Flying Scotsman

You need not name and shame, but perhaps you may enlighten us as to why they walked away?

Even if someone else gets the main contract for running, If im understanding this correctly, are they contractually obliged to do the upkeep, or can they sub-con that to the current Engineers keeping her in more than fine fettle...?

 

Because re-tendering is at the core of how public sector organisations demonstrate both that they are obtaining value for the taxpayer; and that they are free from corruption (i.e. avoiding any suggestion of "jobs for the boys").

Do the counter-factual: suppose the last two years had been a complete horlicks - would you be happy if the NRM just announced "we're renewing this contract"? People would be up in arms. But if you have procurement rules that say that contracts have to be periodically re-let, you can't pick and choose when you apply those rules. Of course, as incumbent with a good track record, Riley and co should have a strong advantage, but it is still right to test the market.

Tom

 

If I knew, I could but I wouldn't, even if I did.

 

Fair.

 

And if Rileys want to try to persuade the NRM to tweak the contract in various ways -- for example, the agreed regime for whatever heavy maintenance is required--they can put in a compliant and a non-compliant bid. If you are in a strong market position and have a knowledge advantage that can be a good strategy for both parties depending what you think of the contract spec.

In the bits of the public procurement business I know about, everything over £5k has to be tendered -- and no that is not EU rules it is British Government. Much gnashing of teeth but this contract for FS will be a big one.

 

Just a clarification. It is not that contracts have to be relet after an interval, but how they must be relet when they expire (I don't believe that they are allowed to be open ended). If the original contract was for x years, then the public procurement rules apply.


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This has appeared on the British Bucket Company website this afternoon - Must be a slow news day.....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-eng...1/flying-scotsman-gets-stuck-on-somerset-hill

 

So, which was the assisting locomotive?

 

According to the WSR thread, variously a Manor and a class 33.

Tom

 

6960 has also helped out (not my video):

 

No end of tribalism in railway preservation in sight then!

Gresley - and in fact most Pacifics generally - have quite a low factor of adhesion compared to a 4-6-0, so it's not surprisingly that FS, unable to utilise her full steaming capability through sheer speed alone, has come unstuck on a lower speed limit railway. Momentum is key!

Kudos to the Hall for assisting mind. That bark is always impressive to hear.

 

Are you saying that possibly an Pacific is not the ideal loco for a rural branch line?!?!! That's fighting talk on NP....
Surely though an A1/A3 had to lift heavy trains out of KX at lower speeds without slipping, so they should be able to cope?

 

Can be done though without ... If you watch this video from 12'00" onwards, you'll see FS get away from a dead stop straight up a 1 in 75 (steepening to 1 in 55) with no slip, no banker and no problem. Load was just over 280 tons tare, probably somewhere around 310 - 320 gross (I know - I was firing...)



Tom

 

Now now. I didn't say that. More that circumstances can work against us

You KNOW I love my Gresley Pacifics, but they're not infallible any more than I am...!

 

7820 Dinmore Manor on holiday from the GWSR.

 

It's like seeing a sports car getting stuck in a muddy field and having to be rescued by a 4x4. It's horses for courses, but there is some delight in seeing it happen...

 

@Jamessquared has rather demonstrated that there is no problem with running a Pacific at low speeds on a preserved line, even with a quite decent load. It rather suggests that he and his driver had a better idea how to handle it than the WSR guys...

 

It is evidently more difficult than with a machine more appropriate to the task. Hopefully we can avoid discussions of the "my team is better than your team" sort.

PH

 

@paulhitch sure, a Pacific isn't the absolute ideal large-preserved-line locomotive (one might suggest that something like a Stanier 8F is)... but Flying Moneypit coped perfectly competently at the Bluebell in the hands of a crew that evidently knew what they were doing...