Warning: Tour Promoters Can Die in Hot Summers

So, we all know Dogs can die in hot cars, but how near to the end could our steam tour promoters be if there is a prolonged heat wave and equally prolonged steam ban this summer?
This comes on the back of the recent total (not even allowing Diesel assistance) steam ban on Great Western, so far affecting the Torbay Express (and others?).
So, lets discuss. This is not meant to be an over-reaction or scaremongering, more an understanding of just how hand to mouth the promoters operate and what the hot weather might mean to them.

My first thought is that it is somewhat ironic that you want folks to see Glorious Devon in the nice weather, but it seems if they are to do it by steam it needs to be peeing down...

 

Its an an unfortunate situation for sure, but you cant really blame anyone, its merely the circumstances we find ourselves in. It will never be resolved until someone comes up with a 99% fail safe spark arrester, (or 99% fire safe method of working) and thats simply not going to happen.

 

Its an unsatisfactory alternative. We have oil burners, they are called diesels.

 

Interesting that after tomorrow's Swanage trip, which still seems to be going ahead with Tornado, Steam Dreams only have two excursions booked between now and 24th August:- http://www.steamdreams.co.uk/Execut...press&DB=SteamDreams&Division=A&ActionCode=TC However, this operator is very much the exception. Vintage Trains, TBEL and RTC all have programmes of repeat-itinerary trains in the summer holiday period. Latest Met Office forecast suggests that the southern half of the country will remain warm and dry for much of July, which must be a worry for these operators. (Scotland is meant to be less settled, so the Fort William-Mallaig trains may not face such problems.

It's a bit ironic - 70013 has just returned to the main line, 5029 is ready, Braunton is pretty close and Britannia can't be far away. Main line steam shortage almost over, but parts of the network now closed to steam locos. Who would be a main line operator?? Still, I'm glad that someone is willing to take the risk.

Incidentally, on the subject of tomorrow's SD Swanage trip, I remember that when it warmed up a few years back, one or two trains ran with the diesel tucked in behind the steam loco. Does anyone know if Tornado will suffer this fate on its outward run?

 

The problem with lineside fires now is it's not just the grass that burns, there's a hell of a lot of cabling alongside the track these days, far more than in steam days. It's not a five minute job to replace it.

 

"Let's just wind back the clock for a moment. There were hot summers when I was young - It wasn't an aberration. I also remember travelling many times behind steam to Sidmouth and lovely sunny days on the beach etc etc. If I remember correctly, and others can put me straight if I am wrong, BR did not introduce a network ban on steam when the sun shone as the system would have stopped running in many parts of the UK. What they did was manage the issue by dealing with any fires that may have broken out (or I assume that this is what they did)."
In the steam era, a series of factors combined to make the problem far less disruptive - 1) the frequent passage of steam trains did cause many and frequent local small fires which kept the line-side vegetation in check and prevented more serious, widespread fires from establishing; 2) the line-sides were patrolled and maintained (grass and shrub cutting) manually far more than today - just look at the state of our line-sides today compared to the 1950s, for example, with abandoned equipment, dumped rubbish and huge vegetation growth - compare that with the neat routes of that time, with trees at least 30 feet back from the track and little or no rubbish/abandoned materials; 3) the line-side equipment was far less sensitive to small fires than today - cabling was minimal, communications routes were up telegraph poles and signalling was far more by mechanical wiring than electric cabling, and grass fires did not necessarily mean either damage or disruption; 4) the railway did not operate with the blame/pay culture of today - when fires did cause a problem, they were dealt with locally or by train crews, with Health and Safety not really entering into the picture.
We live in a completely different operating and safety culture today, with much more sensitive equipment on trains and on line-sides, for all of which fire is a serious threat.

 

Is it really that bad... Spot the difference between these two..
http://wiki.3rail.nl/index.php/Bestand:41_096_Bebra.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:41stassfurt.jpg

 

If you stick Tangmere next to it, looking like its burning the crews bedding, yes, the difference is very noticeable.

 

And that's the point Ralph.

I think the pressures for oil firing will increase, I've been saying that here for years. I just cannot see the 21st Railway allowing spark throwing, (real or risk), locos based on 19th century technology running along a 21st century railway that is far more risk averse and has far more equipment on the lineside.

And I think it will only be a tiny minority of fare payers who will stop travelling because they don't want oil firing. As you hint, the average punter surely doesn't give a damn.

And for those of us who have been travelling behind and photographing oil burners for decades, (my first run was behind a German 012 in Feb 1971), know that with the set up correct they are virtually no different to coal fired. Except no lineside fires and no cinders in your eyes.

Costs are obviously an issue. A big one.

Capital costs of conversion.

Then the increased costs of the operation of an oil fired loco.

It does need a fairy godmother to turn up to pay for the Capital costs, (and they seem to keep turning up for all sorts of Heritage projects).

Leaving the real issue of increased running costs., ( I don't know the figures, I am relying on what most people say. I assume some of those have access to the detail).

One hot summer out of several wet ones won't push us to oil fired steam locos. But a combination of events might. Increasing problems with getting the right kind of coal, (that was reported as an issue a few weeks ago), that increasing risk averse modern railway and maybe, (I hope not), one mega incident caused by a coal fired loco.

Then it will all be down to pricing structures and what the market will accept in terms of increased fares to pay for increased costs. Leading to a leaner main line steam industry where "low coast" value has to be added to each trip to try and attract sufficient punters at an increased fare level.

As for the short term this year. Read the TBEL web site. And watch to see if they keep their trains running with sufficient punters until they can get steam back on the front. If they can, maybe the others can as well, and ride out the storm.

PS, Is it a storm yet, or have we still only had one train see steam removed from the front?

 

I think it's just the one so far.
You mention oil firing in Germany. The main line scene over there seems to be a mix of oil and coal firing - I've experienced both - so is there a move away from one to the other or is the mix fairly constant?

 

I take no pleasure in being the bearer of bad news, but information I have received within the last hour suggests that NR has had a bout of the jitters and this one will be diesel hauled.

 

Would of worked years ago, but I wonder how much ticket prices would go up as a result ?, not a good idea when money's tight, as you say, NG lines are rapidly switching back to coal for good reason and the remaining oil burners are left in the shed, it does pose the question however, the FR runs through some heavily wooded area's but doesn't seem to have had any problem since returning to coal, what are they doing differently ?.

NR could help a bit by actually disposing of lineside vegetation rather than contributing to the Forrestry Commision, but you'd still have plenty outside the boundary, so still at the mercy of the weather to an extent.

All I'll say is remember this is England, is be extremely surprised if we go over a fortnight without a downpour.

 

three dry hot days.

 

It's a day drier basically, and will continue to be so until it rains, woulden't surprise me if operations further north have trouble next weekend unless some wet stuff arrives.

Annoying thing is, knowing how the UK works, what's the better we are underwater in November ?.