Dorset Coast Express CANCELLED?

Reports suggest the DCE has been cancelled at Upwey following a brake problem with 4464. Reported arriving at Weymouth at around 17:55

James at SVN

 

Appears from reports on WRGEN and SWRGEN (thanks various) that they left Weymouth with Bittern leading and Tangmere banking and came to a stand outside Weymouth before getting away about 20 minutes later.. Then next report was Tangers leading back into Weymouth at around 1745 ish and brake problems reported with Bittern. Train reported as CAPED but no updates for some while so not sure what is happening - two locos and a set of stock to be got away from weymouth! DH

 

Latest update from Colin Stone on WRGEN (Ta Colin) Both locos to Yeovil and stock to be collected on Friday by WCR loco. To be confirmed DH

 

West Coast 37 headed west passed through West Byfleet at 20.19 - maybe on Thunderbird duty.

 

beat me to it - saw it at Woking at around half past going fast.

Glad I didn't book on this one as I had planned to.

 

What a shame. With the first two DCEs cancelled this incident must have come as quite a blow to all those involved in the train's running. With 4464's services also required on The Tamar Devonian tomorrow lets hope whatever's wrong can be fixed and the loco moved to Bristol in time.

 

Wasn't a lot of info on the train about the problems - but brakes were dragging out of Weymouth. Looked like they were pulling strings whilst stationary just beyond station throat. At scheduled stop in Dorchester South to detatch Tangmere, problems with one of Bittern's injectors meant it was failed, so to get us out of the way NR pathed train back to Weymouth. At Weymouth we sat around like boiling lemons whilst stewards advised of major problem with the A4, but as time passed and people started getting out firstly people for Woking were advised to get 18:02 SWT service train, their steam tickets would be honoured. That train left around 15 late. Then discovered that the DCE was going nowhere apart from Jersey Sidings once premier class had finished their dinners, most tried to get on the SWT 18:20. Counted in by station manager through one door, obviously a quota allowed since many others turned away.


Some good "chat" through Bincombe though! 3 times in one day.

 

Oh dear, doesn't make good reading that !

 

Mmmm shame that. Just wondering; was there any thought as to Tangmere taking the train back to London, or some of the way if coal was not loaded ?? All water under the bridge now i suppose

 

Only guessing but presumably it would have meant Tangmere going to YJ to be turned and serviced before ambling back to Weymouth ! You can only imagine the logistical nightmare that would have been, and no doubt the authorities deemed it far easier to just declare the tour dead !

 

I was thinking about this last night on my way home from 60163, and wondered if 34067 could've reversed the train back to Southampton unassisted. 34067 did it in 2009 (9th July, rather ironically), when a Class 37 caught fire on the turning movement. It wouldn't have been straight forward, but at least at Southampton, 34067 could run around, take water in the loop and head off via Andover...? However, if 34067 were to slip to a stand on Upwey or Parkstone while going tender first (and couldn't restart the train), who would come to 34067's rescue? Not that I'm doubting 34067's ability to climb hills...

James at SVN

 

But they'd already got to Dorchester. Maybe she couldn't get to the front of the train; tender first running at the front of the train had been done recently on other tours ( to Swanage) !! Definitely not criticizing here..the chaps on the scene were in better position than me.... Real shame that Bittern has come to grief, she's done a lot of excellent work over recent times

 

I had these thoughts too last night especially as already pointed out they'd got to Dorchester. There's plenty of free space on the Romsey Andover loop at that time, or there's the turning loop at the Eastleigh Works. I'm guessing it was the minimum risk option to go back to Weymouth, certainly the easiest.

 

All these thoughts would not be valid should the problem be a compatibility between loco/support coach and and the coaching stock at the London end. Not that I am claiming that, I have no idea, other than one railway message that was relayed to me by a friend said (words to the effect of ) caped due to brake issues T&RS ( traction and rolling stock)


This may explain why the logical step of 34067 running t/f and 4464 banking.was not pursued.

 

Nice idea. The sort of thing that could have been done in the 1960s. Even ignoring the fact there was Weymouth turntable etc back then. I guess locos could have been swapped at Dorchester by dint of some wierd train movements, (you had to reverse back into the up platform back then). i.e Bitterne drag the train well clear of the points back into the platform. Tangy off and and set back into the platform road. Bitterne shove the train back on the up road past the platform, Tangy out of the platform road and head along the up line for a bit. Bitterne off the train and forward, then back into the platform road. Tangy back onto the train and depart tender first. Bitterne then cut up or whatever else is done to a failed A4 when on the SR. Traffic frequency was sparse back in those days and I guess the local signalman could have allowed all that to happen under his watchful eye. Not even told anyone it was happening. Until afterwards when he would ring control and ask for a pathway from Southampton to Waterloo via Andover. Of which Control would have said, "Bu.ger that. We'll turn Tangy at Eastleigh".

But even I reckon it would that would be way too much to do at very short notice 50 years later. Especially with no track in the old platform road now!

 

....and a group of BSWs produced to entertain the passengers (not customers in those days) while all the loco swapping was going on!

But I suppose the real solution in the old days would have been to produce another loco from Weymouth shed!

 

Another things to consider, would 34067 have got the load up Parkstone tender first ?, they were never designed to pull big loads backwards and the sanders woulden't be useable if running in reverse either.

 

Wouldn't call that a logistical nightmare. Maybe the coaling was an issue but the biggest thing would have been allowing Tangmere the 3/4 hours to go to Yeovil for turning and servicing. I presume the train left at it's normal time (16:35) so back into Weymouth sometime after 17:00, therefore your looking at very best an 20:00 departure from Weymouth which would have meant alot of people missing connections etc on arrival back in London after midnight. Anyway, none of this mattered due to there being an issue with the brakes so unfortunately I think they had little choice in cancelling the return.

 

You have to bear in mind that these trains (Dorset Coast Expresses) are patronised mainly by the non-enthusiast community including families with young children. Faced with a choice of returning by service train at a reasonable hour or being 3 to 4 hours late getting back I can guess which one they'd choose. Disappointing but its a case of the lesser of two evils.

 

Watched if leave last night, and wondered what had gone wrong.

Bittern appeared to slip several times before the footplate crew coaxed her forward.

I might be able to post a short clip from my phone later on, once I have found the correct wires.