The Quantock Intruder: 26/05/18

34028 didn’t have any problems in 2006.

 

My video of The Quantock Intruder taken on the West Somerset Railway.

 

I was on that train - 35005 wasn't well at all. It was struggling on the flat bits before getting stuck on Washford Bank. Not sure what the problem was but 9351 piloted it for the rest of the day as I recall

 

Sadly some uninformed comment appearing on this thread. Adding the 33 at BL was 100% the right thing to do given the potential forecast conditions. 6960 slipping and slithering out of BL on the 1015 to MD was illustrative of the potential issues with light rain falling. In fact, it started spotting with rain only an hour before the charter arrived with reports of drizzle further on at Watchet - the worst sort of conditions. The final decision was taken by experienced railwaymen at the sharp end with intimate knowledge of the line. Had the forecast been for a fine dry sunny day it would have gone unassisted. As it happened, it stayed dry pretty much all the way through but it would've have been unprofessional to take the risk, wreck the timetable on a busy day and delay a large number of customers, including potentially a late presentation back to Network Rail for the charter. The 33 driver notched on to take its own weight, so 35028 was effectively hauling itself and its train only. It should be remembered that not only 60103 has stuck on the WSR banks in the past 12 months - 6960 did in December on load 6 and most of the home fleet have had their moments when conditions were against them.

 

You should have seen 70013 at the GWR Gala. Absolutely immaculate!

 

On those occasions it was either 53808 or 3850 I believe - both more than capable on the WSR. Whereas locos not designed for plodding uphill on twisting routes with a heavy load may find it difficult if there is rain about. The WSR is responsible for running the WSR. Also responsible for getting mainline trains back onto the mainline on time. If a mainline train turns up with 11 on, then the WSR will decide how best to move it safely and timely along the line. It has a table showing the load limit per loco type. Anyone have it?

Steve

 

Reading this thread it occurs to me that people are forgetting that unlike some steam railtour visitors this one is an air braked train and therefore unsuitable for the WSR's fleet of vac.braked steam locos to relieve or assist in any way. In this instance there is no option but to use a diesel loco, which according to @46229, was the path taken after an appropriate operational risk assessment on the day. It is not really much different to the problem of running a vacuum braked train on the air braked network except that the situation is reversed. Here we have an air braked train visiting a vacuum braked railway.

Peter

 

Your last point is very appropriate - but do remember visiting charters are organised by tour operators, not the WSR, so the onus is on the tour people to make sure their customers understand the product.

Steve

 

That would have been a neat trick, as it was cut up in 1974…



Simon

 

The clue was in the name of the railtour, 'The Quantock Intruder'. <BJ>

 

A couple from yesterday's run....

 

Now re-named 'The Quantock Whinger.'

 

So, without wishing to intrude on the very informative exchanges about the WSR leg of yesterdays tour, anyone got any more morsels of information that might throw more light on what looks to have been a very lively main line performance by Clan Line on the outward run??

 

In lieu of any other mainline footage, here is a smidgen from Midgham.

 

On a very hot and dry 17th June 2017 6960 took 9 coaches forward having taken over from 46233. This was 335 tons full and driver John Gibbons with Damien Moore firing produced one of my best ever climbs out of BL sustaining 25 mph. Equally good on the steep and curving climb away from Wachet reaching 21 by MP 180.25. Yes it was dry but this is no slogging freight loco. Whilst I would trust Clan Line with 11 even in the damp conditions I suspect the issue was more to do with air braking plus lack of knowledge about just how good Clan Line is. Ask Wayne Thompson about how to handle her in poor rail head conditions. In the circumstances I think the WSR did the sensible thing.

 

Are there really some out there who's day was spoilt because a Class 33 was used as 'insurance' at the back of the train over WSR?
I was in coach G so close to the front outward and at the rear returning and was pleased with a great day out. The appeal to me was a Merchant Navy doing it's stuff on the mainline rather than traversing WSR metals at sedate pace so for me, D6575 certainly didn't dampen my spirits at all. Appreciation to WSR, UKR and MNPLS for putting on a good day. Shame the weather remained a little murky in the West.
The return leg behind 67016 was delayed slightly as we got caught up behind late running service trains compounded seemingly by no trains running via Swindon.

 

I wasn't on the train (at the GWSR gala) but I would have felt exactly the same as you so long as the main line performance was good and unassisted. I actually thought beforehand about how the this train would be worked on the WSR and would have been surprised if they had attempted to do it without assistance, either steam or diesel being given, given the nature of the line, length of train and reputation of Bulleids for slipping and sliding!

Am I right in assuming that Clan Line was crewed by WSR men rather than DBC from Bishops Lydyeard?