Steam Ban Nationwide

Latest to join the list is the Dean Forest:

We are sorry to announce that due to the ongoing dry conditions and a series of lineside fires today (Saturday 7th July) we have had to take the decision to suspend steam operations tomorrow (8th), Wednesday (11th) and the following weekend (14th & 15th), in light of the weather forecast and current lineside conditions. The service will still run, but instead will be hauled by the resident Class 08 diesel, 08769 "Gladys" to the same standard "A" timetable.

We will review the situation next weekend once the ongoing weather forecast is clearer.

This was not an easy decision to make but as we're sure you will understand, this is the best choice to ensure the safety of our passengers and volunteers, and to protect our lineside and surrounding forest from any serious damage.

We apologise for an inconvenience caused.

 

Steam is back on the W&LLR apparently, from their Facebook page last Friday:

“Steam is back! We've organized to run three trains each day this weekend, hauled by 1902 original locomotive The Earl. Instead of vintage trains in between, we'll follow each passenger train with a "fire engine" hauling a water wagon to make sure the super-dry countryside doesn't catch on fire. So come and enjoy the wonderful weather from our carriages with opening windows and open balconies! Full details and timetables on www.wllr.org.uk, but the first steam departure from Llanfair at 1000 or Welshpool at 1115 will get you home in time for the game...”

 

At GCR only the diner is steam, other services diesel loco or DMU this weekend.

 

I'd pre-booked my ticket a few months ago and had a telephone call from the Railway on Friday evening saying that they may or may not be running steam this weekend, I thought I'd keep quiet about it until after the event rather than muddy the waters. I visited yesterday and we were indeed steam-hauled with a diesel-propelled fire train following behind us. My thanks to the Railway for how they;ve dealt with this trying weather.

 

Strathspey Railway in steam again. There was even a (light and much-needed) shower of drizzle in Aviemore today....

 

All steam this weekend at the Bluebell (four engines yesterday with a wedding charter; three today). Thus far I’ve heard nothing to suggest any change from the planned service.

Apart from the lineside risk, the other big consideration is managing crew fatigue, something to be taken seriously in this weather.

Tom

 

Wish my employer thought like that, 9 hours working in 34c with hot equipment, sweat pouring out of you and rushing around. Lol

 

Are all steam locos considered an equal fire risk? I recall seeing far more ejecta from smaller and older locos working hard (T9 30120 on the MHR years ago didn't half chuck it out!).

How were lineside fires handled back in the day? Was firefighting an additional responsibility for PW gangs? Even accounting for far more clearance of lineside vegetation, the kind of weather conditions we're enjoying at the mo. must have presented a challenge when fire tenders didn't feature the powerful pumps available to their modern counterparts .... never mind being miles from the nearest hydrant.

 

Back in the day lineside fires were less common due to (a) better control of lineside vegetation by local pw teams (b) local pw teams dealing with fires as advised by signal boxes spaced at short intervals (c) drivers driving to the conditions then appertaining and (d) more understanding - and acceptance - of responsibilities to deal with fires. Today the increase in interfaces means that by the time decisions are taken and transmitted to the work-face fires have taken hold hence need greater resourcing to be put out.

 

Fire pumps have been efficient for a great number of decades. One of the problems with rural fires is the water supplies. Small rivers and dykes start to dry up and water may have to be ferried by fire engine or tanker some distance. Given the temperatures of both air and land fires can spread very rapidly. Given the nature of many heritage lines that can cause some problems in initially discovering the fire and secondly dealing with it and summoning help. Water from public water supplies can also be challenging and a severe drain on a local reservoir often has to be counterbalanced with farming needs - such as milking time.
The 'fire train' mentioned in an earlier post is a most thoughtful and concerned idea. I believe one or two other lines now do something sililar, but profit margins should not be put before public safety and other peoples livelihoods and property.

 

Plenty of locos were fitted with water pumps to counter incendiary bombs during WWII ..... and there are several small locos insufficiently powerful for passenger requirements kicking around in need of gainful employment .... more than a few suitable (currently unloved) tanker wagons which could be re-purposed too.

The technology has been around for decades, so I guess it comes down to whether there's a sensible economic case for splashing out in order to keep the passenger fares coming in during tinder-dry conditions, or simply tolerate diesel haulage now and then.

 

You have to think of line occupancy - easier, and quicker to get to the scene, if you just put portable pumps on tender engines, rather than having a dedicated train.

To take an example - engine working hard going up a bank sets a fire; next train coming down some minutes later discovers it and deals with it, causing minimal delay and dealing with the fire as soon as it is known about. Compare that with engine goes up the bank sets a fire; next train coming back down discovers it; proceeds to next station; informs Operating Superintendent, fire train comes out of siding, sets out along line to scene of fire (which could be ten miles away), discovers said fire which by then is either out or out of control. Meanwhile, timetable in chaos, and you have all the expense of maintaining the fire train on standby "just in case".

A quick Google suggests that the water pumps that we use cost about £200 each - under £1000 to outfit the whole fleet (and they last years) which is less than the cost of keeping a steam loco "On standby" as a mobile fire tender for one weekend...

Tom

 

I like the thinking. Especially when many railways operate at full line capacity in season, so don't have the paths available to get to the fire anyway.

 

Certainly a preferable "first response" ..... quicker and a damned sight cheaper than a dedicated 'fire train'. If that can cope with >90% of incidents, all well and good, but my thinking is to do with a line's exposure to third party claims for damages if things get more serious .... and quite a few routes are alongside valuable cash crops and several are a considerable distance from a fire station, plus our beloved steamers aren't the only source of even accidental ignition which our firefighters need to worry about in conditions such as these.

As always, risk assessment will be for those who best know their individual lines to determine .... and (more ominously) their insurers.

 

Steam hauled services back on at Llangollen from today. 5199 is the loco for this week.

Bob.

 

Certainly a "fire train" is used by the Silverton and Durango in the USA, where the line runs 45 miles through the forests and mountains above Durango, and which can become tinder dry in summer. They run what I think is a "speeder" about half a mile behind the service trains to spot and extinguish any fires caused by the passage of the steam loco.

Andy

 

Round my parts, the steam TOC works hand in glove with the local rural fire brigade. A fire truck will nearly always follow behind as close as roads or line-side service tracks will allow. Another fire truck also will top up the engine's tender at the halfway point! During summertime or dry periods, there will often be total fire bans enforced, so no steam haulage is allowed. A bushfire in a dry eucalyptus forest is scary and very hard to stop.

 

Steam ban at the SVR from tomorrow onwards. Decision to be reviewed again on 18th July.

 

Chinnor & Princes Risborough ran with Diesels only last weekend.