LMS Black 5 5025

For all those on Facebook (and maybe those not, I dunno), 5025 went out on a run to the Boat on a running in/ gauging run. And if a photo I've seen elsewhere is to be believed, made it to the Broomhill bridge. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=958695814955172&id=417847319040027

 

I have updated the blog with a series of pictures from the day.

https://thewatkinsontrust.blogspot.com/2021/05/a-pictorial-record-of-first-run-down.html

and yes, it did reach Dulnain bridge. The furthest point on the extension.

 

Excellent to see 5025 on a loaded test run. Can't be long till its officially on service trains.

 

So with the welcome completion, or imminent completion of 5025, attention turns to 46464. With that the Strathspey is going to have quite the fleet.

 

And great to see a loco on the bridge. It'll be great when services start running across it. (No recent major news on the Rails to Grantown site, though.)

Noel

 

Thanks for sharing this set of pictures. Great to see 5025 back in action.

Sent from my I3312 using Tapatalk

 

Crew training today and tomorrow. Painting booked to start on 14th June, estimated to take around four weeks.
Two pictures from today.

 

Crew training?

 

She is looking great!

Crew training for a locomotive that is considerably larger, heavier, more powerful than the current locomotives would be a prudent move would it not?

 

My experience is that it is small locos you need additional training on - much more of a handful for most, it seems!

Tom

 

Certainly wasn't done in LMS and BR days; you just, climed aboard, figured out what everything did, and got on with it!

The nearest I can think off was told in, I think it was, 'Rivington's' (Eric Mason) 'My Life with Locomotives'. An old Southport driver had been on the railmotors , and only the railmotors, for years. One day he arrived at work to find his railmotor had failed and had been replaced by an L&YR Atlantic. He panicked to the extent that the only way he could be persuaded to take the train was for Rivington to ride on the footplate with him.

 

Well, there are two things going on, the first is putting miles on the clock, running the loco in. The second is crew training, refreshing, familiarisation, or whatever you want to call it. Most, if not all crews have only worked on smaller loco’s, the largest being 46512, the others being 828, an austerity and No 17. It’s the same cab layout as 46512, but it’s a much larger and more powerful loco, it would be extremely amiss if we just said, 5025 is out today, on you go. If we did not do some documented, supervised runs and something was to happen, the authorities would soon come knocking at our door. Modern times I’m afraid.

 

Certainly done in modern times though on modern units, and I can understand why heritage railways would want to replicate that considering the value of the locomotives at hand plus any insurance requirements.

For the class 365's, they are essentially electric Class 170's but with AC gear fitted. In theory, you only need to teach the electrical side as train handling is very similar (apart from quicker acceleration) and we all know what the Go and Stop handles are.

However, to meet Opetational Standards, it was a 3 day course. First two days were in the yard, learning the layout, fault finding and some slow speed moves. Coupling and Uncoupling was tackled that second day.
Third day, a run with a 365 qualified DI in passenger service, Edin-Glas return. A second run was then undertaken with a DTM to pass out.

I imagine it's the way of the future really.

 

While in principle this sounds like a mere formality, as the practicalities are very similar or near identical, it is that aspect of if something happens did XYZ provide adequate time and opportunity for awareness of subtle differences to be covered and understood. If this wasn’t done and something did happen.....as said above.


To reach for a recent but I appreciate unrelated example. Crew training on Boeing 737 Max and it’s pitch characteristics. Very similar machine, minimal extra training required. However it did have subtle differences. That could have been covered better. Had more time and opportunity been taken....

It’s not like there is huge business pressure here to enter service. There is time, so I struggle to see why you wouldn’t give the crews as much support and time to query things as possible.

 

I must be honest, I’m very lucky to have got a shot of this at all... I was planning to be in the far north near Wick this afternoon/evening but for some reason (a reason I don’t even know), I ended up in Kingussie when I saw the above photos from Boat of Garten.

James

 

Very happily saw the loco in Aviemore earlier - tried to upload a pic just now, however the WiFi in our holiday let not up to it, phone signal not really up to making a phone call!
She sounded lovely, just running around the stock - what chance of her making a service debut Thursday / Friday?!

 

- what chance of her making a service debut Thursday / Friday?! [/QUOTE]
None whatsoever, it will be 828. The first runs will be for Trust supporters / contributors, after it has been painted.

 

And quite right too!

 

What if the Strathspey crew are having some St. Rollox rather than Crewe training!?!?!?

 

Surely that will depend on the livery style / fonts that are selected