West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Water capacity and use it the steam heating is in use a MK1 can be up to 36 tonne so you could be looking at 250 tonne train

 

Most IOW bogie coaches are 24/25 tons MK1 anything from 33 to 37 or so. A 24 ton IOW coach can accommodate 90 passengers the maximum for a MK1 (TSO/SK) 64.

 

I would think now is the time to play safe with money

 

A typical Mark 1 would be about 34 - 38 tons tare; depends on the bogies. (Commonwealth bogies add about 4 tons per coach relative to BR 1 bogie).

The Isle of Wight bogie carriages are I believe around 25 tons each. Very roughly, five carriages on the IoW would be about 3.5 - 4 Mark 1s in weight.

Lots of factors to consider, not least steaming rate on sustained banks. Apart from all that, you need a different mechanism to what in modern times is called "revenue protection" if you run non-corridor carriages: you cannot have TTIs walking through the train, so you have to ensure that people can't get on a train without buying ticket, which isn't necessarily easy on a line like the WSR where many of the stations are relatively open.

Probably a more interesting question on loads is how long trains need to be (rather than are because that is how things have always been done). Running excess mileage means you have to do regular service inspections more frequently, and that adds to the running cost if those inspections are done by paid staff. The WSR typically runs three trains per day, often of 7 carriages. So that is 21 daily carriage diagrams; if the trains could be 6 coaches, you'd cut 14% out of your carriage mileage. Or if that doesn't work depending on traffic flows, maybe you need 2 * 7 and 1 * 5; or 1 * 7 and 2 *5; or maybe shorter trains off peak and reserve the 7 coach trains to the peak season.

Obviously, if each set is full, then fine. But if you are running a significantly larger number of seat-miles than needed, reducing the size of sets cuts some maintenance cost without changing the service pattern to passengers.

Tom

 

There are a few stops with no ticket office so it requires tickets to be sold on the train. The issue of water capacity on small tank engines is an issue.

 

What about a locomotive exchange for say three months, a working 4-6-0 for a working 4-6-0, got to be worth a try surely.

 

Pity they don't have a 4F …..oh. <BJ>

 

However, passengers these days do not like to be crammed in (and they tend to be larger than passengers were when the Mk1's were designed) and it is a false economy to reduce the length of trains to reduce inspections - passengers go away and leave negative reviews on TripAdvisor and tell their friends and colleagues about their negative experiences. It's about more than just the service pattern.

You are looking at it from the point of view of operator convenience - not customer experience.

 

Very true. I recall a bus company chief executive telling the Omnibus Society that although some buses get very packed, he worked on the basis that if average loadings exceeded 50% it was time to put on more buses, as constantly packed vehicles would lose passengers.

 

I have not received any information about what was said at the meeting on 4th March, nor have I received any letter or e-mail about buying more shares.

All I know about the meeting is what I've just read in April's Railway Magazine.

Sorry, I wish the WSR the very best, but I remain to be impressed about the new management when it comes to communication.

 

No class 50 for gala then as there banned from the WSR.

So no D1661 North Star then ? If 47s are banned too.

 

Michael, you are an accountant. You should not be looking at it like that!

 

Yes and only 112 tonne assuming the engineering weight is just over 100 tonne

 

You've answered your own question Anthony. <BJ>

 

Whats the smallest Diesel that can be used on WSR Service trains?

Will a 20/25 do?

 

Have they got an 08?

 

The 14 will manage there service train

 

Close - it's an 09.