ScotRail Steam

Norml passenger high speed TOC service gets priority. There is need to be looped as the service is limited to 75mph and there is two to pass at beattock 1S42 and 1S44, if this aint looped then it would cause delay to them and a bill well be sent to Scotrail for causing the delay,

 

Tickets just arrived for this promising trip, was really lookin forward to 'The Buxton Spa' but this will do as a substitute ! 'Not Arf' !!!

 

On 27/9/14 60009 with 12 on was timed to pass Beattock from Carlisle in 41 minutes, Beattock summit in 56 minutes. Actual times were 38 minutes to Beattock and 57 minutes to summit after a slow climb of the bank. Unfortunately the timings for 27th June seem to be constrained by a 60mph oil train running in front of 1Z51 with only 4 mins headway at Gretna otherwise 60163 could easily keep in front of 1S42 (Beattock pass 11.18) and 1S44 and run to Carstairs without check.

Still you never know what might happen on the day and it should be a good trip - unfortunately I cant make it.

 

In inverness. Too much beer. Loadings dreadful. 8 coaches - including POB. Some coaches less than half full! Trust Abellio can take the hit. Performance - who knows. Anyone been over Druimuachdar Summit behind steam at 49 mph? And then Slochd at 41 after drifting through Carr Bridge at 14?. 60163 'straight out of the box'. Some engine.

 

Well there was very little notice of these trips. Found out about them on this forum, by which time had already made plans for next week. Otherwise would have been there like a shot.
What speed was sustained on the 1:70?

 

I was very tempted to do one or other of these, but coming from London would have involved two nights away (probably on the Caledonian Sleeper both ways) for the sake of just a few hours actual running behind steam.

 

That is what put me off. I could've got the train up tonight after work and stayed in Glasgow, then early train in the morning to Inverness, but getting home involved either an 8 minute connection in Stirling or 9 minutes in Edinburgh. Too risky for my liking.

 

Think it may be a different kettle of fish on the 27th, a bit more do-able, I'm travelling from Keighley to Carlisle (£21 retn.) Border Reiver round trip (£59) RTC cancelled my booked trip to Buxton (£86) = £6 for a couple of pints Thank you very much !
Hope RTC re run 'The Buxton Spa' soon though.....

 

Not whinging: only saying that in my personal circumstances and for these particular trips the expense and hassle of getting there from home would outweigh the pleasure of the ride itself. I do plenty of other railtours, steam and diesel, sometimes involving nights away.

I share your hope!

 

The overnight stays aren't a problem, being able to plan in advance is.
I would have jumped at the chance to travel on the three days of steam in Scotland, something I've always wanted to do and this would have been the right lines, and affordable, (I've managed the Jacobite and the Kyle line only so far).

The problem for me is that little four letter word, work.
I need to book holidays from work in advance and I'm allocated a specific number of days each year with non left right now.

 

Realistically, who in their right mind would have booked these trips at the outset ? There were doubts over the TOC, then they changed from WCR to the A1slt and DBS, then the test run was later than advertised and thankfully successful, there was hardly any time for anyone to plan a trip to Scotland ! I certainly did not commit until after the outcome of the arrival of Tornado in Scotland.....

 

If the Scottish sleeper had run on Saturday nights I would have done the northbound trip in Saturday and still have been home for the family day today

Don

 

60163, light engine, at speed en-route to Stirling through Breich on 20th June 2015.

Sentinels by newshot., on Flickr

 

It was an interesting start yesterday morning Al. Chatted to Wayne in Perth and he told me the safety valves opened way below their expected pressure and lifted wholly at 240 and stuck open as they left Inverness. A bit of serious use of the regulator sorted it out fortunately and they worked perfectly the rest of the day. Obviously the spellchecked doesn't do north of the border. not to upset our Scottish friends it's Druimauchdar.

 

This, very few other than the retired have the money and ability to move at the drop of a hat for this.

 

I am no expert and don't want to set hares running, but operating with a defective safety valve???

 

Safety Valve(s) blowing off early and taking ages to settle down - once - is hardly "defective". If it/they had done it all day then it would have been an issue. But not as much of an issue as Safety Valves not opening at all and letting pressure build to way above the boiler's operating pressure!
Anyway, its Tornado operated by DBS, so nothing could possibly go wrong (Joke alert).

 

That was why I queried it as it is failing on the right side (so to speak)... but still not doing what its supposed to do - but experienced railwaymen will know what they are doing.

Actually your joke raises an interesting point, I can just imagine the ensuing bun fight if this had occurred with any other TOC.