The Cotswold Venturer 22nd Oct

I see the Cotswold Line Promotion Group website (http://www.clpg.co.uk/) are reporting this tour as cancelled due to gauging issues with the King (again). Another disappointment for the passengers & the 6024 crew if this is true.

About time Notwork Fail got their act together.

 

Letter received from 6024PSL today confirming this. " Out of gauge at large number of locations". Loco remeasured by society. Network Rail required loco to be laser measured by a certified firm. Height is not an issue, but " its width and the from buffer beam arc, when traversing curves is a problem, due to N.R. having slewed track to platform gaps, especially on curves."

 

The letter also stated " It is hoped that we can obtain a list of routes where the locomotive does not have gauging issues, so that future rail tours can be planned with more confidence(albeit still subject to engineering alterations to the rail infrastructure in the future) .

 

Ive been wondering the same thing Ralph, could the likes of WCRC & Riveira complain they are losing revenue due to these restrictions on what motive power they can use and where, when in theory the Network is open to all ?, Charters TOC's they may be, but they have just as much right to run as anyone else and as i see it Network Rail is putting an illegal restriction on their trade by not maintaining the Network to already established clearences.

If they want to lessen the gap between trains and platforms, hows this for an idea - order your TOC's to put wider steps on their rolling stock instead of blasting away millions slewing track all over the country.

 

Hold on, you are talking Common Sense here! Notwork Fail do not use common Sense or look for the most cost effective and simple solutions.

 

To be fair in that case, the Southern has never historically been the most gauge friendly region to loco's from other area's, so you could argue that it's always been like that rather than something of Network Rails doing, a King not fitting the former Western Region however is a different matter...

 

Rather than gauging issues could it be possible that the logistics of this train may have caused a few headaches. Ie the ability to turn a train around at Leamington? It would have to have a diesel on the back all the way from Worcester as there is nowhere at Leamington to hold a diesel and attach to the rear of the train.

 

This is not a problem that is down to network rail it was happening on BR as well.
The Marches route was all bridge slacks for ex GW locos then, with the Marylebone Stratford services 46229 scraped a bridge somewhere near to Marylebone but when 47 hit the same bridge it all seemed to be sorted very quickly.
Now it would seem the same is happening again.
Is it down to poor workmanship? it all should be much easier with all the modern aids.
Will not network rail have to be more diligent about clearances if freight from the continent comes through the tunnel?
Is this stock slightly larger than our own.
Perhaps someone else here will know the answer to that.


Cheers Dave

 

There is no problem running around at Leamington - it has been done before.

David

 

Might I ask when? And also how? Bare in mind also Leamington has been resignalled in recent years.

 

Hi All,

Sad news. Just checked up on UKsteam info about this tour on Saturday and this suggests that the tour is cancelled due to 'gauging issues'. A shame - I was looking forward to photographing that one. Still, better than any safety valves getting knocked off or platforms getting damaged!
Read it for yourself here: http://www.uksteam.info/tours/trs11.htm#oct

 

Blimey RADSV where have you been? most of this thread is about being "out of gauge" :\