Saphos Trains

It is well documented that the trustees are not in the business of thrashing the loco, and break records.
They are in the business of providing a sensible, easy on the loco, day out where everybody goes home happy.....

 

I'll be on the Golden Hind on Wednesday, which I've been informed will be hauled by 46100. Whilst I am looking forward to seeing what the Scot makes of the Devon Banks, I also know that this is a Saphos trip and there will probably be some pushing from the diesel. Particularly since we have a pathing stop at Totnes, so will be facing Rattery from a standing start with probably 11 coaches. I am not as bothered by diesel assistance as others on this forum. As long as I can hear the loco working, smell the steam, get the bits of smut coming through the window onto my table, then I am happy.

 

Given the failure of 60007 yesterday - what is hauling the Kingswear train tomorrow? Is that 46100 too?

 

Yes, it was always booked to be 60007's last south west trip yesterday.

 

Never said thrashing - big difference between that and doing what the loco was built to do.
I don't see the point of restoring a loco to the mainline and never taking it out of '2nd gear', might as well keep it on preserved railways.

 

Reported as 47.805 + 35465, 17013, 3045, 3122, 80044, 3100, 3148, 3125, 1863, 3107, 3231, 3330 + 47.593 1Z27 Bedford to Kingswear .

Possibly load 12 plus support coach? <BJ>

 

60007 hasn't used its support coach on the Taunton based trips this summer, the support crew have travelled in the normal brake. Hence why the broken brake block on Wednesday couldn't be changed at Shrewsbury.

 

Not quite correct. 60007 has usually taken its support coach on the Shrewsbury turns - apart from the one this week. It’s only the Kingswears that it doesn’t, due to the loco change taking place at Taunton instead of Fairwater this year.

 

With the greatest of respect the A4 was designed for the ECML, not a set of banks in the South West.
Getting up to, and cruising at speed were its strengths, and climbing banks came as part of that.
Why risk damage the loco in an effort to break a "record"???
In the end it will be the trust, its supporters that will fund the next overhaul, and their operation of the loco, with LSL support, is both sensible, and prudent.

 

With the greatest of respect you have mis-interpreted what I have said. I have not mentioned 'thrashing', 'breaking records' or anything of the sort.
Since the 1960s, A4s have travelled far and wide away from the ECML, proving themselves very capable of climbing hills - be that in the South West or indeed North West. A4s have tackled all of these routes with ease. In their twilight years they worked the Aberdeen route, hardly flat. Number 9 is probably one of the most widely travelled locomotives in Preservation & had an outstanding record of reliability. I have also been over the Devon Banks behind an A4, indeed into Cornwall - Bittern performed beautifully on that day.
In recent weeks we have seen Class 6s & 7s take centre stage on the banks, these have had to work a lot harder than an A4 would. I am pleased the owners of these locos were willing for their locos to be used on these trips and they have performed very well.
The trustees certainly have every right to control how their locomotive is used, but is there any evidence to suggest an A4 taking 9 up Hemerdon is causing it undue duress?
As an aside, if the statement is to be believed - diesel assistance is to be only used when called for by the steam locomotive driver. That would mean number 7 is continuously hauling equivalent load 13 or 14 when the diesel isn't working.

 

Sorry but the SNGLT statement says the 47 is in notch 1 taking its own weight when required, so it's not continuously hauling 13 or 14 carriages.

 

Can't run at 75mph during a 150 mile trip each way on a heritage railway. I don't see the point of restoring Castles to operate on heritage railways only.

 

With reference to this when you see a Saphos/LSL job out and about it’s normally Load 12 anyway. But even when people say Load 12, the weight with the kitchen, etc is far likely to me more equivalent to 13 and that’s before you take the diesel in to account.

Notch 1 on the 47 would take its own weight by that still puts a good load 12/13 on the drawbar of Gresley.

 

Just with general reference to the LSL diesel debate -

- If the steam loco fails (70000 or 60007 recently) then there is immediate back up there and ready to go. Most of you will know I was on that Steam Dreams trip where 70000 sat down, and without the diesel the situation would have been far more prolonged. Transpires there was no Network Rail MOM available for hours, so the whole getting a rescue engine out to the train would have been difficult, but luckily we had it there already.

- ETH/ETS wise the diesel will more likely be in notch 1 just to consistently provide the power needed. It’s a long old train to put power to that is and combined with it taking its own weight I’d say it’s required.

- The loco of choice for the SW runs this year wasn’t really built for getting 12 over the Devon Banks. Infact come to think of that very few of the LSL locos were, maybe the King. So it’s not unrealistic to think diesel assistance would be needed. The trains need to be big to make them pay, but they need to be able to keep time.

- On the ERE we saw the other week (19th aug) 60007 was doing the vast majority of work in the locations we were at. Whiteball it was certainly giving it some, both PDSR shots it was working the train well. Cullompton it was late and the diesel was helping but even so Gresley was working well.

 

Some of this might be better on the diesels-on-the-back thread, but still: IMO there's a big difference between what Saphos is doing, where the steam loco on the front seems to be doing most of the work, and the "show pony" situation where the diesel does most of it.

 

Expect 46100 + load 12* + 47 Taunton to Plymouth today.

I wonder if the diesel will be assisting over the Devon banks? [BJ]

* not including the possible use of a support coach.

 

46100 at Taunton today