The Impact of the Heatwave on Heritage Railways

https://twitter.com/Martinepuk/status/1557046713038381058?t=4qUQpWm-ttI9PngqIVChgw&s=19

Ouddorp tram museum in the Netherlands is perilously close to a dune fire at present. Not just over here that is suffering.

 

Just to prove what the ground conditions are like at the moment, this happened in the last hour or so, about 300 yards from my home.......6 fire appliances and a water bowser called out.....and, yes, they are full size trees in the pictures.....

 

This, children, is why the wise keep the lovely chuffers tucked away when the weather is like it is at the moment. A good time to do maintenance if you can, let the diesels do the work.

How many here remember stubble burning post-harvest and how easily that got out of control? I know I do.

 

You're safe though, yes?

 

Yes - Didn't get anywhere near the houses, though with the stiff breeze, if any material had blown across the fairway to the nearer areas of gorse and ignited those, it might have been a different matter. Heath fires used to be a regular feature 40 years or more ago, but they have become less common over the years as the areas of gorse have been reduced somewhat. I did manage to beat the official Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service photographer/archivist to the fire as well (someone I know) as he wasn't officially "on call", so I've got to send him copies of my photos for the archives!
House stinks of smoke, as does my clothing, though......

 

SVR have now pulled the plug on steam and are back on diseaseals

 

Update - Ouddorp tram museum lost a wagon load of sleepers, but that seems to be about it luckily.


https://twitter.com/Handcrew_OV/status/1557100628345851906?t=JsOkEw4rGVpGqa-tWw4nPw&s=19


https://twitter.com/Kzoutnieweten/status/1557061905583427587?t=PZEhiuaOe0T9k02X2vc7Ng&s=19

Pretty close - the museum building is on the right.

Lots of lines and services in Europe being affected too, with diesel or electric traction being substituted.

 

Ah, the kettles have been unplugged!

 

Where is this please?

 

I assume it's this place https://rtm-ouddorp.nl/home-gb/

 

Sorry, yes, should probably have included a link to their website.

 

Thanks,

 

I visited Whipsnade Zoo yesterday. Most of the grass there was brown, as were the fields below the escarpment, but the steam-hauled train was running round its loop all day. I don't know what they have done to avoid fires but whatever it is is working.

 

S'pose they could charge extra for a "Wildfires of the Serengeti Expreience". Too soon?

More seriously, I don't know the line myself, but clips seen over the years suggest it's not exactly in the same league as Golfa Bank or Foxfield, when it comes to working locos hard.

 

Do the locos still have the spark arresters fitted that they carried when working at Bowaters?

 

Fairly recent looking photos suggest Chevalier and Conqueror don't, whilst Excelsior and Superior do.

 

The other thing that gets overlooked (especially when it is the norm where you live) is that many HR lines are in areas served by retained firefighters. So even a 999 call means that by the time the crews reach the station get the appliance and kit and then get to the fire, many minutes will have passed. In that time a small blaze becomes a large one especially if there is a breeze or strong wind.
The fire in Feltham the other evening (still many LFB stations) had at least one crew from Tooting.
Down in places like Dorset takes a long time to get back up crews on site, as shown by the big Wareham Forest fire a few years back.

 

As an example (not railway related) we had a field fire on the downs above Salisbury last night, and it was reported their were crews from Salisbury x2 Wimborne, Cranborne, Ringwood and Ferndown: of those, Wimborne is the best part of 30 miles away.

Driving from Fleet back to Salisbury today, I saw three fires along our route - not close, but close enough to see columns of smoke. Just west of Salisbury, today there was a field fire at Fovant - crews from "Wilton, Salisbury (x2), Shaftesbury and Fordingbridge were mobilised, along with the water carrier from Wilton, and small 4x4 appliances from Verwood, Blandford and Shaftesbury". That's probably units coming from a 20 mile radius.

Tom

 

At one point on the circuit there is a short tunnel under a road followed by a rising gradient, but I don't know how steep. I didn't ride myself but I did watch the train once on that section and it slowed down somewhat before the exhaust got louder, presumably wider regulator and/or longer cutoff.

 

At the recent Corfe Castle / Swanage Railway lineside fire, one of the appliances in attendance was showing it was stationed at Bridport.