Fife Circle - Flying Scotsman - 15/05/16

It's made the Today Programme news bulletin on R4 this morning . . .

 

Am I the only one on here who thinks that the gauging process works the wrong way round ?
Isn't it time there was a national standard which all new engineering and upgrading work is required to meet and which would allow a single gauging of rail vehicles which met the the common standard. We now see 60103 restricted from the Borders line , which is relatively newly built ,but also in the past 46233 banned from the GW main line after electrification works.

Granted meeting a national standard across the network would take some time and effort and there may always have to be exceptions in remoter areas but this constant matching of loco / vehicle sizings by location(s) is surely inefficient and more importantly to the bean counters - an unnecessary expense. Or is that the point it's a nice little earner ?

Perhaps some of the professionals on here can justify the current approach.

 

This is an absolute tragedy for Galashiels, where I visited this week. Extra buses were organised to get people to and from Tweedbank, leaflets and posters were printed, and local retailers from sweet shops to tile shops were planning special opening hours for a special day.

I hope that the Network Rail CEO is at Tweedbank on Sunday morning to make his apology and agree a compensatory set of measures.

 

FS was digitally scanned at Bury back in January for gauging purposes, so when NR talk about lack of data this must be gauging data about the route rather than the locomotive - the statement is ambiguous on that front.

Presumably either NR haven't had the gauging train / NMT run as planned, or it has but that data hadn't been interpreted or signed off. Any thoughts?

Not the first time this had happened, and NR's heavy "keep off the tracks" publicity means they come across as disjointed.

Needless to say it's all over the media this morning.

B


Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

 

I don't post much on here but I have to say that for a professional organisation NR are a disgrace. They need to sort out their planning for one off trips. Steam Dreams gave them months of notice. Do they have enough resources covering this area or do they simply not care? Throw the book at them Marcus. Take this to the highest level you can in Government

 

Remember Phil Verster????................
16:40, Friday afternoon, and they are only just looking at the job?? Ball cocks, this is a stitch up by somebody.

 

most of us would rather not !

 

While this is a tragedy, at least its brought the whole general gauging fiasco to the fore, and as the Chairman of NR is going to get his arse kicked big time, MAYBE things will improve.

As an aside I love the way the Scottish Transport Minister managed to include the fact it was the English failing Scotland - Even tho the loco is predominantly English!

 

As I suggested in post 76,

Whilst I was on GBIX, I learned that he had recently made a public statement on the good performance of NR in Scotland, and used it as an opportunity to suggest that steam was a 'problem'. Good to see he's still making friends and influencing people...

 

Wasn't a steam programme, initially with WCR as provider, promised by Abellio when it won the Scotrail franchise? Then after WB, DB instantly became the provider despite the fact that they effectively can only operate (large) air braked locos and have limited resources. Result? No Scotrail steam this year, yet everyone else seems to have made up with WC and are getting on with their programmes (resources permitting). What are the odds that Verster had a hand in that decision?

 

I should have said..........."don't forget Mr Verster".............The job stinks of a stitch up.

 

Come on guys - conspiracy requires intelligence - incompetence does not !

 

Odds on DB would have run it, as they did with the second outing and the light engine moves.

 

It's not only with steam that NR have "gauging problems". Who remembers this incident from two years ago?
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...710970&usg=AFQjCNFiURhvy-8tw2gI8AjSaJv04w6zKA

Absolute numpties

 

Have any "heritage diesels" been gauged for the Borders line? Or can this be done at a moment's notice....?

 

A link from Facebook.
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.c...trips-to-borders-and-fife-cancelled-1-4127800

The sooner all this makes the public eye the better.

Hope there are plenty of P45's floating around on Monday. They will be needed.

 

As previously mentioned, typical of the SNP to use it to score political points when there's just as much of an issue with the chap in charge at Glasgow as there is at Milton Keynes.