Steam Dreams 2013 & 2014 Archive

It would be good to hear whether it's still SD's intention to assemble their own dedicated rake however. If they are sticking with the policy of providing an "enhanced" on board experience, the coaching stock issue should be high on their "to do" list. As other members have pointed out, the stock they've used via DBS has been far from acceptable on some tours, and I don't recall reading many glowing reports of West Coast's rolling stock either !

 

hasnt the green train had a recent overhaul though? thing is, if SD buy their own rake, who will look after it, most likily West Coast, or DBS, as mk1/2 coaches are not run by an of the main toc's , i would expect the green train will once again be earmarked for SD, so why buy your own, if you don't need to?
I think the original idea was to use West Coast and it was only when the problem of using an non approoved contractor that prevented Tornado being used by WC, did SD move to DBS.
But looking to the future, with the possible option of 34046,34072,35027/18/09 in the future i think its been a good move, i expect that we will see 35018 out at the head of an SD tour with in 2 years

 

Interesting development. SD stopped using WCRC because they couldn't operate 60163 and they were also not happy with the service they were getting with WCRC; a few incidents with unreliable diesels and less than satisfactory coaching stock persuaded Steam Dreams to use DBS instead. We still won't be travelling with them next year as the price for PS is too much for us now even with the Members club discount. This is something else that has annoyed us with SD. They put the price of membership up this year and promised extra benefits of being a member but these extras have yet to appear.

 

Does the Green Train still exist as a set ?, I thought most of it had been repainted, reformed into different sets or both ?.

Still makes sense for SD to have their own set as they get first call on it, if WCRC have more work, there's less shortage of spare stock on busy days if another rake is added to the mix.

 

Yes I agree with that.Priced out of my market .

Though I am not hard up I am not going to pay their prices. Shame as that is where it all started .

No doubt I have been banned now anyway

Don

 

You sure? Taking 12 over Shap, from a standing start at Tebay might be interesting...

 

It was more than convient the way in which the tender for SD's work was won by DBS who also can run Tornado. The whole set up was brilliant as everyone won. SD got their trains, DBS got a contract and Tornado got booked work. An awful lot of SD trains were then booked out for Tornado to haul, no doubt because of the public froth and circus that still follows the engine around, though not as much as now. Even Mr Bunker could be satisfied having got everyone something.

Dont get me wrong, I dont see anything wrong as the arrangements were all put in place properley and selected but now such a tidy arrangement appears to have gone awry. Its a shame that SD now needs such a change, you get the impression that this could be a stop gap with them getting their own stock - would it be such a bad idea for a safety case of their own or for the A1ST, to suddenly appear? It would certainly be a novel way to run the sector.

Tornado is a brilliant machine, yet it has had set backs and in some ways continues to. It will be interesting to see how Tornado does move forward from here, but from the WCRC postion the bad news for the A1ST is that they dont need Tornado. WCRC operated tours for the likes of The Railway Touring company, Vintage Trains, etc all see a steam engine on front, trains fully booked and the public happy. Only a small percentage of the travelling public are enthuiasts and most dont mind that the engine isnt Tornado. Hiring in Tornado would mean an extra cost for the train, one that WCRC can avoid by using an engine of its own, or one with which they have a long standing hire agreement. With costs of maintainance, and a lack of bookings Tornado might be glad that covernentors are still paying for the group...

 

With the costs and paperwork involved with running a safety case/TOC, I can't see how SD could possibly fund that without substantial extra investment, DBS is a multi million pound freight company, and WCRC has multiple operations to justify the huge expense, plus I believe some involved have a few quid, the NYMR case is much watered down for their circumstances so can't be compared.

Apart from possibly Jeremy Hosking, I doubt there's a tour promoter or loco owner who could shoulder such expenses and the resources it requires.

Best idea for all in my opinion, would be for the A1 lot and WCRC to settle their differences.

 

35028, 13 cars plus a non working diesel, (I was at the back of the rear coach so know that for sure), started from a signal stop in Westbury station and climbed Upton Scudamore bank fine. Just one slip.

Train weight approximately 585 tons gross. Equivalent of close to a 16 car train.

There was a strong wind blowing and it was lashing down with rain. Or rather the rain was lashing the side of the train during the climb.

Wayne Thompson driving, Brian Butcher firing.

November 2009.

 

So what is this issue that means WCR wont use Tornado?

 

Bloody good trip that. I joined at Bath on the return, and stood at the front of the second coach for the climb up Upton Scudamore. She sounded fantastic!

 

If I remember correctly my readings of Bert Hooker and his travels one of the trips during the Loco Exchanges in 1948 with a MN was stopped at Tebay (or thereabouts) and got away with a few problems admittedly and made it over Shap OK. Must try and find the book later to verify that DH

 

I read the book last year and my recollection was it was a light pacific (!) The LM crew were going to send for a banker, when the southern representatives asked if they could try to restart first and made a pretty good fist of the rest of the climb.

 

I reckon the Tornado issue will soon be resolved too.

 

For different reasons I think this is the correct move.

Look at how this year's Cathedrals Explorer went. 35028 days 1 &2, 60009 second segment on day 2, 60009 replacing 60163. 60009 did all the rest of the mainline work Breaking down on the Final Day between Malton and King Cross?

I hope things go better with this change that they have made.

 

In simple terms the A1 group used a contractor to undertake work and the contractor wasn't approved by WCRC; since any locomotive operated by WCRC needs to be maintained to a specific standard that lack of approval meant that WCRC could / would not operate the locomotive under its Safety Case. As I understand the situation - which happenned some time ago - there was no animosity over the matter but simply an acknowledgement that at that time WCRC were unable to operate the loco under its Safety Case and it's now for negotiations between the two parties to see how that situation can be changed.

 

Right, thank you for that.

Found this on the Tornado Web Site

http://www.a1steam.com/index.php?op...anges-to-tornados-2011-tours-diary&Itemid=124

Would be nice to see WCR's side of the story for fairness and completeness.

 

From what I remember on the forum and the like at the time it was more about politics and personalities and that trust was not present between the two sides. Both have been successful to a degree over the intervening period. Tornado continues to run well, but has the odd hiccup. The same can be said for WCR. Not perfect but it does run a lot of trains trouble free.

Perhaps in time this will happen, but perhaps we don't know all the story. I doubt any comments here will make much difference!

Lets hope the SD move does work and that sufficient good quality coaching stock is available and a more reliable pattern emerges. It's only the last period that it seems to have gone haywire and SD recovered well after the FM fiasco.

SG

 

Same non approved contractor has done work on another recently approved loco that returned to the mainline and used by WCRC, so maybe not much of an issue.

A1ST's take on it gives a clue..

 

One of the big issues with WCRC coaches for me as a regular traveller is the lack of steam heating capabilities. Their train heating solution for the winter - usually from 1st December until March is one of their beloved Class 47s running on notch 1 on the back. Just like this summer ....