TORBAY EXPRESS 2011 Season

Who gets the say on whether the diesel is inside or out ???????? or on the back for that matter ??

 

In which case the box was a blessing in the end, and prevented a failed train! Leaving Paignton on the sharp up-grade there was no sign of the 47 doing any work

 

some video from today of 71000 at newton abbot on way down at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=keyhamtrain#p/u/0/th70j8NZIaI photos from today at http://keyhamtrain.weebly.com/5-6-11.html

 

Message from SWRG:

Duke of Firestarter (kids eh?) depart Taunton 19:28 (9 early) under own power with 47.815 tucked inside. <BJ>

 

Pictures in news section of www.tauntontrains.co.uk show 71000 taking water at Taunton and she looks in good shape, no obvious sign of lots of activity other than normal for water stop but only 3 photos there DH

 

You can see the stop at Newton Abbot in Keyham Train's video. Its a pretty sharp pull up - you can see the 47 wobble with the force! Perhaps this is due to the air braking problem?

 

The unexplained stops at Whiteball and Newton Abbot on the outward run certainly point to an air brake problem or TPWS.
Do we know of any similar incidents on the return run to Bristol? <BJ>

 

Don't think they would put the box at the back except in an emergency.
If it's doing most of the work, (as it was yesterday), but at the back, it's pushing the rest of the train;
possibility of derailment or worst case scenario tipping coaches, particularly on a curve.

To be honest I assumed that's why the box was on the front yesterday.
If it was inside it would have been pushing the king, and (again worst case scenario)
could have caused similar problems, although I guess much less likely in this latter case.
I suppose the other reason for putting the box on the front is to save time.
Uncoupling the king, moving her out of the way, coupling up the box then putting the king back on
all in mid journey would not have been a very practical option

 

Just back off what was (another) cracking day out on the Torbay despite the dull weather. First of all, well done to DBS for providing a 'heritage' 47 year old (class 47) diesel (and the BR green one at that named 'Great Western'). They could easily have dropped a 67 on there. No problems with NR's decision following the problems of yesterday - no way of knowing where today's showers would fall. And given the fact it was raining at Bristol, it was decided to run with the diesel shut down unless needed further on, which again showed common sense and some thought for the situation - so 71000 stormed away with load 13 1/2 equivalent (472 tons) and a silent D1748 - great decision making from DBS and NR. As it happens, having D1748 in the consist proved admirable foresight as unfortunately 71000 suffered an air pipe problem which dumped the brake pipe a mile or so short of Whiteball. The 47 was fired up and created air, and helped get the train on the move at a difficult spot on the bank. We were then put in Tiverton up loop for further examination and to let an HST pass. All went ok until passing through Newton Abbot when 71000 lost air again and came to a stand - the 47 was then presumably used to maintain the train pipe pressure with the DBS driver off 71000 (Fred Lewis I think) manning the 47 through to Kingswear from Paignton. Apparently the problem couldn't be fixed on 71000 so on the return the air compressor was isolated (presumably where the fault was) and the 47 run up and used to create air. At no time did the DBS crew on the 47 provide any assistance as far as I know (apart from getting away on Wellington bank on the outward journey) and a fabulous performance ensued coming back. Unassisted up Torre bank with 472 tons. Exeter-Taunton start-stop in something like 31 minutes, 52mph min at Whiteball. So - a wonderful day out. Very enjoyable and thanks to D1748 tucked inside, a ruined day out was averted. If it hadn't have been there it is very likely we would have sat on Wellington bank for several hours awaiting assistance from wherever, blocking the main line west.....

Peter

 

A bit wide of the mark here - There is absolutely no problem with the the traction being at the back and propelling the train - indeed the powered axles on many trains are often in the middle or rear (eg Class 91s on the East Coast Main Line). The bit about the possibility of derailment/tipping the coaches etc is all a myth ! What *IS* an issue is where the driver is ! If, as yesterday, the diesel is expected to provide most of the propulsion, then the driver (of the diesel) must be at the front. If the steam engine was providing the power and the diesel was only providing occasional assistance in exceptional circumstances, then the diesel can go inside, or possibly even at the rear.

 

Gobsmacked!
Its not as if trains have never been "pushed" from the rear...

 

removed

 

Oh dear. Better contact German Railways very quickly. Many, many years of running trains at up to 100 mph, with various non steam motive power at the back pushing. (Wink!).

Indeed didn't, (maybe still do unless they are ICE units now), the Hamburg-Koln hourly service trains run as push pulls? Electric thing at the back or front. 12 cars or more and 125 mph running for a lot of the time.

 

Model trains sometines derail if being propelled over bad trackwork and if coupling height and types differ, but not the real thing! The issue is that trains intended to be push-pull worked have a driving cab at the front even with the loco at the back - as Bryan says, standard procedure across the Channel, not just in Germany but France, Belgium, Italy (where the most numerous class of electric locos have a cab at just one end!). If the loco on the back is providing the power, then something has to be manned on the front - but even then the front lcoo always controls the brake, and either whistle codes or these days radios can also be used to control power allocation!

(BTW, the fact that European Railways have been willing to convert or construct driving trailers thus enabling older stock to continue in use is one of the reasons their costs are so much lower in the UK - many countries continue to use stock the age of air-braked Mark 2 and much older in large scale use, enabling much longer local trains to be operated by cascading equipment and getting a decent life out of it - these trains "owe nothing" to the operators! In the UK, for many years despite the lack of money available to the railways, throwing away stock that has "gone out of fashion" and buying newly, shorter trains has been the way we do things!)

Steven

 

Virgin were very bad for this when they ran the cross country trains, done away with perfectly good HST's & loco hauled MK2 stock & replaced them with glorified DMU's which are claustrophobic, cramped, no luggage space, no capacity as most only run as 4 or 5 car formations & last but not least, stink of toilets!

 

This is a good vid. Nice to see '7800' in there. Super paint job!! Good marketing move not reverting back to 7827. Could help draw in a few interested punters.
Great to see DoG climbing Torre dragging a ticking-over 47!

 

Where's the vid Stu plse?

 

Tut. Having a spare day. sent someone an email earlier and forgot the attachment!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLH7mpEknkk