Cathedrals Explorer

Its nowt compared with a Q6....

Dont get me wrong. The moors have got some good work out of it. But for a railway up north, its shameful to see the S15 here. Give me a BR standard as compensation any day...

 

Why? It's become hideously expensive to oil fire engines now with a cost difference ranging around about 2/3rds cheaper to fire by coal compared to oil. It's not for nothing that the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland went back/onto coal.

 

I assume you view the Schools class in the same way...

I'd have thought that if you offered any of our larger railways, north, south, east or west (including the NYMR) a reliable, simple, everything get-at-able Class 6 mixed traffic loco, they'd be biting your hand off to sign on the dotted line!

Tom

 

What a narrow minded view. Thankfully the NYMR management is a tad more open minded regarding its locomotive policy. On the other hand if you want to ship out all the SR locos I'm sure there will be plenty of takers the length and breadth of the kingdom.

 

The reason will become obvious when we return to hot and dry summers preceded by dry springs.

 

Black Hat has form on this subject, and I suspect he's not joking. Local pride is all very well, and we all enjoy a bit of friendly rivalry, but one shouldn't take it too far...

The Grosmont S15s are now as important a part of NYMR history as the Lampton tank, Sir Nigel Gresley and the green 4MT. Happily, it seems that the NYMR management don't share Black Hat's view, and nor do the NYMR members of my aquaintence. I hear that a relatively quick return to traffic after overhaul is likely. Of course, having componants of 3 locomotives from which to assemble one working engine is a big help at overhaul time!

But we are digressing from The Cathedrals Explorer...

 

60009 (indeed all of fleet Cameron) was on shed in steam at the NRM last night just after 18:30, but hadn't been there that morning, so i presume the bearing has either been repaired or a slow run was allowed (although I doubt there would be a daytime path for a slow run).

Steven

 

It's not just the weather conditions Ralph. It's for how long a 21st century railway will allow locomotives with large amounts of fiery coal and hot ash, (often open and visible to some extent), to continue out on the main line.

I just have a gut feeling about it, and that it won't be for very many more years.

As for the expense. The whole financial basis of main line steam operation will have to come under very close scrutiny as I've already indicated.

My concern, and that is why I raise this issue from time to time, is that no strategic review will every be undertaken and mainline steam, in what I see as it's current fragmented set up, will lurch from crisis to crisis with less and less high points and more and more low points until we suddenly find it's gone.

Whilst I could write a remit for such a strategic review, I'm not going to, neither am I going to get involved in the future of mainline steam. I made my decision a few years ago when there were too many aspects of the UK mainline steam scene I didn't like and I decided then I wasn't going to put my time and money into it. I'm involved in something far more challenging, every bit as expensive and hopefully far more rewarding. Not just to me but to a much wider group of my fellow man/womankind if I succeed.

And ending positively, I reckon after all the troubles Cathedrals Explorer had, (getting back on topic!), we are now due for some more really good steam high points for the rest of the year. Most likely I'll miss them, stuck high up on some wind swept moor somewhere. That will serve me right I guess. LOL!

 

Have you ever travelled behind a mainline oil-fired steam locomotive? On the narrow gauge Welsh railways some of their locomotives are oil-fired and I will never forget the sickly oily stench mixed in with the smoke. Horrible.

Forget oil-fired locos. Bring on the coal and let's us enjoy that wonderful smell from the chimney which takes us old'uns back to our youth and even provokes comments from the kids of "what a smashing smell"!!

Just improve spark throwing by improving spark arrestor apparatus in the smokebox and/or pray for rain at the beginning of each summer season!

 

Have I? LOL!

Thousands and thousands of miles behind German pacific 012 100-4 in particular, mostly by an open window in the front coach. And on the footplate up to her max speed of 140kmh. Plus many, many miles behind the same class in the 1970s and other oil fired locos in DDR where they could change from coal to oil quite quickly when needed. Correctly set oil burners helped a lot. It was always a wonderful experience.

I know in my heart there will never be the will to make any change in UK mainline steam, I'm just wasting my time raising it again. I'm not sure why I bothered.

It will just end up as 25 mph running on heritage lines where everyone can enjoy things as they have always been. Only slower!

 

Still plenty of Kohlbrennern on the main line in Germany. The six I saw in action on my recent trip to eastern Germany were all burning coal, as were all the n.g. locos I saw. There must be a reason for them burning coal in preference to oil. Are they not so touchy about line side fires or are their spark arrestors more efficient?

 

It would take a super-critical person to find any real fault with the S15. It is probably the most consistent and reliable performer over the whole heritage railway movement and, if it isn't the most consistent, it is a strong contender. It is a good strong loco well up to anything asked of it and makes a Black 5 look as though it is a poor steamer by comparison.

 

I think that's being over egged abit.

Germany has many man size mainline steam locomotives oil fired including 01.0509, 41018 and 18.201, riding behind them Is an infinitely cleaner and more efficient operation all round, including for the crew.
For the window hanger, well after 15 hours of it there is a bit of an oily taste, but no worse from the coal grit in your hair, nose and mouth not forgetting of course no grit in the eyes

 

And at least a few years ago there was an oil fired tender still at Meiningen for 03.1010 if it was ever needed.

 

But as I said in an earlier and seemingly ignored post, there are plenty of coal burners still active on the main line in Germany. So the question is, are the Germans lest worried about line side fires or are the spark arrestors more efficient? There must be a reason why there has not been a wholesale conversion to oil burning for main line locos.

 

I have. Whether it is coal or Oil the stuff possibly gets in your eyes. The Union Pacific Steam locomotives 844 and 3985 burn oil. Originally, 3985 after restoration was a coal burner. I understand though that she pulled an excursion train in Utah where several fires occurred. After that she was banned from the State of Utah. That is why 3985 got converted.

Perhaps, I was in the vestibule window too much. My Dad and I were filthy when we reached the hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota. We took a trip behind Southern Pacific 4449 between Chicago stopping in Milwaukee (98 miles) than to St. Paul (300 miles) The next day. nearly 400 miles in 2 days.