The Tin Bath - 6/11/16

Perhaps, maybe they could only spare enough crew for two locos, without a diesel as well,
Who knows, best not to try second guess the reasons,

 

We did wonder about the return timings from Wigan but in the end it didnt look like we were put to the back of the queue as we passed 2 waiting trains outside Preston, so just 55 minutes late.
I thought it was yet another unique tour that is the Tin Bath and was a wonderful day out, great efforts from people and Locos.
Back in Preston 'mobile' photo attached here =

 

On that basis you may as well not leave the depot just in case. Well done to Riley's, WCRC and RTC for putting together a box free run. Obviously they have more faith in their locos than you do.

 

Diesel you mean or is it okay to call them two kettles ?

Where have I said I don't have faith in the locos ?

Only thing I don't have faith in hasn't been out in a long time and hopefully the Spamcan in question is being sorted out, so people have more faith in it,

 

One point that hasn't been raised is that there were two locomotives. The majority of railtours involve a Diesel on rear have involved single headed locomotives. Should issue arise with one locomotive on the Tin Bath, there is a second that can be utilised in some form to move the railtour to a location where it isn't congesting the mainline (Be that slogging the tour up a gradient solo to the next junction, or running round and hauling train back wrong line to a more suitable point etc).

The railtour also operated on a Sunday. While in recent years the level of traffic has increased on Sundays, there's still more space on the Network compared to the remainder of the week. Perhaps that, alongside engine reliability and the ability to have either steam loco work as rescue was enough in the risk assessment to not require a diesel?

 

Repairs and maintenance are required on our locomotives as well as other in the FW 'pool', but these are always managed to ensure 100% steam availability this season, the diesel did not venture out on Steam advertised Jacobites at all this season, oh yee of little faith!..

 

I am not party to the daily availability records but all the evidence suggests YES. No unfulfilled or uncompleted turns - mudslides notwithstanding.
As I said the facts speak for themselves in terms of reliability performance.

 

We should remember that failed FTR exams usually involve something minor that would have been fixed quickly in the days of fully-equipped steam sheds.

 

Why should we remember that? Its irrelevant to today. The absence of fully equipped sheds only serves to emphasise the remarkable reliability of certain locos.

 

Quite so. In full-time steam days minor faults would have been dealt with in two ways. (1) Send out spare loco and say nowt. (2) Quick fix the fault and say nowt. Today any late fault found becomes public knowledge so the fact that we have so few shows how well prepared the locomotives are.

 

Hmm, not many video's being posted on here.....?

 

The Tin Bath 06 November 2016 – 44871 & 45407 hauling 9+2POBs

The weather for last year’s train was like the last day of summer; this year it was decidedly chilly as Mrs W and I arrived at Preston just in time to see 44871, having run tender first with ECS from Blackburn, run south through platform 4 and stop alongside 45407 at the head of the ECS in platform 5; a great sight. 45407 eased the stock back a few yards to make room for 44871 at the head of the train. We took our seats in coach F, 4½ coach lengths from the business end.

Our departure was delayed for 5 mins by a late running Pendolino but at 9.14, Mick Kelly (44871) and Mick Rawlins (45407) got us away. By Euxton Balshaw Lane we were up to 60 and speed was held in the mid to high 50s on the climb through Coppull. We made a slow approach to Wigan NW (5L and dep 6L). Unlike last year we were going via Bolton which includes 4½ miles of mainly 1/94. The locos were working hard, Hindley (39), Crow Nest Jn (37) and Westhoughton (27); good sound! Very few passengers joined in Bolton so a 1 min stop meant we were only 3½L. Slow through Clifton (clearance issues?) and the inevitable slow approach to Man Vic (3½L).

We departed RT (to the second) and “the girls” tore into Miles Platting Bank, after a ¼ mile 20 mph, ¾ (23.5) but then we stopped abruptly. (Information circulating after the Sheffield stop suggested that the brakes had come on after the (a?) driver had failed to acknowledge a cab alert (in time?) – if this was true it proved that everything works). We needed to drop back a few yards for a re-start which was unsuccessful then another couple of yards and we were away with some slipping all minor and all rapidly corrected. The weather was rapidly worsening, early sun had given way to rain as we eased through east Manchester, a blast up through Gorton (36) and to our water stop at Romiley (3½E).

Now for the scenic bit, away from Romiley 3E, with a bit of slipping; it was raining on and off and plenty of leaves about. After a mile we were doing 33 but slowed through Marple station (6 mph) then accelerated and through Strines (31). We slowed through New Mills (2E) and were checked at the junction for a service train. Once away we accelerated through Chinley (1L & 33) up to and Chinley E Jn (RT & 35) – proper sounds from the front. We entered Cowburn Tunnel at 37 and emerged at 39. The stop at Hathersage was missed and we ran through at 55 (4E). We were 8E at Dore W Jn and held for 5 and held for a further 4 at Dore Station and passed the Jn (3L). We looked good for a RT arrival at Sheffield but were held for 8 and stopped in pl 1 (10L).

Despite the rain, Ian Riley’s young men got stuck in; watering, dragging coal forward etc and pouring lots of sand into the sandboxes – they really are a credit to themselves and to Rileys. We were almost 4L when the same drivers got us underway. Within 2 miles we were up to 46 and then we went through Wincobank Jn (planned 12 mins stop) at 31. Elsecar was passed (15E & 51), Wombwell (15E & 52) and we peaked a shade under 60 just before the M1 crossing. Alas, too much too soon and we were stopped about ½ mile before Barnsley for 10 mins and needed a small setback to restart. Blasted through Barnsley at 19 (2E) and up to 25 at the junction and giving it plenty. The 1/50 and tight curves dropped us back to 11 but the girls were up for it we crossed the M1 at 27, Dodsworth (1E & 27) and Silkstone Common (2E & 34). We were scheduled a passing stop at Penistone but went through at 17 now 17E. The next passing stop at Stocksmoor was also missed and by Lockwood we were 59E. Could we slip through Huddersfield an hour early? No. The late running services that had given us our clear run now prevented us getting through Huddersfield. We waited at Springwood Jn for 14 min before entering the station 43E and after the briefest of stops we were away before being held at Bradley Wood Jn for 7 mins and then onto Brighouse (34E) for our final water stop and crew change. Could an earlier path be found? Control said no. In fading light and intermittent rain we waited and waited, finally (4E) we were on our last leg.

From Brighouse it is an almost continuous 17 mile climb to the summit at Summit. By now it was now completely dark. We accelerated to the mid 30s but were checked for Milner Royd Jn, then Sowerby Bridge (RT & 36), Mytholmroyd (RT & 41). We then made an unscheduled stop (2½ mins) at Hebden Bridge where the driver change took place; Ron Smith on 44871 and Ian Riley on 45407. Once again at Hall Royd Jn we kept to the left instead of bending to the right and over Copy Pit . . . one day (maybe). We were through Todmorden (5L & 42), by Walsden the lateness had been slightly reduced and the speed crept up to 43. There then followed some sustained fast downhill running with a max of 63 south of Rochdale. The deficit was reduced to 3½L at Rochdale to 1½L at Moston and looked good for a RT arrival at Man Vic – alas it was not to be. An announcement informed us that there had been an incident (subsequently confirmed as a fatality) between Wigan and Preston which was having a knock on effect at Man Vic. We were held outside the station for 14 mins finally entering 15L.

We left 16L. It is a rising gradient from Windsor Bridge Jn to Bolton (about 8 miles). We passed Kearsley (18L & 44) and Farnworth (18L and 43) arriving and departing Bolton 20L. As water might become an issue (it was already a long section 69 miles and there may be long delays around Wigan/Preston), one of the stewards said that we had requested a path via Chorley. I don’t know if this happened but we were informed that we would make our way to Wigan and wait in the queue; things were improving but a delay of up to an hour was likely.

So off we went to Wigan NW with no particular urgency. We arrived in pl 1 (19L) where it was announced that we had to wait for 3 Pedolinos to pass. After 29 mins and seeing nothing head north we left (40L). There followed a stop start journey up the WCML; a brief sprint with a max of 61 near Charnock Richard and held for 7 mins at Euxton Jn. We arrived at Preston (57L).

Ian Riley’s men quickly had the hoses out of the support vehicle only to put them away again as a few minutes later the ECS left heading for Carnforth – what water concerns? By the time they were on shed they would have covered 97+ miles.

Thanks to all who organised and operated a very enjoyable tour; not without additional challenges this time. My admiration to the drivers who showed a mastery of their craft on what at times must have been difficult rail conditions, on severe gradients made no easier, especially at starts, by there being 2 locomotives. I think that the firemen showed no little skill; with the Riley Fives there never seems to be wasted steam but always a feather at the safety valves – well done lads! Ian Riley reported on “The Works” that by Wigan it was obvious that they would need more sand so he arranged for 1000kg to be taken in their own transport to Sheffield. This is an apt demonstration of the professionalism of Riley’s philosophy. Like the old army adage, Perfect Planning Prevents *iss Poor Performance.

Finally, “Tw*t of the Day” goes to the supercilious man who whilst waiting at Wigan NW made a phone call, to inform his listener (and all of us in an otherwise silent carriage) of how he was being inconvenienced by someone having “topped themselves” and was now having to wait for 3 “bananas” to go past. Nice man! As Mrs W said, “How did he know it was not a child playing near the line?”

This was my last trip of a busy and eventful year and Mrs W’s last Tin Bath (she says!).

This was an RTC Pure Steam Production brought to you in association with Riley’s Black Fives. The part of A Passenger was played by Oswald T Wistle and that of A Passenger’s Wife by Mrs Penny Wistle.

 

What a brilliant report, look forward to your witty observations, as for the loud mouth on the train, we can only hope it wasn't any of his relatives !!

 

Lets not forget about all the additional electronic gubbins that adorn steam locomotives since BR days! I suspect a lot of FTR failures are more electrical than mechanical???!!!

 

I too look forward to your reports Mr.Whistle and you being a genteel Lancastrian gentleman, I can almost hear you uttering that phrase with an 'i' inserted instead of the *, whereas I wouldn't...

 

Ah, it hadn't occurred to me that the vowel might be an 'i' ...........................

Andy

 

Thanks for your kind comments, I believe that hobbies should be fun; unfortunately many posts make the same negative points again and again and . . . On a serious note the local press named the deceased as a 58 year old Chorley man and that there were no suspicious circumstances.

 

I don't think I've ever been referred to as genteel before - so thanks! The word "tw*t" became much more common in these parts a few years ago, shortly after Steve Kean was appointed manager of Blackburn Rovers FC, it was usually preceded by the words useless or clueless. Good luck with your Panniers this weekend.

 

Thank you very for the reports you write, they gave me a good memory of another enjoyable day out with the 'twins'. (Im told 'he' was sat not too far from me, the tw*t in question !)
Anyway please enjoy some memories I have here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/goldsteam/albums/72157674803698122