Steam Dreams 2013 & 2014 Archive

WCRC can and have operated 35028. Only once that I know of, December 2010 when she stood in for a number of unavailable locos and double headed with 44932.

 

Just hope that can happen again on the occasions SD would want her. Like next years ACE: it would be inconceivable to me for such a trip to be planned without having a MN on the front leaving Waterloo. It was very rarely a Light Pacific in steam days. A little less rare on the up, but still very unusual.

 

Beaten to it!

 

Beaten to it.

 

Maybe 35027? Would love to see some Merchant double headers gioven we should have in a few years time 35018, 35027 and 35028.

 

That would be pure overkill. A Merchant is more than capable of handling anything today's rail tour scene could throw at it so why waste money on paying for two?

 

Exactly, and scarcely authentic ?

 

Herr Yeti would be the one to ask but I can't recall ever seeing a mention of d/h Merchants. Whilst it would possibly be a spectacle for the linesider, I fail to see the attraction to the passenger. Two small locos going hard with a heavy load is one thing, but two Merchants barely breaking in to a sweat would leave me cold.

 

Me too, bit like when they paired up Tornado and the Duke last year. Probably only novelty value, even for many linesiders.

 

It is reported to have happened on 2nd July 1967. 35007 double headed 35007 from Weymouth to Bournemouth. 35007 then continued to Waterloo unassisted achieving 90mph on the way. Information from John H Bird Southern Steam Sunset

Dustbin

 

Graeme Bunker, their Operations Manager. Yes, I believe he still has a finger in both pies so to speak.

 

Interesting, sounds very much a one off, and probably a positioning move ? Await the final word from KY !

 

Didn't know there were two 35007's! What was the other loco?

 

oops.... 35008

Dustbin

 

I do remember just one instance of double headed MNs, about the time mentioned earlier. A railtour or a special working to get the second loco to another location for a railtour? I know there is a note of it on one of my log books. I think it was only over a short distance.

The only time I can remember off the top when they were doubleheaded by anything was on the up Night Ferry, (not sure about the down working). That was a very heavy train. An L1 or D1 4-4-0 would sometimes be on the front. Maybe if the train went over a certain weight as specified in the WTT? And/or to help it accelerate more quickly when in amongst the morning rush hour electrics. Don't really know why.

But as has been said above also, there was and is no need for doubleheading with another MN except for an unusual spectacle. A MN on it's own, like the other ex BR class 8 pacifics, can handle just about any train these days: instance the heavy VSOE with trailing dead box that 35028 has taken over the steeply graded Guildford - Readhill line many times, complete with a restart from the water stop at the bottom of Gomshall bank. That train is I feel be somewhat heavier than the old Night Ferry, which again raises the question as to why the 4-4-0 would be needed. Not complaining though, some of my earliest memories are of that combination coming through Bromley South in the morning!

Brother Don might know.

 

No Romsey I had no clue that the above was happening, I just stated my opinion in my post that SD severely restricted themselves by moving to DBS although we know the reason why the move was made, plain and simply Tornado.

I hope SD can turn the cornor again (as I already mentioned) and get back to where they belong AND the A1 Trust and WCR can sort out safety case issues etc.

All in all a positive move for everyone!

I wonder if SD are still getting their own stock?

 

I doubt a change of TOC would change that, apart from a Driver, Tyseley have next to nothing from WCRC, supplying the rest themselves.

Another consideration is vac only loco's will be theoretically available to SD again.

 

Interesting. Never any need for a Merchant to be double headed by anything in normal service, though on 31st May 1964 35017 on 12 for 445 tons on the 11 am ex Waterloo took 34096 as a pilot engine to assist with the start on the 1 in 80 of Honiton bank due to engineering works and single line working through the tunnel. Yes Bryan is right the VSOE is regularly 10 Pullmans and 3 bogie vans which is around 500 tons tare and if a 67 is attached to the back and not working then this increases to nearly 600 tons. The old Night Ferry consist was normally something like 5 heavy class F Wagons Lits, 5 coaches and 2 vans approx 450 tons tare as the Wagon Lits were about 50 tons each I think. However it sometimes had up to 7 Wagon Lits, making a total of 14 for about 550 tons and as the up route in steam days was normally via Chatham which included Sole Street bank than that would explain the 4-4-0 pilot.

Don