35018 British India Line

A loco run in on a heritage line still has light and loaded certification tests to pass before it gets anywhere near a passenger train on the mainline.
In fact you have highlighted a potential risk of the way WC does things. One might consider the first few passenger turns as proving runs where there is an elevated risk of failure?

 

And Crewe sent test runs to Whitchurch/Shrewsbury, or more recently, down the North Wales coast...

 

I believe I am right in saying that the ELR, GCR and SVR have sections of the railway where 60 mph test running is permitted under strict conditions.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the deal was that it had to do 1k before handover to the NRM which it did by a few hundred on the ELR, the trip as 103/502 over Shap and Ais Gill and various test runs and LE moves.

 

Just like what happened with 46115 a couple of times on the mainline with a full load of passengers in it's very early days. What a stalwart that has become though.

 

VT does it the self same way as WC yet I note you fail to mention them. IIRC they've even sold tickets on loaded test runs in the past.

 

Quite so and very succesful VT has been with the policy. No failures to speak of.
As I said upthread, it comes down to an engineering risk assessment regarding the soundness of the work done. You send it out when you think its ready. Manifestly you have more evidence upon which to base that confidence the greater the accumulated mileage.

 

46100 spent several months on the Severn Valley, including testing up to 50mph.

 

Mid-hants too, but not sure it has been utilised recently, I believe Bittern was tested there.

 

The PRCLT has done the same on the Derby Sheffield circuit with 80098 and 46233 twice.

 

One crucial distinguishing aspect from a charter being everybody that buys a ticket knows it's a test run with an inherent possibility of failure or change of plan.

 

I think you always take a risk booking on a charter steam or diesel, test run or not, we're dealing with handmade pieces of equipment at least 50 years old with all of their little quirks and foibles

 

suspect a fair number of failures are down to post BR electrical equipment rather than mechanical!!!

 

I think you always take a risk booking on a charter steam or diesel, test run or not, we're dealing with handmade pieces of equipment at least 50 years old with all of their little quirks and foibles

37424 was an unusual failure in April, horn in one cab decided to stick on just after Thuxton on the MNR all the way to Dereham! Bear in mind it was the rear cab and there was no one in there at the time!

 

4936, 5043 and 6024 all suffered hot-boxes on their first runs after overhaul at Tyseley.

 

Two of which Tyseley do not own, We found from the Lizzie debacle that Tyseley carry out work authorised/paid for by the owners so it's their reposibility to make sure it's as good as it can be, Not withstanding 5043 was a bent radius rod, Not sure where you got a hot box from.

 

Otherwise known as 'Great Western Disease'

 

Of course there is an ever present risk of a failure on a steam hauled train. My point was that by definition buying a ticket for a test run carries more risk of that happening than an ordinary charter behind a loco well established in traffic with a proven record of reliability.
Equally buying a ticket to ride behind a loco on its early runs following restoration and modest running in carries with it more potential to be affected by a failure than one that has earned confidence from accumulated miles.
Perhaps I am biased but I really do not understand the proposition that little running in is no worse than lots. The more you learn about a machine from using it the better your chance to manage it effectively, surely?

 

Even a mate of mine who is a staunch Swindonite refers to hot oxen as "Swindon Disease."