Steam Ban Nationwide

Gosh that does look extremely dry grass!

 

I had a 'phone call today from the W&LLR telling me that the vintage trains are cancelled due to the fire risk. Which is frustrating but at the same time I completely understand and agree with. I was offered the chance to cancel my pre-booked ticket and have a refund, but, err.... well, put it the other way.

By which I mean, if you've booked up to go somewhere for the weekend and it chucks it down you don't whinge that your plans are ruined and cancel in a fit of picque, do you?- so why should a heat wave be treated any differently? You just grit your teeth, get on with it and make the best of it... I've never been on a narrow gauge diesel train and I've never been to the W&LLR so it will still be an enjoyable day out.

 

Announcement on the East Lancs website:
"IMPORTANT INFORMATION: All services from Sunday, 1st July will be diesel hauled - we apologise for any inconvenience caused, and thank you for your understanding."

This unfortunately meant cancelling a footplate experience day booked for last Monday, but in view of the fact that the local fire brigades have had to call in the help of the Army to tackle moorland fires which have been burning since last week (and which still are), I think this only sensible.

Re. Severn Trent Water shortages; according to STW themselves, it's not a lack of water in the reservoirs, which are well topped up - they don't have sufficient capacity in their water treatment and distribution system to cope with demand (contingency planning, anyone?). My shower was out of action for a week due to low water pressure, and my supply was cut off completely for about 5 hours a day from last Thursday until Sunday, when it went off for 19 hours. Thank heavens, it's now back, and at full pressure - so I can shower and have clean clothes to put on afterwards!

 

So far, the SVR is still running steam. We will probably have a diesel out at the weekend but that's due to lack of available locos.

 

Bluebell is still running as normal. Four engines out on Saturday - 65 and 847 on the service trains, 263 on the Wealden Rambler and 541 on a Wedding Charter.

Tom

 

Last weekend for the classic transport. This weekend sees both Class 26 and 37 on passenger on Saturday, class 26 and DMU on passenger Sunday, with class 37 on driver experience.

 

RH&DR were running a mainly steam service on Tuesday, although one of the diesels seemed to be more in evidence of normal. At least 4 Steam out that I saw plus one diesel. Presumably the fact that most of the journey is either through marshlands which are still (comparatively) wet or shingle (Dungeness) reduces the risk.

KESR still running steam yesterday, with the Austerity in use. Presumably using the more powerful loco to reduce the need to have to work it too hard.

 

Enquiry: Do enough gas-producer steam locos exist to tell whether this comparatively recent mutation reduces lineside fires sufficiently (or at all) to make any real difference in tinder-dry conditions?

 

I understood that was one of the reasons for its trialling on the Ffestiniog 30 years ago.

This contemporary(?) article seems to suggest that it did prevent lineside fires once the spark arrestor was correctly adjusted: https://www.martynbane.co.uk/modernsteam/pg/linda/sldfr.htm

 

This has always been my own understanding too (though perhaps Martyn Bayne's can't be considered an entirely unbiased opinion!). I'd be interested to know if real life experience matches theory .... after all, one significant insurance claim following a serious fire-throwing incident in the wrong place could easily match the cost of converting a loco to GPS, including an entire new boiler .... and that's before taking revenue losses into account.

 

Liquid fuels is the normal option. I have done it to both small and big locos. Even for rainforests it the preferred option. Any solid fuel risks the carry over of hot partials. Even with GCPS this is not entirely eliminated. Additionally like soya or vegetable oils your going greener than coal.

 

Cheers Nigel. Must have a shufter at the Coalition for Sustainable Rail website to check how torrified pellets perform .... if they've got that far yet.

Even where locos are designed with them in mind, the quickest changeovers between solid and liquid fuels aren't exactly accomplished at the flick of a switch, but are times reported (I've seen references from a vague sounding 'half a day' to 'a full day in the workshops') anything like applicable to the real world?

Whether any biofuel produced from anything other than waste can be called "green" is open to debate. For so long as humans need feeding, the idea of food crops competing with fuel production is an idea which horrifies me.

 

A very valid point your last sentence 30854. Very agree with you! Mould is more worth than gold (but that is another disqussion)

Knut

 

KWVR just noted on Facebook that they are monitoring, but still running as normal. Also noted that 'on Saturday we have the 43924 and Sunday we have 5820 & 43924.'

Don't shoot the messenger if that changes or is incorrect.

 

The SVR is planning for the 5 main sets tomorrow and sunday to be steam hauled with only the DMU as an extra due to it being the 1940s weekend.
1450 and 7714 will be doubleheading.

 

A point to watch out for - on ALL lines.

On Thursday, I was talking to a lady who lives near Rawtenstall Station (East Lancs Railway). She told me that there was a bad fire on the preceding Tuesday - "But nothing to do with you, because there weren't any trains running that day". She went on to explain that a friend of hers was walking her dog, and spotted some idiot youngsters deliberately starting a fire in a bone dry field. Fortunately, the dog walker had a mobile phone with her and called the fire brigade straight away. As the fire station is very close, they were there in about 3 minutes, but by that time the fire had really taken hold, and with a fair breeze behind it was racing along the field towards a row of houses, which were directly in its path. I'm happy to say that the fire brigade were able to bring the blaze under control before it reached the houses - but it was a very close call.

From what the local cops are saying, the fires on both Saddleworth Moor and Winter Hill are arson, and two people have been detained already. Keep your eyes peeled, eh?

 

An old TGR (Tasmanian Government Railways) Driver told me that he had seen farmers ready with a torch to set fire to their fields as his train went past

 

Steam services on the Mid-Hants Rly were steam hauled yesterday (925 and 92212).

The crews were extremely careful when passing the numerous crop fields. <BJ>

 

The SVR's luck seems have run out today. 50031 in use vice steam while D9551 covers for 34027 which has injector issues.