The Steam Ban around York

looks like Coast to Coast deleted from RTC booking form on 13th Sep, though 5th Sep Scarborough Flyer still showing

 

Couldn't have been a very profitable year this year for them, that run the weekly trips at end of season, as most would have known not running steam so wouldn't bother to go to Scarborough Station or book in advance.

 

In the latest Heritage Railway mag.
There is a comment in the news pages that I wonder if it is related at all to the dictats of Mr Verster.
Apparently in future A4s, Duchesses, Royal Scots etc will be banned from the Standedge and Calder Valley routes due to Gauging issues.
It seems smaller locos like Black 5s etc should be ok for the moment.

Now is this something that has been known about?
Is it to do with the future electrification of the TPE route?

Or something else.

 

Nearly 20 years ago I was on a trip behind Princess Margaret Rose. It was not steaming well and at Blackburn the Inspector authorised the removal of the spark arrester because "the country north of here is sodding wet through". An excellent example of delegation (siezed if not given) I thought.

 

Chances are that it is a gauging issue casued by engineering work. Needing the track to be run over by a test train to confirm the guage and then allow the bigger engines through. Bit like the A4s at Carlisle all over again.

Fact is that during summer York is the busiest place for steam on the mainline, but also one of the bottlenecks on the ECML in terms of punctuality. While a remodel of the approach has done some work to ease this its not fixed. Steam trains with dwell times that are longer, that have slower acceleration take up space and paths that do run alongside the busy railway today. As soon as the delay starts due to a minor delay all it needs is one path missed and the whole system gets difficulties. Should the tour be the cause (not saying that it always is) then evetually Network Rail pays the bills once the cap is breached. While other regions do this, York would pay more, due to much more steam running there.

This also explains the long duration of the steam ban last year. Really, an excuse was needed to reinstate it again this year and Olton Hall was just that.

If delay payments are th cause of this, then perhaps a national ammount of funds are needed and it sent out on a ratio to where more tours run. York would get more, meaning he can relax his rules and everyone else would be mindful to make sure effiency all round is ensured. Seems to me its faults on both sides, but thats how I read it, and the solution doesnt seem too difficult.

Of course, I could be talking Balls too.

 

No they dont usually get what they deserve, but (believe me) they do get taken on one side and carpeted by ministers if they cause this much of a furore. Trouble is, all the politicos are "on holiday".

 

If you are referring to Network Rail managers they are not employed by the civil service, if I understand the governance structure correctly.
The days of executives taking responsibility, doing the right thing or being held to account seem to have long since vanished. It is by no means the preserve of the civil service or public sector in general but don't let that get in the way of yet more daily wailing.

 

As I understand the situation - as from September 1 Network Rail becomes responsible to the the Treasury for funding and is thereby considered as a "Government Department" and - as such - its employees are Civil Servants; whether it will become a sub-department within the DfT or remain as a separate department I am not certain of.

However the Railway Herald article suggests the the LNE Route Director is (currently) being supported by Head Office so it remains to be seen what response comes from the towns of York and Scarborough whose tourist trade has been hit by the ban as well as the efforts of Network rail to minimise the consequential damage between the company and the potential sources of support funding for local railway improvements.

 

all remaining Scarborough Flyers now cancelled

Hopefully The Tin Bath should run as it goes nowhere near York and does not run foul of the gauging issues over Standedge

Pennine Streak who knows?

Hate to think what is going to happen to all the December & Christmas specials by RTC that are heading for York

 

Its been a very bad year for tour operators,and passengers, all because of people on their high and mighty ( network rail managers),who should act like adults instead of acting like children,but instead of letting fires happen,they should be cutting back the things that cause it, namely vegetation.

 

That's a bit premature. Assuming the last two Waverleys are steam from Hellifield, there is now a month until the Tynesider on 27 Sept. Let's hope that's enough time for conversations to be had, representations made and differences reconciled. I shouldn't think the NRM is tremendously happy with the way things have turned out.

 

......with an unadvertised steam loco on the rear.

 

Its not really on the NRM's plate, although there is undoubtedly the potential loss of additional patronage from those getting off at York and visiting the museum instead of heading to Scarborough. As I have said on another thread, it will be interesting to see how this one pans out. York has gone from 'steam central' to 'steam desert' in three months flat. This sort of thing needs negotiation rather than venting of spleens, for should steam be 'allowed' back into the York area, there will always be the risk of NR local management looking for any excuse to ban steam if bad blood (if it is indeed what is behind the issue) is allowed to remain. Just remember that this could easily happen at Bristol or Crewe, and then we really would be up the creek without a tin of beans, for want of a better, but mildy comedic muddled metaphor.

 

Steam fans fuming after ban on seaside services follows line fire

"A spokesman for Network Rail said in a statement: “West Coast Railways has been suspended from running steam charters on the London North Eastern and East Midlands route which covers Yorkshire, since July 12. That was due to a line side fire caused by one of their services which was in breach of our steam operations protocol.

“We are awaiting a response from West Coast Railways about the corrective actions that will be put in place to avoid such a breach recurring. It should be a simple matter to provide clarity on the corrective action to be taken and the resolutions of this issue is easily achievable upon receiving such a response,” the spokesman added.

Chris

 

I am sure if that is the only problem then it should have been rectified ages ago
come on you guys at wcrc
kiss and make up!!!

 

The lineside word yesterday was of legal action against NR.
All sounds to have been pretty avoidable with common sense and good manners. As I stated before though once personalities clash and positions become entrenched making constructive progress gets ever more difficult. The only winners then are the lawyers.

 

Not happy to see East Midlands area mentioned as 46115 is due to go through that neck of the woods in November. Hope it's all sorted by then as I most certainly don't want a day out with a box. Not at £110 standard class anyway.

 

Not good news for those who have all their eggs in the WCRC basket. I wonder if DBS are in a position to make a move for steam excursion work in the affected areas.