and the train came to a stand after the signalman spotted a door not properly secured and put the starter signal by Butlins back to danger and the train was brought to a stand and situation resolved promptly by staff involved.