Project Wareham

Heritage Railway magazine reports that Wareham/Swanage services will start on June 13th and will be run by West Coast Railways with a loco hauled set. Full article can be read on page 9 of the free 'selected pages preview' of HR magazine: http://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/o...r&utm_term=subscribe&utm_campaign=title-sites

 

Thank you for the link. It's good to think that the first trial services are hopefully only just over a month away. It does surprise me slightly that this article has appeared without any corresponding update to the "Project Wareham" page of the Swanage Railway's website.

 

I'm surprised by the mention of push-pull operation, how would that work? The 4TC cabs can't have been used since BR days and would presumably require TPWS and OTMR.

 

All journalists tend to like to be first with a news story, including those in the world of preservation, but some like to beat the official press release if possible, even if they publish something which is not yet actually agreed as a result........

(Not saying that is the case here - just an observation as to a possible reason!)

Steven

 

I haven't a clue if it is the same one, but I seem to recall there was a brief period when a 3TC (i.e. minus one vehicle) worked services for a mainline TOC with a Class 33 - the company Cambrian Trains sticks in my mind, and I think it would have been after TPWS was necessary, though perhaps not OTMR. Not sure if the LT 4TC may not have needed TPWS and OTMR for some past use, or may be being fitted anyway as part of the current overhaul to increase route availability.

TPWS is a legal requirement, and not readily subject to exemptions - they do exist but most are for shunters or track equipment which rarely venture on to running lines except in a possession. One exemption exists which would permit passenger train use, but in very different circumstances. TPWS is safety equipment and is credited with preventing a number of collisions.

OTMR is a requirement of Group Standards. and hence has a very different exemption process and record. In theory, it isn't safety equipment as such but undoubtedly has obvious safety implications in aiming to prevent or at least detect over-speed incidents not subject to TPWS intervention. Double manning of cabs can be one of a number of mitigating factors against it being needed - in the Wareham case, it may be possible to seek exemption on the basis of the very limited distance on the Network but I don't know what Swanage's plans are in this respect.

I do not expect that WCRC will seek any exemptions and will ensure that stock is used is compliant or operations ensure that only compliant stock provides 'driving' facilities.

Steven

 

Operation will be top and tailed. The TC set is just being used as a convenient set of mainline registered coaches with door locking. Unfortunately the driving cab will not be used as such. Locos at each end will be fully equip with all the toys.

 

Comments from people with credible connections during the Swanage diesel gala were that 1) this is not a done deal by any means and there are still significant obstacles to overcome and 2) the LUL TC is some way off being usable and the usual mark 1 rust problems were worse than expected.

 

If it happens, if will be great to get to Autumn gala by rail.

 

I believe the TC set is also being restored to a LU spec - which includes full Red ends as found on the Underground. Not having a yellow front end is prohibited on the national rail network unless the train is fully compliant with the latest group standards regarding front end lighting setups (and the TC obviously is nowhere close to being compliant).

 

Derogations are probably available. I've yet to see a yellow ended steam loco!

 

Although not an issue if it is just being used as a set of coaches.

 

No need to stir things - you know full well that the current derogations applied to steam locos are of a completely different nature to the derogations obtainable by all other traction power.

Its worth noting that the Brighton Belle lot have gone to considerable effort to remodel the end of the unit so it can interoperate the very latest EU group standard as regards illumination, precisely so they can avoid the yellow panel - the 4 TC would have to undergo similar radical surgery if its owners wanted to operate on national rail infrastructure without one too.

Happily however the whole debate is rather pointless the 4TC is primarily been restored for London Underground (who are not duty bound by either yellow panels or EU group standards) and will be painted in something they find attractive (and probably more in keeping with its intended use as passenger accommodation for future Heritage operations on their infrastructure - maroon of some description possibly.)

 

Nope - they could be black, as are the intermediate ends of Underground trains.

However I believe that LU will be treating the 4TC as a 'unit' rather than a rake of carriages and I believe that red ends have been specified accordingly.

 

No attempt to stir things.

 

But if it's topped and tailed it's the locos that will need a yellow end, not the 4TC

David R

 

Yellow ends are no longer mandatory. Only just changed in the last few months.

 

https://www.rssb.co.uk/Pages/visibility-of-trains-what-is-changing.aspx

 

WRONG!

Yellow ends are not required only if the front end headlight alignment, spacing and output complies absolutely with a very specific set of rules devised by the EU to allow interoperability on national rail networks. Said rules exclude railway systems in member states that are self contained or exist to serve a local need (e.g. London Underground, Heritage railways, tramways, etc) where nation states are free to decided on their own rules.

The UK regulator has thus decreed that yellow ends will continue to be mandatory on the national network unless the operator can prove the front end illumination is fully compliment with the aforementioned EU reg.

As such any driving cab built before last year is extremely unlikely to be compliment to the regs. - and with the likes of the 4TC that is definitely the case with extensive front end modifications required to make it so. Given the 4TC is owned and being restored for London Underground - for whom the EU regs are irrelevant, then (as with TWPS, AWS, etc which are also not required for operation on LU tracks) why in earth would they bother funding such changes.

So in a nutshell the use of the 4TC is simply because of the mandatory requirement for central door locking to be fitted - not because of the presence of (non-compliment) driving cabs, and it will be top and tailed with diesel locos that have yellow ends, TPWS, AWS, data loggers, etc.

 

Don't get too excited about the LUL TC, credible sources report the rust is a lot worse than expected ....

 

Seems to me that there is a lot of excitement on here about the TC's cabs when reality would suggest that in its current application the cabs are pretty much there by coincidence. As far as Swanage and LUL are concerned they're just four air braked carriages!

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