Flying Scotsman

The generator car is used on diesel tours so why not steam? This would be a very good punt for a genuine unassisted tour for which there have been very few this year.
The DB operated Pullman to the Greatest Gathering with Flying Scotsman was unassisted utilising Belmond's generator car.
This is a very good move and opens the door to further trips next year with Scotsman and maybe also Tornado and Clan Line who are also on DB's books. Extremely positive news.

 

As an illustration of how delicate the Cartazzi truck is, there was a notable incident during 4472's US tour when the engine became derailed at a roundhouse. While George Hinchcliffe was distracted elsewhere, the US railroad staff tried to rerail the engine using a ramp. Result? The rear axle and journals were badly scored, necessitating an emergency repair job which, IIRC, involved removing the wheels from the axle. To their credit, the railroad concerned took full responsibility and sent the rear wheel set away by road to get the job done overnight.

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But, unassisted steam sat in a Mk3? Is that really something to look forward to? It’s bad enough sat in a mk1, what on Earth is the attraction of sitting in a Mk3 behind a steam loco? You won’t see or hear anything?!

 

Did you mean mk1? Aren't those what most of us prefer, and lament the lack of in WCRC's current rakes?

 

You don't hear much from a Mk2 so, and with the general lack of charter rolling stock, what do you suggest?

This is a positive step forward to get Scotsman on the mainline at reasonable prices.

Having travelled on the ERS Mk3's to Derby in July, they are a lovely vehicle to travel in.

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The normal reason for the diesel behind the steam locomotive is when there is incompatibility between train loco and coaching stock hence the diesel is there to "translate" the train loco braking instructions for the use by the coaches. Where the loco and stock are compatible then the diesel - as noted - is placed at the rear both as support and to assist in shunting movements where appropriate. In the early days of 60103's latest overhaul it had no vacuum brakes fitted hence with only air brakes a translator vehicle (i.e. the diesel) was used with vacuum-braked stock to allow 60103 to haul trains.

 

Is there anything wrong with that?

 

Indeed, bigger picture and all that.
This would appear to be the only option for Scotsman on the mainline which the previous 2 pages on this forum were moaning wasn't happening..

Even if Mk1s were available out of Carnforth (which they aren't) 10A are apparently refusing to operate her.

Beggars can't be choosers at the moment.

 

I don't understand this logic. In the 50'sand 60's, enthusiastic people saved a vast emporium of stuff, because it would be tragic to lose it all. It was reckoned to be in the national interest to keep, record, maintain this segment of our nations history
50 years later, 70 or 80% of the population don't care about railways- therefore we must make the museum appeal to the 70-80%, rather than pandering to a bunch of enthusiasts who are interested.
The 70-80% still aren't interested in trains and do not visit the railway museum.
The 20-30% are disenchanted and disenfranchised and do not visit the railway museum.

Personally, I do not give a tuppenny poop for paintings, sculptures, and similar. Therefore I do not visit the national gallery. I do not expect it to chuck out a load of its gewgaws and put a 3litre Bentley in the main hall to please me, or send the Landseer stuff to Macclesfield town hall museum to make room for a coffee shop that I won't visit, nor do I begrudge the money the nation spends to maintain the facility for the (probably 20-30%) people who do like that stuff- it is in the national interest.
If I were a Bentley spotter, I might visit just to see the Bentley, but I wouldn't go off looking around the gaff and suddenly decide that what my life had been missing was a better appreciation of Stubbs's horse pictures

 

Yes and no.

If all the visits to preserved railways command a significant premium to see or travel, does this actually improve the accessibility over it spending it's time on the main line- I think it would be easy to argue that it is difficult to justify within the objectives of the science museum group.

Lots of folk will still be excluded on price as a result.

On the flip side, it needs to contribute something to it's own upkeep, and if charging a premium rate is the only way to do that then so be it.