Christmas Coronation-1000+ miles with 60163 in 3 days

It won't get tour of the year if it can't complete the task. I don't know, you give an A1 a simple Duchess diagram and look what happens.

Joke by the way!

 

As you all now by now the A1 was Failed at Rugby. Due to poor steaming as a result of bad coal. the problems with the coal first started not long after leaving Crewe. We stopped at Armitage for a blowup to get us the the water stop at Atherstone were the fire was througn out & rebuilt the fire in the hope that whould solve the problem, but as you know it didn't. Its was the same coal that had been used all three days. so its a bit of a mistery why its a problem to day. The Runs on Thursday, Yasterday & this morning were Great, & In case you didn't know Thursdays time to Edinburgh was EIGHT min faster than the Top Gear Run of last year, with approx a 100 tons heaver load. Thanks to all the steam Dreams Stewards, all the DBS crews for what was otherwise a great 3 days off Steam haulage.

 

The station staff at Rugby were excellent and deserve a mention, those going to Northampton and MK were put on a London Midland train, and the rest followed on a VT service from Birmingham, which had plenty of seating capacity.
Every effort was made to try and overcome the coal problem, but it was not to be. Some excellent running for 2 1/2 days, and no doubt Mike Notley's log will appear in the next Steam Railway, a shame it ended this way.

 

It sure is, Quicker than what the Tesco train (4S43 Daventry - Grangmouth) done it in when DRS had the contract, Max speed was just under 20mph i understand 66 hauled with approx 30 containers loaded

 

........and the Duchess could not even manage an empty stock move without problems from Newcastle to Heaton - an easy task for a V1 or V3. The jokes are getting worse. All sympathy to everyone on board for the disappointment they have endured after what had seemed a great tour. Hope it does not bring the days of oil firing closer.

 

Seems to be a lot dodgy coal going about at the moment. 60019 and 6233 on the Silver Jubilee and now 60163.

 

60163 passing Stafford, going quietly as the rubbish Coal was starting to bite presumably: http://david1984.fotopic.net/p68178721.html

 

Bad coal but its good to hear no fault mechanically with Tornado its self, Lets hope the coal situation gets sorted. I dont know what can be done to control quality apart from a visual inspection by those experienced. It would be too much of a burdon to have lab tests done on samples every time a load was delivered.

Brian

 

Most probably the management of the fire was different.

 

Can it really make such a difference?

 

Thanks to all involved on this trip a good time had by all, it was a shame we did not get to Euston but with the coal situation the crew done there best,thanks to the station staff at Rugby also Virgin for declassifing there train so we could sit anywere even first class at no extra cost.

 

this tour was very lucky.
Suppose the bad coal had been loaded prior to departure from Kings Cross, the whole trip would have been put at risk.
Is there any come back to the coal suppliers for poor quality coal ?

 

Who actually is responsible for ordering the coal on main line steam trips?

 

!4A reports that it was the same coal throughout the trip. And hardly provocative compared to many other posts to NP!

 

I suppose someone will be busy investigating this coal problem to try and avoid repetitions.
Has there been a similar spate in previous years?

 

Thanks to all the A1 boys and girl who to my knowledge spent most of friday night pulling apart the fire and again at Preston, Crewe and Rugeley. Because of poeple like this we can still enjoy/photo a good trip week in, week out in spite of indifferent coal etc. Also to the footplate crewes who also worked most of the 3 days. Its a shame hard work, never giving up,blood, sweat and tears could not have got us to Euston

 

Rubbish! I am not casting any doubt on the "abilities of the crew" in the sense you mean. I have the highest regard for the work of the mainline drivers and firemen and the support crews that back them up. I often benefit from their efforts and I am grateful for the opportunities presently available to experience main line steam hauled trains. But if the coal that produced clinker to the extent that satisfactory steam raising was impossible, was the same coal that allowed sustained high performance earlier in the trip, then there is an explanation. I have suggested the most likely. I also have not the slightest doubt that the engineers, fitters, and crews involved from both DBS and the A1SLT will be looking at all possibilities with professional indifference to personal feelings but a determination to find the cause and avoid a repetition.