Tyseley's 2nd Turntable

Plans would appear to be on the back-burner after the Tyseley lease was extended in fact the planning permission appears to have expired

 

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Where would an operational turntable be useful ? (Not saying they are actively looking to install)
I'm thinking Alton, Sheffield Park, Aberdeen, Weymouth, Furzebrook, Blackpool North, Workington, Mallaig, Southall, Ruddington, Okehampton (or Exeter)... So no shortage.

 

Shame there's no room for one at Whitby nowadays. Probably wouldn't get used much by the NYMR but would be handy once platform 2 is in and we start to see more charters running there.

 

Are there surplus paths to Whitby as a result of the mods or have the NYMR taken them all ?

 

I don't honestly know, it was a tongue in cheek comment!

 

Well, the Swanage Railway are probably going to install the ex-Old Oak Common one at Furzebrook and the one originally destined for Mallaig was last heard of rusting away at an industrial estate on the outskirts of Fort William. I seem to remember that the West Highland line charter operators (WCRC?) were happy to run tender first one way and only used the Fort William 'table (ex-Marylebone) end the end of the season before returning south. I reckon that turntables on NR would need to be at a destination where passengers could have a good day out and would want to revisit so, sadly Fishguard (cue: quote from Hugh Pugh) would lose out, but Blackpool, Weymouth and Aberdeen would win. Of course, Aberdeen still has a grade 2 listed turntable, but out of use. Don't forget that Holyhead has a turning triangle, but not a lot else to look at!

 

How many bays would have to be lost from the adjacent car park in order to make room for a table? With the park and ride scheme due to start running next year, the Council might be prepared to sacrifice a few spaces in a good cause.

 

I don't think that there will be any surplus paths available when the NYMR are running. If there are, I haven't found them!

 

Whilst there are undoubted benefits from running chimney first, not least reduced flange wear, the added time necessary to turn a loco at Pickering and Whitby would render the whole idea impractical. The turn rounds are tight enough without adding extra activities.

 

Will the turn arounds still be as tight with the new platform in operation?

 

The turn rounds will be easier and, time wise, shorter. However, there is a 'but' to this. Trains using platform 2 will have to stop on the way in to allow the ground frame controlling access to be operated before proceeding into the platform. Similarly, trains on the way out will have to stop to allow the ground frame to be re-set, in exactly the same way as happens now when arriving/leaving Grosmont. (A similar thing happens on the West Highland line at Mallaig.) This will add to the journey time so that the overall time is likely to remain the same.

 

Aberystwyth or Dovey Jct?

 

I see what you are thinking, Yeovil Junction having it's own turntable. I suppose diesel hauled to there from London (pickup at Basingstoke, Salisbury) and then steam to Weymouth would be a great day out. The diesel off the first train would need to be employed to drag the steam train backwards to Pen Mill first (to save time running round etc) but all do-able. I'm assuming there are plenty of paths on the Castle cary route on a Sunday?

Aberystwyth would be ideal, especially now that plans have been annouced to open a new narrow gauge railway museum reusing parts of London Bridge station. Manors over Talerddig from Shrewsbury (diesel hauled to there from London or Birmingham). It's a thought.

 

For how often steam runs beyond Par, is there is a case for anything further than St Blazey ?.

Somewhere on the Cambrian maybe, but a moot point until the ERTMS problem is worked out and assuming a return to a Cambrian style operation.

Its difficult to think of many destinations where one would be useful as by default, most regular steam destinations already have a nearby turning facility, so you'd be looking at one where there's potential for regular running, but the problem there is if regular running doesn't materialise, you have a very expensive white elephant.

 

I think it would be sensible to fully resolve the thorny issue of ERTMS before worrying about a T/T at either of those locations.

 

What thorny issue, you just need to put one of these on the footplate, a battery pack to run it for 12 hours, and keep the temperature between 15-21 degrees.