Cath Ex, London to Carlisle, 23 April 2013 - cancelled

Steam Dreams web site is now showing this as cancelled due to the problems with 60163 yesterday.
http://www.steamdreams.co.uk/executables/GT410WebContent.exe?ActionCode=Timings

 

Any idea/news if they will still run the trip advertised on Thurs? Thanks.

 

Unlike some, at least they didn't try carry on running it with a box. Cue ACE.

 

This must rank as one of the worst starts to a mainline steam season for many years. just look at the number of loco changes that have had to be made to the Great Britain VI. Normally if a loco becomes unavailable for whatever reason there's another one waiting in the wings to take the job on.
But due to the number of loco's suffering mishaps or needing urgent remedial work, maybe this has shown that despite some people saying that we have an abundance of mainline registered loco's maybe there is a real shortage of loco's to take on the work load.
I feel sorry for the owners, support crews and engineers who work tirelessly to keep steam alive on the big railway.

 

Agreed, I wonder if there's some politics playing out behind the scenes, or if it really is becoming too much, for too few, is too difficult to source parts, that are too old for the industry to handle ?

 

I feel sorry for Steam Dreams who are set to suffer yet again, both financially and from a customer confidence perspective. Last year it was the DBS driver dispute and now it is Tornado which seems to be having problems.

Roll on when all of the big 'uns are restored back to health, such as 71000, 70013, 70000, 5029 and 4472. And by the way, what the heck is happening with Braunton and 6023? The situation with these two is becoming a big joke for us onlookers.

 

I guess were waiting on 4079, 5029, 6023, 6024, 7029, 34046, 34092, 35027, 44767, 45231, 5690, 6100, 6201, 46233, 4472, 70000, 70013, 71000 some of which have been "coming this year" for several years, others such as 4953, 45305 and 60007 are off the mainline (not fully sure of 45305 but isn't it on summer vacation at KWVR).

 

I was discussing with a mate yesterday, before 60163's failure, how many locos are currently available for mainline use? By that I mean in a fit state to be lit up and work a train tomorrow. 44871, 45407, 34067, 61994, 62005, 5043, 4936, 4965, 9600, 7752, 35028, 60009, 777, possibly 48151. Out of a possible 14 locos, only four are 75mph class 7 or 8, way below what is needed for the programmes tour operators are planning.

 

Braunton is still having a mobile phone on top of a shoebox fitted (yet more flaming gubbins). 6023 is still running in, currently failed with a collapsed brick arch. If they have fit more clutter on locomotives, they will be a mobile Microsoft factory.

 

And we still await (with dread) the advent of ERTMS. The way things are going it wont be only Vintage Trains that run with a GUV behind the loco to cut out water stops, all steam tours will need one to carry the computerised electronic gubbins needed to run a train of any sort on the big railway.

 

I think ERTMS equipment is likely to get a big reduction in physical size before it's rolled out nationwide, not just steam engineers who are thinking "where the hell can we fit that lot ?".

 

I agree about this being one of the most rough starts. Steam Dreams, they only have shall have Bittern and Clan Line(if she can sub some) Hopefully 60019 shall be ready soon because w/o Tornado and Britannia at the moment it causes disruption to the tour schedule.

 

At the rate its going she will need a full overhaul before she ever gets onto the mainline.

 

Which one Braunton, 6023 or both ?

I personally think the mainline steam scene is in danger of getting a bit stale, with the same staple diet for 3 years now (and only 60009 coming back, with others leaving).
I assume this is the effects of the economy starting to bite.

There was a report somewhere suggesting Locomotive Services (and others) were going to start increasing their hire fees (towards £10k and even £15k) per steaming...arguing it needs to pay its own way, and without the locomotive there is no show...

I wonder if politics is part of the maintenance regime at the start of 2013.

 

Could you offer a reasonable explanation why steam locomotives on the mainline should be exempt from having the same 'clutter' that everything else has fitted?

 

I didn't say that.

 

I am seriously concerned (again) about the reliability of the steam tour market. At one time we were going to book the 20th April or the 23rd trips with Tornado as my birthday treat, but (fortunately as it turns out) we didn't for various reasons. If my missus had been on the Holyhead trip, sat stationary for three hours and then got home in the wee small hours that would have been it - no more tours - full stop.

We normally preferentially book Tornado on the basis that (a) I'm a covenantor and (b) she should be reliable which helps persuade the missus. Now however that bubble has burst, as even with dual air pumps we have seen two brake failures this year and also an overheated crosshead. The former may not be a pump problem, we shall wait and see, and the other was straight after winter maintenance. This does beg the question as to whether loco's are coming back onto the mainline without accumulating enough running-in mileage under their belts. So what's the answer? Not many years ago if someone had said every steam tour should lug a box around as insurance I would have been up in arms and refused to book, now I'm beginning to see it as inevitable and even desirable as I have no wish to be caught up in the sort of failure shenanigans we've seen recently, whatever the loco. I guess NR will be having similar thoughts.

 

Both, although to be fair 6023 has never got beyond the heritage line running in phases with no dates given or tours advertised. Braunton on the other hand has now been at Bury for nearly 18 months. It was suggested that she was up there for the air braking to be completed and commissioned, the driving wheels to be retyred and main line certification to be completed, I assume they must have uncovered some nasties for it to have taken this long as Bury have turned round five's complete overhauls in about a third of that time.

Interesting that you mention Locomotive Services as they seem to be sffering repeated delays as Royal Scot has been at Crewe for even longer?