Indian Summer at Launceston

Adrian Shooter's Darjeeling B class loco will be paying a return visit to the Launceston Steam Railway this year.

Planned to be there for several months through the summer whilst it's home railway is relocated.

More details will no doubt be available through the usual channels nearer the time.

 

Launceston is well worth a visit if you can make it.

 

Found myself in Polyphant for a few days, so visited the Launceston Steam Railway today. Covercoat running in the morning, 19B in the afternoon. Interesting collection of locomotives and other vehicles, and a lovely little railway run by friendly helpful people.
Riding behind 19B was a treat. Apart from the fact that the LSR is pretty much flat and straight, there's no double loop, four carriages is all the passing loops can manage and the darkest face in sight was mine...it was exactly like India. The monsoon effect was particularly effective...

 

Popped in today, lovely event - everybody friendly, and just lots of fun...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

This could be the Indian Summer for steam. Nigel Bowman said in a news interview yesterday that conversion to electric traction would be an option if permission is granted for the reinstatement of a small hydro-electric plant near the railway. His colleague, James Armstrong Evans, is an expert in this technology. Presumably battery would be much cheaper than overhead wires. Would this still pull in the customers?

 

Interesting. The Launceston line is home to the converted ex-GPO electric railcar now running as diesel electric, so something of a head start perhaps?.
https://www.launcestonsr.co.uk/diesel-railcar-the-gherkin

Ignoring all NG urban electric tramways (Birmingham Corporation once had the largest 3'-6" gauge tramway system in these islands) and please feel free to add any I've overlooked:

Lines where electrical operation has been proposed:

Talyllyn: A suggestion was made for hydro electric operation made in 1950
NWNG: Originally intended to be operated on 3-phase, generating plant and locos actually built
VoR: Electrification under serious consideration by original company, kyboshed by Cambrian takeover

NG lines which currently or have previously used electric traction include:

Llechwedd Quarry: employed two OHLE locos, The Eclipse and The Coalition (both built on the frames of steam locos). Amazingly, both survive.
Numerous industrial lines used battery locos. Locos and control gear of one late survivor, from the brickmaking industry, was donated to Chalk Pits Museum, Amberley, where they have been demonstrated periodically.

Bessbrook & Newry: Officially a tramway, but more akin to Manx Electric.
Bushmills & Giant's Causeway: OHLE when closed in 1949, restored line diesel
Hythe Pier (Hants): extant
Manx Electric: extant
Snaefell Mountain: extant
Southend Pier: regauged operating diesels
Volks (Brighton): extant

Groudle Glen: (smallest line manages biggest entry! ) introduced a pair of BEV 0-4-0 (battery) locos, intended to replace Bagnall 2-4-0Ts Sea Lion and Polar Bear, whose names they carried in service. Rather too lively, even at GGR speeds, one or both were rebuilt with outer carrying wheels - and very odd it/they looked too. After less than a decade, their (lead-acid) batteries were dying and after (BEV) Polar Bear took an unscheduled diversion down the side of the Glen, the steam locos were dusted off. Today's (BEV) Polar Bear is a recreation (unlike Amberley's much loved Bagnall, which is the real deal!)

 

https://www.launcestonsr.co.uk/

A nice day out if you are in Devon or Cornwall. Lots to see besides the railway for family or friends not wanting to spend the whole day train riding or spotting.

 

If it converts to electric I will not be visiting

Sent from my SM-A105FN using Tapatalk

 

And if the ultimate choice all around dictates steam is history?

 

Same here.

 

Put the pitchforks down. Its been clarified that they're not looking at phasing out steam, just making leccy. Even if it did replace steam entirely, its still fine, its 2022.