Flying Scotsman

I’m a tad confused here. AFAIK, 60103 is an air braked loco but can create vacuum. If it couldn’t it wouldn’t be much use on most heritage railways which only have vacuum fitted stock. It certainly couldn’t do anything on its forthcoming visit to the NYMR. As such it must be fitted with an air/vac proportional valve. Based on this supposition there should be no need for a diesel to act as a brake translator loco. If the train is air braked it just runs on air. If the train is vac braked it requires both vac and air operational but that is possible with the existing set up. It was certainly the case when it was at the NYMR a few years ago.
A diesel certainly can’t act as a brake translator if it is at the rear of the train.

 

All I can add is that that the time of working with a "translator" loco 60103 was air-brake only as its vacuum brake hadn't been fitted. Interestingly on SVR visits any air-brake only diesel loco is paired with a "translator" locomotive to allow its working with vacuum- brake stock for - presumably - the same technical reason. In all cases the "translator" loco is always next to / immediately behind the train engine.

 

For a while, after 60163 had been converted to air braking of the loco and tender themselves, its erstwhile Chief Engineer refused to fit a vacuum brake ejector, because he did not want the loco to operate on preserved railways. At the time not many preserved railways had dual braked or air braked stock.
The vacuum ejector etc was eventually fitted.

 

I think when Marchington owned it the vacuum ejector was dispensed with. I assume that a second loco with a proportional vac air brake such as 5407 could be used to brake a vac only train but I’m not sure.

 

IIRC and IIRC it was discussed to death on here at the time, those initial runs with 45407 and then then class 31 were due to the air pump on 60103 being found to be faulty immediately prior to the lunch event thus I assume both were just acting as a rather large air pump whilst Scotsman’s was sorted, whilst also ensuring that she met her launch commitments and dates.

 

!!

 

Auto correct has a mind of its own again!

 

As well it didn’t go all the way to lascivious!

Tom

 

Eastern Rail Services have made their own post about the upcoming Flying Scotsman trip. If this post is anything to go by they are heavily hinting at more Steam Hauled trips to follow in 2026. Likely more trips for Flying Scotsman, hopefully Tornado can get in on that action too.