2021 Jacobite

Dates announced on WCRC website - looks like more trains than ever before!

Morning Service - Running from Friday 2nd April (Good Friday) until Friday 29th October 2021.

Afternoon Service - Running from Monday 26th April until Friday 1st October 2021.

Looking forward to it already!

 

Interesting to see a significant increase on 2019 let alone 2020. I wonder whether the K1 will feature or not? Would it also not be better to have 4 engines up there at the same time instead of 3 which was the case throughout most of 2019 & 2020?

 

Why wouldn’t it?

 

But of course there is a fourth loco up there for the season. A diesel loco is there on standby to cover last minute failures and days of high fire risk.

Peter

 

I thought they had decided to carry out an early overhaul. I obviously hope it is up there because it is perfectly suited to the West Highland extension.

 

It’s the only authentic engine for the extension

 

I agree. A black 5 never worked north of Fort William in the real days of steam if I’m right although they were regulars on the Highland Mainline.

 

You are right, the Mallaig turntable wasn’t large enough to turn them. They were a common sight south of Fort William from the early 50s and, ax yoh say, on the Highland Mainline

 

I think I read there might be an issue with the boiler ?

Jon

 

I think coming up 40 years of Black Fives on the extension makes them authentic. I wouldn't mind betting, that 45407 in particular has worked similar sorts of miles on the extension as some of the locos allocated to 65J and sub shedded at Mallaig back in the day.

 

So did I, but I also read in the same thread:

“I am writing to let you know that, unfortunately, the K1’s move from Carnforth to Grosmont, scheduled for 16th November, was cancelled at the last minute owing to a fracture in the right hand side of the throat plate. This was surprising as the throat plate was extensively ultrasonically tested when the boiler was out of the frames over the winter of 2018/19.

The full extent of the fracture has now been ascertained, and our insurance company have confirmed their agreement, in principle, to carry out a repair. A full specification for the repair and welding procedure is currently being prepared for submission to our insurers and, following their agreement, the repair can be undertaken.

As the loco is to remain at Carnforth until the repair has been completed, this winter’s annual examinations are being brought forward which will improve the loco's availability when it gets to the NYMR (hopefully by mid December).”

 

I don't believe they never worked to Mallaig, just were a last resort?

I can't comment for what WCRC's intentions for 2021 rosters are, but on observation on previous years:

In terms of loco requirements, having one as 'spare' is more cost effective than two. It means that the third Riley 5, assuming that as loco 4, can either undergo maintenance or be utilised on other work/KWVR contract agreements.

With the excellent maintenance programmes that Riley and NELPG undertake, occurrences of failures are rare and the instances where two standby locomotives would have both been utilised simultaneously are almost non existent. That's not to say that a fourth engine might not appear, as it usually does, to replace one of the early season rostered engines. In terms of business sense though, it results in an engine sitting wastefully.

 

I’ve never seen any photographic evidence of a Black five on the extension. I seem to recall reading somewhere that they were not allowed over the canal swing bridge at Banavie but I could be wrong on that. If you see Alec MacDonald about in FW, he would know

 

I could think of one or two candidates.

 

A side window can K2

 

Oh, now you're talking!

Personally, I'd enjoy the idea of the Flying Pig getting to stretch her legs.....

 

It just needs to be in large logo blue