Horsted Keynes to Ely 21/3/15

A bit of a shame, I wasn't aware of the problems and like thirty or so others stood in a cold wind near Broxbourne waiting for Mayflower.

 

Have pity for those who paid for a ticket and got diesel haulage.

Stan

 

They only get a tenner refund as well, or £20 off if they book on another trip. If it's worth the risk.

 

Risk? So you expect no rostered loco to fail its FTR ever then? Mayflower has been rostered 8 times so far this year, and failed once, so you have a 13% chance of not getting it up front. - So far. Thats not a bad risk.

 

Here's my effort of 847 hauling The Cathedrals Express along the Bluebell Railway earlier this morning:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davestubbings/16698899168/

I also stayed on to get a couple more photos of the usual two-train operation:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davestubbings/?

 

Oh you and your logic again...

You can prove anything with facts.

 

Good to see the S15 putting up a pretty decent display then, will have been a stern test just like the old days for the old girl!

 

It's only the last 2/3 times it has been allowed out on it's own. Even if 61306 did run today, would it of done so on it's own? Rumour says not.
I wasn't just talking about this trip in particular anyway, all steam tours are a lottery these days whoever is running them.

 

It's been said before that steam tour prices would be even more expensive if there was a spare steam loco on standby for every trip!

 

Why yes, someone would have to pay for it!

 

Well, it certainly would have needed assistance between Horsted Keynes and East Grinstead - I don't think you would have wanted to schedule a B1 to take 10 - 11 coaches up a 1 in 55 early in the morning with any degree of confidence ...

Tom

 

How much did the 47 assist the S15? Just asking, in the video clip earlier the S15 is working hard but you can't hear the 47.

 

The gradient eases from 1 in 75 in the tunnel to 1 in 233 see http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/map_grad.html and scroll down.

 

Here's another clip on youtube at Hosted House half way up the climb to the tunnel, and the s15 is going very well, 47 sounds like its probably moving its own weight, but not a lot more.

 

With smaller wheels, the S15 is rather higher tractive effort than a B1, which is what you need on steep hills. I know the S15 will deal with 420tons tare / 450 gross between HK and Kingscote, because I have done it! (8 coaches + Braunton, with Braunton not working, last October). So it would probably cope with 10 + class 47 unassisted if needs be - that's probably about 30 tons more.

Hypothetically, I doubt the B1 + 11 coaches would have made it unassisted between Kingscote and East Grinstead. Certainly I don't think you could have had absolute certainty that it would make it, once you take into account possibly slippery rail conditions (early morning in early spring, with lots of dew, and a lot of the line in cuttings etc). So even ignoring the operational need for a diesel for shunting, stock moves etc, I suspect that some form of assistance would have been needed at least between Horsted and East Grinstead. Of course, that could have been provided by steam . It would also have helped with the water situation - an unassisted B1 running LE from SP to HK, and then taking 11 from HK to EG would probably be at least 1000 gallons down by time it got there, only a nominal 7 miles into the tour.

Tom

 

A memorable run that one Tom! I was on the rail tour and that was the best bit of the day by far.