Steam Dreams 2023

70000 seen being dragged back into Guildford, motion missing from the left hand side, do hope everyone got home from a long evening

all the best
Matt

 

Sorry what I meant was separate from the tour. Do we know if something came from Southall to collect it or if it was left somewhere?

 

An armchair view (!) - the diesel could have taken the coaches back to Guildford and left them there, run round and gone back to collect 70000, then re-attached it to the train which could then have run either ECS or with any remaining passengers back to London. At that time of night it must have been possible to have a platform occupied without significant disruption. As it was, the train, presumably with passengers still aboard, arrived at Vic at 0240ish! Even if the diesel had not accompanied the train, it, or one from, say, Tonbridge could have been summoned to the rescue easily in the time it took. Credit to LSL for what sounds like a good PR exercise on board.

 

That assumes that GBRF just happen to have a driver with route knowledge just sitting around doing nothing. I would imagine that is rather unlikely at that time of day on the modern railway. I understand NR have the ability to "sequestrate" locos from any TOC/FOC to recover failed trains disrupting the network, so I must assume that was not an option.
May have been a few LGW passengers missing flights last evening I suspect.

 

Good point re. assistance locos. Fortunately it looks like nothing was actually stuck behind the failed train i.e LGW trains would have been terminated at Guildford. People would have been sent via Clapham Jn without too much hassle. From personal experience I would never take the NDL to catch a flight at Gatwick without including at least one extra hour just in case!

 

Yes, the rescue loco would have been a long shot, but if the 47 had been left at Battersea it could have done it. BTW I wasn't suggesting it should have been, just responding to a point about the 47.

One Gatwick train was trapped for a while but reversed at Shalford. It would need much more than one extra hour allowed for the diversion to catch a flight!

 

If you mean travelling via Clapham Jn, not really. Guildford/Gatwick direct 45m, via CJ anything from 1hr 13m to 1hr 34m depending on connections. I was just responding to an earlier post on how LGW passengers might have missed flights.

 

I think you have lost me there, how would that have helped?

 

Just as a bit more info for those wondering about the ifs and buts - There was info given out late in to the evening that due to a lack of Mobile Ops Manager (MOM) being available splitting the Brit off the train was not possible. The whole consist had to move. From decision time regarding the rods coming off, to moving was a little under 2 hours which I have to admit is a cracking effort with the weight, complexity and so on.

In terms of the customer service aspect I’ve had chance to think over it all again this morning and I wouldn’t change my mind from the 10/10 verdict I gave yesterday. Our tables £96 bar bill was covered on the house, and I’ve been informed that the subsequent taxi return to our hotel and unusable train tickets will be covered as well.

 

The failure was captured on video at Chilworth (below). It happened after 70000 had passed through Chilworth Station and just beyond the road overbridge at the Redhill end of the station, just before the bend where the line heads in to a deep cutting. Not a great location to have to stop or to consider leaving a failed loco:

 

I was just saying that IF the 47 had been left behind (as some would prefer), it could have travelled down in time to assist, but having it with the train was obviously a vast help here.

 

Yes, the abrupt stop can just about be made out right at the end. I wonder what the failure felt/sounded like on the footplate. I nearly went to that bridge to film yesterday, but opted for Worplesdon instead!

 

35028 is restricted through the DSL platform and the "S" bend at the London end.
Without checking historic notices I think other locos are restricted as well.

Cheers, Neil

 

Next Tuesday's Sunset train seems to have a different route out - via Wimbledon and Surbiton to Guildford. Here's RTT link for the return. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U55209/2023-08-29/detailed

 

How curious, makes a change to see a water stop at Guildford!

 

Image surfaced on social media of its crosshead snapped in half...

 

Indeed, but the whole of the Surrey hills section will be in darkness as this run is even later than usual. 61306 looks most likely I suppose.

 

Oof...

Hopefully that's not done any other damage. Not the first time the Brit has had to limp home on one cylinder though - it had a hot bearing on its mainline test run in 1991 and had to have some of the motion removed.

 

Now says 61306 on the website in the updates section for next week's charter