The Devonian - 4th June

Note from another forum says 57601 to pilot train on return!

 

Does this mean the Torbay will also have a diesel piloting tomorrow?

 

There is a fair bit of rain forecast overnight and tomorrow so the Torbay may be ok.

 

WV has brought this up here.
http://railways.national-preservation.com/showthread.php/27211-TORBAY-EXPRESS-2011-Season/page3
Post #25 onwards.

 

Probably the same as today, wait until all the PAYING customers are on board & then stick a box on front.

 

We shall see I guess, I don't get much luck with the Torbay's of late! Only on 1 this year - tomorrows! After that its the bargain Weymouth trips for me every Sunday!

 

Here we go again....so setting fire to half of Somerset is OK as long as the punters get steam hauled? Its piloted by 57601 because of a fire risk.Simple.Its a shame and yes, I would have been dissapointed if I were traveling.No question.But do you want miles of signal cable melted or crops destroyed or delay costs to other TOCs presented to RYTC?

Spare a thought for the support crew who have been hard at work preparing the loco for a run to Plymouth since Friday morning and don't get to see 6024 doing what she does best...storming the Devon Banks.

 

Not wishing to prolong this argument but the "punters" expect to get what they paid for. If this is not possible then the trip should not run. We know what it's like this time of year.
Again it has been mentioned on the radio that it's been the driest/hottest spring since records began (16xx or something?). Also we have had only around 45% of the normal rainfall for the same period.
Nobody's blaming the support crew.

 

Still don't know if the diesel is piloting or inside, but up Dainton about 15 early!

 

The diesel is piloting. At the bottom Hemerdon when it passed me the King was doing nothing but further up was heard to be working.

 

Looks like there is a fire risk inside this thread.

Although disappointing for passengers I do think its difficult to a cancel at this late stage and also predict this early in the year we would have such high fire risks. If the companies promoting tours only did tours late Feb, March, April, early May, late September, October, November and December I don't think many would survive its whats already a difficult market.

I don't claim to be a expert but over the last three years what percentage of tours have been cancelled or had boxes attached to pilot?

 

Ban steam in June, July & August and we would then have the wettest summer on record!!

 

Sorry Ralph but if this isnt a case that cannot be argued against then I dont know what is.Right or wrong Network Rail decreed that the train should be diesel hauled due to fires.They cant think"oh all those steam fans will have to have a diesel on the front".
The other threads were mainly about diesels when needed for operational reasons.Different argument.

Just making my point as usual.

 

The Devonian - 04/06/11

Hi
6024 King Edward 1st was behind a class 57 for most of this trip. Can anyone confirm that the train was an hour early on the return trip to Bristol, that 6024 had start 2 lineside fires and whether 6024 was not in steam on the way back?

Dave

 

Re: The Devonian - 04/06/11

Best you read the thread already going at http://railways.national-preservation.com/showthread.php/31214-The-Devonian-4th-June

 

Does anyone know why 6024 carried on to Plymouth with the tour when it wasn't been worked? Such a shame!

 

Having just got home from the trip I want to go on record about today’s events.

6024 set off from Bristol this morning with a load of 9 coaches. It appears we started two fires, one just before Flax Bourton tunnel and the other just after Yatton loop. This is very curious but having seen the locations of the fires I can’t believe the cause was anything other than our train. It is exceedingly curious because 6024 has left Bristol on this route numerous times on the ‘Torbay Express’ and with a load in recent years of an extra 2 coaches - more than 70 tons extra. The locomotive was not unduly pressed, I noted this at the time. The speed of around 60 mph into Flax Bourton tunnel is typical of TE trains with the heavier load. Over the top speed increased rapidly, but with a 1 in 200 helpful gradient no surprise. By Yatton the helpful gradients have already ended and indeed speed was falling as we passed Yatton station, a sign that 6024 was not being unduely pressed.

Also I should note that unlike some parts of the country Bristol has had plenty of rain over the last few weeks, on Monday it rained pretty much all day. Compared to some of the TE runs in the past in the vegetation is green, I suppose the strong wind is very drying.

So what happened is very surprising. As a paying passenger it was hugely disappointing however given that 6024 was not working hard and had set two fires the idea of going up Whiteball and the Devon banks was clearly a non starter. NR had no option but to insist on Diesel assistance.