A New Steam TOC (North of the border)?

MDTR?

 

Just a thought, what does it say about traction types in the Abellio/Scot Rail safety case? It would need to specify steam traction as one of the options for Abellio to operate steam traction under their own safety case.

As posted earlier WCRC operated the Cambrian for a couple of years on behalf of Arriva Trains Wales to avoid that problem. Also the high profile runs with 5043 on the GW main line were operated by WCRC, FGW acted as facilitators assisting NR in the planning and operation on the day.

Cheers, Neil

 

Modern Day Timetabled Railway.

Jargon for a modern day railway where you get penalties for causing delays and have to hit performance figures for reliability.

 

MDTR - Modern Dynamic Thrusting Railway. Coined as a piss take on WNXX.

 

True but it is very time consuming and costly to do so, EWS/DBS haven't done it for a number of years now, when they did they had a larger share of the market which made it worthwhile, I can't see any TOC going though the process unless they expect to pick up a significant number of steam turns, probably talking into the 100's per annum with ECS, Light moves etc included.

 

Both NIR and Irish Rail drivers have been trained by RPSI lately for mainline operation.

 

Which may well be exactly what the franchise plans to do. Even if they chose to use an existing TOC, there is a finite number of men trained on steam so any significant expansion of the market would need new trainees no matter what.

 

I'm sorry but I can't let this one past. David, you sound like you are speaking with some authority here and I suspect many folk will take the quoted comment as gospel when it simply isn't true - indeed it is the very opposite of true. Several long time firemen have been passed to drive over the last couple of years and, off the top of my head, at least three new firemen were passed out last year by DB Schenker, maybe more. If you like I can PM you their names and depots.

It's all very well having discussions about how the new Scotrail franchisee will operate their proposed steam services but if we're going to make statements of fact lets keep it accurate.

 

Fair enough, what I was referring to was the special crew training runs they did some years ago, some down south involving 35005/34016 and others around the Newport/Gloucester/Bristol area with 5029 as I recall.

 

Once you have enough experienced crew, such special training ops are not so necessary. With a bit of forward planning, you can bring on new staff as part of the regular pattern of work.

Does anyone know whether WCRC have trained any new loco crew? I've heard it said that they rely on recently retired drivers from other TOCs - presumably that means ex-DBS these days.

 

A NELPG man and Mr Riley were passed out for driving by wcr a couple of years back. Not sure how route restricted they are or whether purely Jacobite purposes.

 

I do not believe they are all ex DBS. One who has since retired from West Coast, was ex toc but had only driven steam before on a preserved line.

 

The big difference between the two companies is that DBS firemen are all recruited from the ranks of their full-time diesel and electric train drivers and will have the opportunity to progress over time to the other side of the footplate as they learn their craft - not unlike the way it was done in the old days. WCRC firemen however tend to be drawn from support crews etc and, as a result, will never get that opportunity. Every DB Schenker manned footplate has two experienced drivers (although one may only be qualified to fire steam) and a steam TI. DBS steam drivers may also be rostered to fire - WCRC drivers I believe, as a rule, only ever drive. I can't comment on the backgrounds of West Coast drivers but I would agree that the overwhelming proportion are ex-EWS/DBS.

 

Both Ian Riley and the NELPG person (John Hunt I believe is the man in question) are passed out for Jacobites, but also on the Crianlarich section I believe. Wether or not this includes South of Crianlarich to GLQ and the Oban line I am not clear on.

 

Irish crews have also received training on the NYMR in recent times.