Winter Cumbrian Mountain Expresses 2014

RTT shows 29 late Tebay and 49 late Penrith. Possibly looped at both? Oh boy did we choose the right week to travel last week. Best so far.

Can anybody on the train report?

Don

 

Seems to be doing OK on the return - 2 early at Kirkby Stephen according to RTT

 

I'd be interested too. Maybe it's got something to do with lack of interest ?

 

Poor quality coal?

 

On whose part?

 

We were looped at Tebay. Reason given was poor quality coal. A much better run over the s and c. Now st the Hellifield water stop.

 

How did the Scot do on the climb up Shap ?

 

Given the post to which I was responding, the loco owners ?

 

You don't have to answer to him. He very rarely posts on here, but when he does it is always a dig at someone else's posts or comments. Never anything constructive. I have had issues with him in this respect quite a few times in the past. Believe I have also reported him in the past as well.
He just watches what other people say & if he doesn't like it, he jumps in having a dig.

 

Footage of 46115 attacking the start of Grayrigg and Mallerstang on the return .

 

Excellent sight and sound as SG powered up Wilpshire Bank - 3 early at summit.

 

Sorry but what on earth are you on about? You are suggesting that WCRC are not "interested" in whether their locomotives perform well or not on the main line? Given that their business is almost entirely running charters,most of them steam-hauled,do you honestly believe that?

 

Three photos of 46115, at Docker Viaduct, followed by a bonus at Shap Wells having spotted smoke at Tebay and finally Bull Gill on the return...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iancawthorne/12860941294/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iancawthorne/12860609753/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iancawthorne/12860945034/

 

Maybe the coal isn't of superlative quality - like everyone else on this forum I have no way of knowing. Perhaps a class 6 or 7 engine needs the best coal to consistently perform on this itinery with this load. I have travelled behind class 8 locomotives heading north from a cold start at Carnforth where the performance was subdued but with the extra capacity (and a large grate) the loco kept time.

It seems to me that crticising the owners directly or indirectly (inappropriate preparation) is nothing more than the current universal trend as demonsrated by politicians or thr press that, if something is not how they think It should be then someone must be to blame.

If, however, we are just enjoying a good moan - then so be it. Just bear in mind if WCRC had a thin skin then they would probably have packed in some time ago - then you really would have something to moan about.

 

No Buseng, Spicer doesn't have to answer me, but that does not stop me from asking him a valid question, i.e. who was he pointing the finger at.

So as Alastair has said, you think that the owners are going to turn out a loco unprepared for it's days work just because they can't be bothered, it's no wonder WRC and Mr Smith sometime despair about comments from some members on this forum.
It has happened before and is perhaps indicative of the problem of starting from Carnforth with a 'cold' loco, and having to work fairly hard from the start. I would hazard a guess that starting from say Lancaster would alleviate this.
Is that constructive enough for you Buseng? And my normally rare posting is irrelevant, and I fail to see the reasoning behind your comment.

 

I was standing above Tebay and could see the "Scot" struggling from as far as Lowgill, going very slowly with a very poor black/grey exhaust. At one point just before Tebay she nearly recovered with a much better strong white exhaust
but then stopped at Tebay. After about half an hour she set off again and stormed up Shap with a huge white exhaust as if nothing had happened.............would all of this indicate a fire problem?
Incidentally I saw her again at Garsdale on the return run which was very impressive.

 

Lovely bit of film sgthompson, thanks for sharing. Notice on the first Mallerstang clip she comes off the 1:100 onto the level section and starts to accelerate then in the second Mallerstang clip going away, you can see the line returning to the 1:100 in the distance.
As always everyone is arguing on here and missing the fact that, if you look at RTT she has flown back from Carlisle, superb run by the sound of it.

 

Not just here though is it?
http://www.national-preservation.co...ainst-the-daily-mails-hypocrisy.226910/page-6
#104.