RTC 2018

Damn it, just checked RTC website and Standard Class is full for 9th July. Can't afford the other classes at the moment.
Will have to pop out and see this instead. Will be great to see 35018 in action at last after seeing her under restoration at the MHR for many years (before she went to Carnforth).

 

But fingers crossed there might not be much DL assistance......
Previous RTC 9th July trips have been pretty good with WCRC crews allowing the Steam loco to do most of the work.
The very memorable trip of 2010 with 46115 was excellent with the Class 47 (at the rear due to fire risk) only assisting out of Weymouth. 46115 put on a magnificent performance. The same day SD were operating with 30777 which had a Class 47 behind the tender which did most of the work all day going by the videos on YT and passenger reports at the time. Very glad I was on the RTC trip!

More recently the 9th July trip with 45699 was superb with only minimal assistance from the Class 33 at the rear when departing Basingstoke on the return run.
This trip even featured 45699 banking the Class 33 out of Weymouth as it was making hard work of the climb.

 

I thought the July 9th trip was always down for diesel haulage from Yeovil Junction to Weymouth. So not taking it on the back means a London to Southall and a Southall-London LE move, and one Southall to Yeovil and then Weymouth to Southall. You may get possibly get away with the two long distance ones being to and from London, but I imagine it seriously impacts on cost. Then of course you have the issue of say a 10 coach train unassisted out of Weymouth and up Parkstone. NR may not fancy that I suspect.

 

What was the historical load limit for a MN up Parkstone bank ?

 

Do not know official BR loading. A quick internet search did find a picture of an unrebuilt WC with 10 and also a report of 1o behind a MN. Of course a lot of trains had the Weymouth portion join more coaches at Bournemouth. Most of the videos I have in my collection, apart from the C.I.boat trains seem to have quite short trains west of Bournemouth.
Last year if I remember the diesel was cut off the back at Eastleigh on the return. But that was a Saturday evening so paths may have been easier.

 

Knowing that there are other regular contributors steeped in a massive experience of Practice and Performance on the Bournemouth/ Weymouth line, I would venture the following with some trepidation (and absolutely no precious ego in the event of contradiction). Looking back at my very dog-eared copy of Cecil J Allen's "British Express Trains No 2 Southern Region" there is a handy description of typical Waterloo/ Bournemouth/ Weymouth express train formations that includes a reference to the "Royal Wessex" being the heaviest regular train on the line, with a second class brake, second, two composites and a second for Weymouth plus a composite and second brake for Swanage - (and v.v.). So typically Load 7 or about 250 tons max. prior to the addition of up to 6 additional bogies (restaurant cars, kitchen buffets, brakes etc) at Bournemouth Central to make up a maximum full Load 13 consist.

I thought it might be worth double-checking this with records of MN runs from Weymouth to Bournemouth held in the Railway Performance Society's archives and a very quick, cursory glance indicated no unassisted Parkstone Bank climbs with more than eight coaches / 290 tons max (although there are a handful of Load 12 runs showing a banker from Poole).

But you are right - the fact that through services operated what was in effect just a portion for Weymouth meant that the more typical loading on most daytime services was probably more like a featherweight (for a MN) load of 4/5 /6 coaches.

And I think I'd better leave it there for the input of those with proper first hand knowledge and experience of the line, rather than just a treasured 2-and-sixpenny abc publication.

 

My only experience to date is last year's End of Southern Steam tour with '34052' which made an absolutely excellent climb from Weymouth albeit with superb rail conditions, with 10 up and dragging the Crompton, which only applied power on entering the tunnel, probably only to guard against the WC slipping on the damp rail, it was a great trip all round.

 

In Winkworth's book Table 77 there is a log of 35021 with ten on going up Parkstone min 33. There is also a note of 34006 with 11 on making a good run from Dorchester to Poole then getting stuck on Parkstone Bank and calling for assistance.

There are three logs of the Channel Islands Boat Train with 11 or 12 on but these stopped at Poole and will have been banked up Parkstone, as well as up to Bincombe of course. That train, the 4.23 from Weymouth SB must have been the heaviest one in normal service.

 

The normal 5 or 6 coach trains were never banked.

An old friend from the days of steam has checked his copy of the 1960 Sectional Appendix and the load limit was 400 tons f or a class 8 and 385 tons for a class 7, that's 12 and 11 coaches respectively. The only regular working which always seemed to be banked irrespective of load was the up CI boat train. The engine was a Bomo tank. 41320 did the honours on the last Friday of steam, 7th July 1967, but I have no record of what the banker was on the last Saturday 8th July when the train was worked by 35023 on 12 for 425 tons, but it was possibly a class 33.

Incidentally Pete Roberts took 34067 on 11 unaided up Upwey in July 2009 when the DL failed, so it can be done though in these risk averse days it wont happen.

 

34067 Tangmere load 11 unassisted on Parkstone bank .11 June 2011 at 0640 ,RTC Welshman ,ironically train stalled on Filton bank requiring diesel assistance to Cardiff

 

8 July 2017 ? Wasnt '34052' was seriously damaged on that trip by water carry over, with the 33 doing much of the work as a consequence. It took many months to repair.

 

Having participated, the 33 certainly wasn't doing much work on Upwey until the summit, and the New Forest section was the subject of fire risk rules. The carryover was not mentioned until quite a while after the trip, but seeing the videos suggested something had gone awry. The diesel shovage west of Salisbury on the outward was because an empty water tanker greeted the train.

 

This is the first reference to any problem I am aware of, but the 33 did not apply power until entering the tunnel, as confirmed by Mr Bulleid Pacific, still an unfortunate outcome.

 

Steam all the way from Weymouth to London is rare now even more so with a Merchant Navy so even with a Dl on the back it's still something to be pleased about!! glad I booked some time AGO!

 

As the route is via Yeovil junction, I wonder if 31806 may make an appearance and operate the tour in T&T from Yeovil to Southampton ? if she is available . its exactly the type of tour that the Swanage Mogol can be used for, with out it being to far from home .especially as the return is via Andover, so that could put the MN leading to Weymouth, and if the U class is available, it would be leading from Weymouth to Southampton with 35018 banking then the U can come off either return tender first, or go onward to Eastleigh to turn on the works triangle, before returning to wareham.

 

34046 was damaged by priming after that tour, on an engine & POB move.