End Of Southern Steam 9th July

Lets hope so. Perhaps they could run near the time of the October Great Gathering?

 

MORE RAILTOUR NEWS: Steam Dreams has confirmed that they were told at 1645 today that tomorrows Cathedral Express from London Waterloo to Swanage will also be diesel hauled due to the deteriorating condition of the line side. South West Network said to be already struggling with fires due to arcing and grinding.

 

From a Railway Herald thread "Steam Dreams has confirmed that they were told at 1645 today that tomorrows Cathedral Express from London Waterloo to Swanage will also be diesel hauled due to the deteriorating condition of the line side. South West Network said to be already struggling with fires due to arcing and grinding."

 

Ironically, of course, the best way to deal with lineside vegetation is to burn it off using steam engines and letting it burn...

 

Can't disagree with anything you say. Interesting that nothing appears under "cleared service disruptions" on the National Rail website to indicate what exactly SWT are "struggling" with. Can anyone else elaborate?

What I can't understand is how quickly this whole "fire risk" ban has happened this year. Its not like we are in a drought situation or have had a shortage of rain in the last few weeks. As a passenger on the Exeter trip I feel gutted for everyone who has to put up with tomorrow and indeed for SD.

 

... and then there is the worry about the track state caused by the 'intense' heat....it just goes on and on.

 

UKsteam.info also confirms Tornado is replaced by a diesel today.

 

I was on the Exeter trip also and feel very sorry for those on todays trip especially if there are some passengers who were also on the diesel hauled Exeter run. I also feel sorry for the stewards who have to report the news and hand out letters at Waterloo and Woking again. Richard Foster (Used to be involved with MHR Daylight Railtours) who was at Woking for the Exeter trip got a right ear bashing from some of the passengers even though he explained the situation clearly and kindly. Some reacted as though he had personally sabotaged 35028! I certainly wouldn't have been able to control my temper like he did on that day.

 

The official news is now on Twitter:

"We are sad to announce due to a steam ban for the southern region put in place by Network Rail late yesterday our train will be diesel today"

 

Very, very unusual for me to be out of step with the core steam fraternity here.

But in the current situation I see no option but to curtail steam operations.

We are well past the days of "Oh if it does cause a fire it will only be another one to add to those we are already getting from normal service trains. So let it run".

Just visualise what would happen if a major lineside fire was caused. A really big one;-

" Conditions were dry enough for electric trains to start fires?

"A steam loco had already caused fires and delays nearly a week before this and the weather had only got worse since then?

"And yet you still allowed this steam loco to run?"

That to me seems indefensible.

I doubt anyone here would have underwritten the full cost of any possible fires from Tornado today, (even if with her record the risk is still on the low side). So I don't see why anyone else should.

It's a bloody shame, and I do not for one moment underestimate the impact on those booked on the trains or the impact on the Tour Promoters etc. And on those like the guy here who has spent £400 on his dining package. But I can see no other sensible course of action.

I just hope SD read the TBEL website and sharpen up their attitude to dealing with this, ( it is very rare indeed for me not to be a 100% supporter of all that SD do.) I just checked and I couldn't easily find anything on their web site about the change or how it was going to be dealt with for those who don't want to travel behind a box. On today of all days.

 

Yeah I fully understand and if it is as dry as they fear, it's probably teh right thing to do. If I was at work and it caused a problem today then it would mean a busy busy time in the office.

I think my main frustration is that I could be doing other things, but because dad is scared of losing his money we have to go anyway. The pair of us would much rather be at the Oval watching Surrey given the circumstances & I'd taken a days leave for today too that now feels wasted. That said once I get down there I'm sure I'll perk up a bit, in fact one of my first main line trips to Dorset got steamed off due to fire risk, and we still had a cracking day to Weymouth.

 

I think that the only way to handle significant "one-off" steam runs in the summer is to have a date in reserve as soon as the origina ldate and path are agreed with NR , and to inform everyone booking on the train that in the event of fire risk on date A, the train will run on date B (September or October probably being the best time). In view of this warm weather being forecast for a good week in advance, I would have thought that a decision could have been made by Network Rail somewhat earlier than yesterday afternoon, allowing SD to notify all ticket holders and postpone the trip. I feel sorry for those people who will turn up this morning expecting a steam loco and who will be disappointed. This is, after all, meant to commemorate the end of Southern STEAM, even if Tornado has had to step in.

 

So that's 60163 out today, 35028 out tomorrow and 34067 on Thursday. There may be some showers according to the BBC Weather this weekend, but otherwise it's also sunny into next week, which starts to put 35028 on the VSOE on the 20th into the danger zone. Then from the 24th the weekly Wednesday trips to Weymouth kick in so if there's no rain by then there could start to be a lot of problems.

 

I totally agree with the points about a much speedier response.

All of us here have seen this coming since just after the Tangy incident and then the TBEL action last week. And of course by just looking out of our windows. At our age, ( ) , we don't need a weather forecast to tell us when we get into a settled spell of hot weather that could last quite a long time.

What we do need to know is what is going to happen, and far enough in advance, (apart from exceptional circumstances), to change our plans. It's not piffling sums of money involved for us anymore.

SD, (and I still do think the sun shines out of your .......), please read the TBEL web site and see how they've handled it. http://www.torbayexpress.co.uk/index.php/LatestNews.html

If an old idiot like me can run basic web sites I am sure a procedure can be established enabling a simple statement to be added to yours very quickly by more than one person in SD, and from anyway. Your web designers must have the technology! And it's not just the mechanics of posting, but consider also what you say on that statement.

 

Again, of course, the key issue is proper, timely communication, which appears to be lacking yet again in this situation. Notwithstanding the rights and wrongs of a steam ban, a consistent and well-timed policy announcement is vital. I do agree regarding SD's output - they are normally good at this, but have slipped a bit here.
By the way, am I the only one who thinks that today's trip with diesel taking over from steam is actually quite an accurate (but unwelcome) way to mark the end of steam?!
Let's hope for rain - and I say that as a steam enthusiast and gardener!

 

The lack of rain lately has been quite insidious really - the absence of particularly hot and sunny weather has masked the fact that rainfall has been very low for several weeks in the south of Britain, allowing the ground and vegetation to dry out significantly, and now that the sun has also appeared in force, the situation has been exacerbated.

 

LOL!

But only if it's a 47 class box!

There were plans for the last Bournemouth Belle to be steam hauled on it's last day, both ways. But the damned 47s that had already taken over were used as the GM, it is said, wouldn't allow steam to take the train.

Some other trains were also being handled by boxes towards the end, and the emus were also taking over. But some, including our Club Train, (circa 19.15 ex Southampton), were steam until the 7th July. Last run was with 34013. Steady up Roundwood and some nice running after. 85 max. 85 mins 34 secs up from Soton with couple of tsrs and sigs approaching Waterloo. 11 early arrival.

 

Yes, very much so down here in Kent.

I am a forced gardener at present both making my garden low maintenance and turning parts into becoming wildlife friendly.

And I am having to use tap water all the time and have been for weeks now. The total rain for many weeks has added just about 6 inches into my water butt system! Whereas a decent nights rain always fills it from empty. But for last years deluge we would, I am sure, have had hosepipe bans etc by now. But, the good news, I cut my grass yesterday and it has now reached that parched and dusty stage where it won't need cutting again for weeks.