'Plandampf UK'

Get yourself to Liskeard on 19th September and you will see Nunney Castle arrive with an express from Bristol connecting with a pannier working the Looe branch -close enough?!!

 

There are still a fair few especially the numerous Corus plants. Most have been asked but the answer is usually no. Barrington was the last plandampf in the uk not the West Highland (but most ignored it as the engines weren't in their abc).

 

The Barrington events were excellent but sadly I couldn't make the final one. I would argue that the Jacobite is a Plandampf too.

 

sounds like a great idea!
Do it while you can.

i remeber seeing on a dvd an m7 tank oparating services in a triangle from guildford, woking and reading, that would be nice to see!

 

If that was the series of trips I think it was then the circuit was Woking, Guildford (reverse), Aldershot (reverse), Pirbright Jct, Woking. Alternate trips went the other way round the circuit. Weekend of 25+26/3/1995. Clan Line did a trip on the Saturday, 30053 worked ecs back to London on the Sunday evening and IIRC Clan Line worked an early morning commuter train into London on the Monday.

 

I think that was to do with Woking 150?

 

Quite a simple one (simple being relative) to operate would be Avonmouth - Severn Beach.

 

Woking 150 was May 1988 and the only working steam AFAIK, certainly the only working steam I saw at the event, was a USA tank running brake van shuttles in the yard. At that time there was a ban on steam on the third rail IIRC, not lifted until 1992 and then only at night. We've come a long way since then with daylight steam a regular thing on the third rail.

 

A less than wonderful video of the event
http://www.britishrailways.tv/british-railways?task=viewvideo&video_id=1193

 

Quoting myself....

How about a week or two on the Chester-Holyhead line, including the Blaenau and Llandudno branches?
Brits, Duchesses, Princesses and the Duke on 8+ coach limited stops to Holyhead
Black 5's on 3-4 coaches all stations to Holyhead
4MT's on 4 coaches from Llandudno to Blaenau
8F on the nuclear flasks (wishful thinking)
9F on the Penmaenmawr stone train (very wishful thinking!!)

Interchange with Voyagers etc at Chester to keep extra movements clear of Crewe
Turning facilities exist at Chester and Valley
The Welsh Assembly might be persuaded to sponsor/support such a major tourist event.
If modern traction was banned for the week, and heritage diesels (40 37 & 20's) used as spare locos, there would be no problems in trying to match the acceleration/braking rates of the modern trains.

Just my thoughts I might add.

Perhaps I should have said 7P and 8P rated engines on the limited stops.

Royal Scots, Jubilees,Duchesses etc. would all fit the bill for 'express' types
Black 5's for the 'stoppers'

 

How about centering it on Manchester Victoria ?

Liverpool - Leeds - York,
Manchester - S&C,
Manchester - Blackpool,
Manchesters - Cotton Mill Loop
Crewe - Manchester

use the Science Musuem as a watering base, Crewe Heritage Centre, Carnforth & York

Pick some suitable engines i.e. all the 5's (45407, 44932, 44871, 45305, 45231) + 70000, 70013, 60019, 48151, 71000, 62005, 46115 maybe tempt 76079 back for a weekend

Some selective double heading / loco changes could give a very 1960's feel to it.

Maybe if the ELR got involved have some top / tail (read banking) runs from Victoria to Bury, thus allowing turning loco's at Castleton.

Rather than a plandampf as such, maybe slot in extra services (as with Trier) and plandampf selected turns.

Maybe even a few preserved diesels from WCRC and open the ECS moves as working trains to minimise costs ?
Most of these locomotives live in the north west, done in March or late september should mean spare stock is available.

 

Maybe also 40145 (I believe it's due to go green soon?) if it's a case of going for atmosphere rather than "let's run some steam trains"...

 

You could also extend the Manchester - Crewe route to Shrewsbury...turning triangle is available

Lewis

 

Oh alright, if we are letting our imaginations run riot I'm going to join in as well!

Daily Diagram.

34059 07.20 Waterloo - Basingstoke 08.44, calls at Surbiton, Woking, Farnborough and all stations.

34007 09.13 Basingstoke - Waterloo 10.08.

35028 11.00 Waterloo - Salisbury 12.20, Down Atlantic Coast Express

34067 14.09 Salisbury -Waterloo 15.29, Up Atlantic Coast Express

34046 16.35 Waterloo - Southampton 18.07, Down Royal Wessex

35027 19.15 Southampton - Waterloo 20.40.

Small matters of getting 34007, 34046 main line certified and 35027 back into service.

Plus "a couple" of normal service trains to be re timed to allow the above! LOL!

We are short of one MN for the above as the Down Wessex was virtually always a MN. And whilst the up ACE was booked a MN , a light pacific did haul it from time to time. One of my best runs was behind unmodified 34002.

 

Liskeard - Looe this September should be great entertainment.

I see two problems with steam taking over a route for a weekend:
1) Stock - would have to hire in rather a lot of Mk1 or similar carriages instead of the normal DMUs or whatever.
2) Replacing through-trains could be frustrating for passengers - asking them to change from a Voyager or similar to the steam-hauled service. On the other hand, many passengers may prefer a Mk1 to a Voyager. ;-)

How about putting 6024 on the front of a Shrewsbury & Wrexham train for a week? Use her on a mid-morning departure from Marylebone, turn at Shrewsbury, tender first to Wrexham, then right way round back to London late afternoon. Light engine move around the London suburbs in the evening to Southall, including a turn ready for the morning. Would need a generator van in the set to run the carriages' air-con. With the water-carrier (or WCRC's GUV), she'd go a decent distance (Marylebone - Snow Hill?) between water stops, but still have power in reserve (S&W are short trains). Problem would be the time required to refill - passengers might find it quicker to hop onto a different service rather than wait for 8000 gallons to be pumped in! Adrian Shooter and friends might be better disposed towards the idea than some TOCs.

14xx sandwiched between 2 auto-coaches on Henley and/or Marlow branches?

41312 + 30053 top-and-tail Lymington Harbour - Brockenhurst (overhauls permitting)!

IoWSR services extended to Ryde Pier!!

Further daydreaming required...

 

Slight problem of getting through the tunnel at esplanade.

 

Tunnels?

Hmmm....

How about a Folkestone - Calais Plandampf?

That would solve the problem of freeloading linesiders! LOL! (wink)

Although I'm not sure how timers would be able use GPS or see the mileposts.