Paignton & Dartmouth rly

Good day on the line today, The Manor require help from D7535, with 13 carriages on the 10.30 off Paignton.

 

I have yet to visit this railway, but am intrigued by how different it is to other lines.

Did I read correctly, that the railway has 3 operational steam locomotives, and in summer runs a two in steam daily service, on a fleet of 3 ?
Do these qualify as some of the most worked locomotives in the country ?

Going to try to make an effort to visit this summer.

 

AFAIK, that's about it. Put aside the purist view of liveries, etc and this railway is impressive, IMHO. I visit it every year and am always impressed Watch them running round; it is so slick (but ignore any H&S 'you can't do that' thoughts). Ten minute turn round in peak season and the crew still seem to have time for a cuppa or take water. Their carriage cleaning routine at Paignton is well worth watching, as well. I wish the NYMR was as slick; although we don't do too badly with twenty minutes!

 

Not an employee myself, but I think I have the following right:
The 3 locos in ticket now are GWR 2-8-0Ts No.5239 & 4277, and BR 4-6-0 No 7827 Lydham Manor (currently in lined black carrying 'Torquay Manor' plates and No 7800) BR Standard 5 No. 75014 is undergoing heavy general (boiler at Crewe, bottom end in Churston shop) 2 other Steam locos, not in operation or in overhaul queue are 4555 and 4588 (4588 is/was? up for sale) Pannier 6435 was sold to the B&WR a couple of years ago.
They also have Class 25 D7535, Class 08 D3014 and Class 03 D2192

As you say, locos are worked hard, 2 in steam in high summer, and more often in the last few years 13 coaches on peak trains in the single-train (early summer season) timetable, which with the fearsome climbs in both directions up to Churston, sometimes require the 25 to assist as 7827(7800) did today.

 

when is the next change over due? i bet i wish miss 7800/7827 as i will be on Torbay express on the 26th

 

The next changover should be early next week, so i'm afraid you will miss the manor. Yes we do only run our services with 3 engines, as Stu said the next one to be out off overhaul will be 75014 Braveheart.

The 25 has to be added on any train over 11 coaches as we can't run around at kingswear otherwise.

 

Whose boiler is it that is lying in Churston yard near to 4588 ?

 

a spare 45xx thats has never been used

 

Thanks for the info, I have often wondered whose it was, and just for James Ipswich



It looks a little green but its just the reflection from the station buildings.

 

thanks for the pic mike, does look good. i am sure i will see it in the flesh before the season is out. where does 4555 come in the list of getting an overhaul? or is it a long long way down the line as i imagine these days the loads on the railway are just to heavy for it.

 

Not quite correct I think you'll find it has spent time on one of the 45's, three boilers, two loco' - made a lot of sense. Lost track of things back in the early 1990's when the two lines parted ways and at the time 4588 was owned by the DRVA. Deal later done that saw 1420 and autos go to the newly formed SDR and 4588 remain on the PDR under DVR ownership.

 

I stand corrected then!! Thought it had never been used. God only knows which boiler it "actually" is then! And 4555 is a very long way down the line, it's just not man enough for trains over 8 or 9 coaches

 

What's the history of 4555 and 4588, as there is no mention of them on your website. Didn't one of them work the PDSR first ever train in preservation?

 

i dont really know much off their preservation history to be honest, they've both been out off use for a long time before i started. ganger will probably be able to shed some light on it

 

Yes, 4588 worked the inaugral trains on 31st dec 1972 (complete with bunting wrapped around the harndrails!) The train consisted of 3 auto trailers brought over from buckfastleigh.
Technically speaking though, the first steam on the line in preservation was 4555 on a test train on 30th July 1972. It was hauled over from Totnes by a Western diesel-hydraulic along with a victorian Clelestory sallon and GWR saloon 'King George'
1972 also saw 4472 visit the line, so it was an eventful year. 39 years on, and the railway is still going strong!

 

Pretty much spot on, although it was 73 that the Flying Haggis made its first appearance on the Kingswear line, returning again in 93.

4588 was generally a "Torbay" engine, having as Stu said, worked the first trains on 31/12/72. It did make a few odd appearances on the Buckfastleigh line after it first returned from restoration at Swindon works, and again later in the mid 80's after overhaul in the workshops at Buckfastleigh. 55 was on the other hand more often seen and associated with the now SDR, having worked the re-opening train in 69, although it did make some appearances on the Torbay in the early years. After overhaul the loco ran on the Buckfastleigh to Totnes line until transfer to Paignton in the mid to late 80's.

When the DVR decided to rid itself of the Buckfastleigh line, 4588 was going to be returned to its then owners, the Dart valley Railway Association. At the time the "original" boiler it had when first preserved was the spare, and it was planned I believe for the loco to return to the DVRA with this, however a deal was struck for 1420 and auto's to go the SDR's way in exchange for 4588. At around this time 88 had another boiler change and the bottom end became out of sink with the boiler in respect of general overhaul/repair and for some towards the late 90's 88 was really quite the weaker of the two (55 has always been the stronger anyway). On one memorable day I had load 9 with 88 after dining coaches were added to the normal Sunday set. Was asked to take another, but load 10 was too much in my opinion - something that proved correct as we seemed to walk up Goodrington bank the loco swaying from side to side in that typical prairie style, loads of noise, but slow progress. On the other hand I have fired 55 with load 9 plus three vans from a standing start at Britannia (1 in 80) and found it a pleasure.

All three 45xxboilers have seen use at one time or another.

If in good order both the loco's, 55 in particular, would be ok for all but the heaviest of trains. I have no doubt 55 would be ok on load 10, but if worked regularly like that then of course it would need an intermediate overhaul rather than go a full ten years, as it would be worked hard on a daily basis. Fine loco's and I have many happy memories of working on both (passed for firing on 4555), plus being behind getting 4588 painted into BR lined green in the early 1990's.....would have looked good paired with a black manor!

 

What loco was the spare boiler from originally ?

 

Not sure, although a trawl through a few old mags may provide a clue. Woodhams did scrap a few 45xx in the early 60's so it is slightly possible that it could have come from one of these, although they all went for the chop early on, so may not be the case. The DSR may have some identity/boiler number.

 

Here is a bit of nostalgia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uaNf7XK6qs Just look at how things have come on at Churston. and that lovely signal box at Sands Road is sadly no more.

 

what running at the moment 4277 or 5239?