Diesels on steam tours

So you're telling me that your day was ruined by an event that potentially could have happened, but didn't? Is this some new form of quantum misery that you've invented?

 

No,I am saying that it is wrong to advertise a steam hauled train pay a premium price and get a train that could have diesel assistance at any time.
You try and find out weather there will be a diesel on the train in advance.You never get a satisfactory answer.
I tried to get my fare back on Friday when I found out there was a diesel on the return journey and was told that I could not get my money back.
I therefore reluctantly accepted the enevitable and went.
I won't be booking with them again.

 

Clan Line was well within its capabilities when it hit the foot of Parkstone Bank , listening to the recording I would have expected it to be working harder considering the weight of the train. There was no noise at all from the 66 and the fella in the cab looked like he was reading a magazine. Still could have been worse, you could have had Bill Andrews driving, 30mph at Shap with 6233!! zzzz
Just to show things have improved re Diesels on the back, the return to steam out of Weymouth
with Taw Valley back in 1990 something, was an awful run, the 47 was flat out all the way to Southampton, you didnt hear the exhaust once, so listening to Clan Line yesterday it sounded like a superb trip.

 

Normally because they don't actually know until a week in advance (sometimes not even then). So you're stuffed either way...

Regards,

Dan

 

I presume the peasants were at the rear of the train then ? Should have paid to go 1st ! Then you would be saying what a wonderful performance yonder steam loco gave !

You paid to have a steam loco on the main line !

You had a steam loco on the main line !

Be thankfull for that !

Just think though ! You could have been on that silly Exeter Farce going up the hill with TOO MANY COACHES ! Even though the driver (cough) refused the diesel loco as it would have spoiled the pictures for the lineside froth who dont contribute ! The fact that the loco was also to have been the train heat !

In todays railway most places have become unit only so loco runrounds are hard work , terminal stations have had pointwork removed etc ! So carrying your shunt release loco with you is one option ! If your chosen TOC have some spare traincrew then the loco may meet the train at XYZ to perform the shunt .

Also as some charter trains are still VACUUM ONLY ! It pays to have a back up plan stuck on the rear incase !

Also having the diesel on the rear REDUCES THE COSTS ! & Extra paths & planning etc.

 

For goodness sake ralph calm down, Bill is a gentlemen and a gentleman driver, steady is the way he drives.

 

there is nothing worng with it, if any thing it puts less waer and tear on the steam eninge and it means the engine isnt blocking up the Rail Network, aslong the deisel is backing there is no porblem, IM ALL FOR the steam engine doing all the work its an amazing site but with todays trains going 125 mph, the steam engine can't compete with that,

 

this is what can happen with out a backing Deisel

 

No.

In that case it would have been fine if the left hand and the right hand had been talking and the train had been held where it should have been and not there, where it had trouble starting

 

yeah but still, i love steam don't get me worng but at the end of the a Steam Engine getting stuck on the main line is a pain in the butt for every one useing the Line At the time, and the costs of the line being block, well would of been nasty, but if a backing desiel had of been there would of still helped.

At the End of the day, having a Desiel backing on Steam Tours, is better for the Steam engine, its self less waer and tear on the locos, less Stops for water, becuse the engine doesnt have to work as hard, Faster so it can be on the main line and not clog up the system, over all better, just make sure that the desiel is backing never at the front with the Steam Engine, so it looks Good when taking Pics lol. In Bad waether the desiel can help out more, so the steam engine doesnt get stuck or again block the line,

Its better over all and cheaper for the orgainsers, becuse they dont have to pay to be on the main line as long, less rise of breaking down, and at the end of the days, its better for the customers,

 

And I, for one, am quite happy with that.

I get a little concerned with constant claims for "the fastest .....", interesting though they are. Not every trip can be a record breaker. The challenge is surely to arrive safely within the time allotted, hopefully without the need for assistance?

Chris

 

Hear Hear.

If the diesel is attached its for a reason, and that reason is so the train can run. If it has to push then hopefully it is known that it is going to push at x point. If it doesn't push then its more interesting for the sound coming out of the steam loco.

I don't care if we have a diesel. As long as the tour can run and the diesel doesn't push I'm happy.

 

ture ture

 

Dude, I hope you play Guitar better than you spell! Or do I just need a translation? :-k

 

SORRY, no need to go like that, do you do this to everyone that makes a spelling mistake,

 

Nah was meant as a joke. Thought maybe it was some NE slang I didnt understand.

 

Oh sorry, fair enough, i do try, lol sorry for having a pop at ya like that