Fire Risk

So, getting back to steam (!), would it be a fair bet that the UK as a whole is likely now to change status regarding steam? Is there anywhere that has not now had enough rain to dampen things sufficiently? Even we here in 'Saharan' Surrey have had nearly 20mm spread usefully over the last few days. Another issue now seems to be the 'false autumn' - leaves are tumbling down in our area as the trees are shedding them to conserve water.

 

Hopefully steam with a diesel at least.

Here in mid-Kent we are up to 34 mm since the rains returned early on 17 August, and that includes 10 mm today that started at 08.00 and kept the ground wet or just damp until around 15.30.

But so far as 35028 is concerned, unless I have read things wrong it doesn't start the Kent Belmond trips again until early October. But it does have one down for taking it off the SR late in September.

Bryan

 

So now the rain has come and the issue of fire risk has gone now till next year. Does that mean the problem is forgotten about till next year’s summer dry spells or do the railways start a proactive program of fixing the issue for good?

 

Not stopped raining south of Birmingham all day (Bromsgrove)

 

Not sure the problem has gone away yet. So certainly not forgotten.
As for any program to fix the issue for good, that will all depend on will to do so and more importantly funding. If as I’m sure you are, inferring oil firing, operating costs are currently significant in comparison to coal on any engine let alone a mainline pacific. I believe the oil fired engine at Rheidol is significantly more expensive to operate than a diesel or coal fired steam locomotive…

 

This rain was all forecast a long way off and most of England & Wales, bar a few places, had received some meaningful rain before yesterday. I appreciate it is a repetition of a post of an earlier post but I am amazed that with it being the last week of the school holidays and the main sunmer bank holiday weekend that some railways had not drawn up plans to revert to steam working with social media and press releases about steam being back. Does this indicate that railways have not been as badly hit from running diesel as opposed to steam as they expected?

 

Not necessarily. There is a cautious element to a lot of it, and particularly in hard hit areas. The SVR for example, best of luck with any PR excercise that tries to convince the residents of Stourbridge that a quicker than necessary to return to steam, after the horrors they saw.

Perhaps we could have ran steam this weekend, but why take the risk? Why take the PR downfall if it goes wrong? Also protect the gala, the hugely important revenue stream.

 

I thought there was one Al, and I've just navigated the revised Belmond website and found it, which I didn't when I checked a few days ago.

But, as far as I can see, it's not on the MNLPS website - which is why I thought it was a long wait 8 until October

Well, we've now had reasonable rains across almost all of Kent. Maybe more showers later today and tonight. And light rain forecast on the 3rd.

I had noted elsewhere on Nat Press that the 'official'? fires risk was Red in Scotland and Black elsewhere up to the 2nd. Maybe Red 'elsewhere' from the 3rd?

Bryan

Edited, many thanks to my error being pointed out!

 

You are going the wrong way Bryan, Black is the one you don't want, you are looking for the Red status at the very least if you want to see steam out and about again.

 

I have to admit that the thought that 'red' status still allows steam to run appears a little odd to me. I would have thought that a traffic light system would have been preferable (green, amber, red). <BJ>

 

But that is what they do. Green - Steam, Amber - Assistance in part or whatever that level is, Red - Assistance mandatory/show pony for steam, black - no steam.

 

Yes indeed. Red tends to mean STOP. But I guess a four colour system was needed, and for some reason double yellows (ambers) was ruled out.

A four signal system could have been:

Green; a clear road ahead for steam on its own.

Single yellow; a single diesel added to help the steam loco.

Double yellow; double headed, with the second (train) loco a diesel and doing all the work.

Red; stop all steam loco involvement.

Bryan

 

It is a difficult judgement as I am not is the area but from the webcam pictures and rain radar reports over the last few days it appears the risk would be minimal and if this becomes the new norm for running steam then the diesels are going to see a lot of work.

As a member of joe public who would prefer to avoid a gala weekend it is either fit to run steam or it is not. Whilst I appreciate the revenue a gala brings is very important when the impression from your posts is that the gala is priority and even if it did not rain before then we still would be able to run it it does make it feel like the money me and my family might bring on a normal running day comes a distinct second. I appreciate that is not meant but when there are a lot of competing alternative for families to spend their money on I am just surprised if a railway could operate a level of steam they choose not to do so as that is what the majority of visitors expect. I appreciate that is is my personal view and I may be wrong!

 

Straight out of fire risk and straight into leaf fall season. Oh joy !

 

Leaves have been falling for a couple of weeks already with the trees in drought stress..

 

Agree. Those who expect steam to return after the first rain shower are not the ones whose neck is on the block if it goes wrong. We had a fair amount of rain on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning, around 11 this morning the fire brigade were attending a stubble fire behind where I live.

 

Agreed by me too. I've not only been monitoring the amount of rainfall, but also the length of time it is keeping the ground & vegetation wet or at least damp. And that was seven and a half hours yesterday. But today's forecast showers are virtually non-existent in Kent so far, and there is a strong drying wind blowing. And even Thursday's rain has now largely gone from the forecast. Next rain day for mid-Kent is now shown as 8 September - and if that actually happens I will be somewhat surprised.

I'm glad I've got loads of Steam Loco Memoirs books work to do at home! But I'm far from happy for what heritage lines and those owning and operating main line steam locos are having to face financially.

Bryan