Banking engines

It's quite a common name for it.

 

You learn something new every day. Have always seen it referred to as Upwey Bank.

 

It may have happened on Bincombe bank as well but, it is Parkstone bank that is captured on film. On Southern Steam Finale No 9, June to July 1967, there is footage of 4498 romping up with 41320 breathlessly trying to keep up and failing to keep in contact. What would happen next? Would it have stopped at Branksome or, followed the A4 into Bournemouth Central, as technically, it is all one train, even if there is a gap between them.

 

Surely, if the banker was not attached, that indicates that it is intended to drop off before Bournemouth Central. After all if it was intended to go into the next station it could have been attached?

My understanding is that once a banker loses contact the driver is not permitted to attempt to make fresh contact but rather follow at a safe distance as far as the next signal. (Presumably where a "banking token" is provided the banker does not therefore go the next signal but instead immediately drops back to sending station)

 

When I am in the area for work, I always deliberately stay at the Bromsgrove Travelodge that is only a few yards from the bottom of Lickey bank. Some days the banker might get used many times and is well worth watching particularly late at night. It can be surprisingly noisy pushing a 2500 tonne rolled steel train up the bank at 2am.

 

Perhaps they'll send a spare 92 there and give you a quieter night.

 

Churnet Valley Railway did uncoupled banking out of Froghall at a gala or two about five years ago, as a feature rather than for any practical reason. It was done with special working arrangements and extra staff. Far too labour intensive to do regularly but it was fun and people loved seeing the bankers smoothly drop off the back of their train at the arranged location!

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AVR does banking on goods trains at galas

 

There a couple of videos of it from the 2009 Winter Steam Gala on Youtube with 45231 / Ring Haw / 5199 doing the honours.

 

There was another gala too with 47279 and 44422 involved.

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