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Fire Risk

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Oswald T Wistle, May 9, 2025.

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  1. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Probably fair, but I'd expect NR to assume worst case at this time of year. I'm not quite sure how you'd measure it, but I'd have thought fire risk could be assessed in terms of ashpan and chimney "leakage" levels at a given level of working and speed - a measure that might inform choices of loco and duty.
     
    35B, Jul 14, 2026 at 8:16 PM
    #341
  2. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    Yes, I think the caveat should be dragged out of the T&Cs and given prominence.
     
    Deepgreen, Jul 14, 2026 at 8:34 PM
    #342
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  3. 26D_M

    26D_M Part of the furniture

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    Of course NR carries overall responsibility for the integrity of the network and will assume worst case scenario. What needs to be averted is a situation where episodes like the one under discussion make the 'worst case senario' a fixture of the calendar.
    This surely involves the operators proactively taking greater ownership of fire risk assessment for steam traction against commonly established criteria forming part of relevant RSSB standards.
    One example given up thread is ashpan dousers.
    Another might be specifications for effectively assessing spark containment. If I look back 25 years or so I seem to remember part of the mainline certification process involved a loaded test run in hours of darkness for a visual assessment of spark arresting effectiveness. Is that still the case?
    Advances in technology must make it fairly straightforward to get a visual record of ashpan security too.
    The overall point being if more isn't done by those with the agency, there must be a strong chance something blanket will be permanently imposed by NR.
     
    26D_M, Jul 14, 2026 at 8:43 PM
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  4. 26D_M

    26D_M Part of the furniture

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    Without a doubt.
     
    26D_M, Jul 14, 2026 at 8:43 PM
    #344
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  5. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I'm not thinking of the noise from the chimney Tom but more the quality of the kit in the loco to minimise risk.

    You can do little over the quality of coal. It's a random factor.
    Familiarity of the crew, especially the fireman, with the loco in question is within your control.
    The condition of the firegrate and ashpan sprays, for example, is within your control.
    Don't send out a loco with a known fault that may be a marginal issue within a FTR exam. That is within your control.

    It's all to do with minimising risk. That's what NR has to do and we assume that's what all loco owners will do.

    As for keeping it simple, maybe on the main line we will have to accept that diesel substitutions will become more the norm in dry/hot weather.
     
    Big Al, Jul 14, 2026 at 8:47 PM
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  6. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    Given modern equipment and fire risks in the hotter drier summers we are having I suggest that NR needs to do some major work with lineside vegetation and that has nothing to do with running steam
     
    johnofwessex, Jul 15, 2026 at 8:00 AM
    #346
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  7. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    There is plenty of room for informed or uninformed speculation about how much worse heatwaves and droughts will get, and how quickly. Plenty of trustworthy sources make very clear that they certainly will get worse. How main line train operators (of all kinds) and heritage railways deal with the resultant fire risk (and other consequences) now and in future seems an entirely appropriate topic for this thread.
     
    MellishR, Jul 15, 2026 at 8:38 AM
    #347
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