How many on the mainline ?

It looks like 2010 is going to be a big year for steam on the mainline.

Since 1971, which year has been the year with the most registered steam locomotives on the mainline ? is it 2010 ?

From my notes, a quick glance is: (in no particular order)

GWR: 4965, 4953, 4936, 9466, 9600, 5029, 5043, 6024.. ?
SR: 30777, 30850(?), 35028, 34067
LMS: 5690, 6233, 6201, 6100, 44871, 44932, 45231, 45407,45305, 46115, 48151
LNER: 60019, 60007, 60163, 4472, 61994, 62005
BR: 70000, 70013, 71000, 76079(?)

Don't know if i've missed any, but thats about 33 locomotives...?

how about others .. ?
I know ive excluding Whitby, are locomotives passed for Whitby Mainline Certified just minus TPWS/OTMR or is there more holding these back ?

 

Olton Hall ?, not sure how far away 6023 is these days.

 

Wouldn't 1980 beat that? All those locos that went to Rainhill, were they all mainline registered?

James

 

I was thinking that too, locos like 925 Cheltenham had the minimum amount of work done to get them there, but a flawed axle (or was it driving wheel?) meant that she hasn't been seen in steam since. I expect there were more locos that were quickly brought back to life to get them to Rainhill.

Some locos that were there weren't mainline registered, Fenchurch from the Bluebell was there, AFAIK she's never been on the mainline in preservation

 

You've sneaked in 4472, which I doubt will turn a wheel in 2010. Still an impressive list, though.

 

Cheltenham was booked for some main line tours after Rainhill; I booked on at least one. Can't quite remember what the replacement was.
Had to wait until this year to get a Schools on the main line...

 

Whitby locos are mainline registered and are fitted with TPWS (which is a legal requirement for operation on Network Rail) but not OTMR (which is a Group Standards requirement, from which an exemption is granted by RSSB on the basis of operations being restricted to Whitby to Battersby).

That adds 75029, 30926 and (30)825 to the current list plus 45428 in the first half of 2010.

76079 retains its OTMR and hence does not have the restriction.

The list of mainline approved locos is somewhat longer than has been the case for the past few years (and I believe you can also add 34046 which is described as under preparation for the mainline) but has the amount of available work increased to the extent that will provide sufficient for all the locos? Although there have been a number of occasions when trains have had to be cancelled due to the lack of suitable locos in recent years, one effect of there being around 20 mainline approved locos has been each has been able to have a reasonable amount of work, including the larger ones that can't be considered for most regular trips (including, due to the bridge at Pannel, the Scarborough Spa Express in many cases!)

Steven

 

Bridge 39 may not be a problem for 2010.
Apparently we will be having a new route for SSEs which won't include the Harrogate Circle.
Shame. That was the best bit!

 

I did a quick look at UKSteam last night, there was around 360 mainline runs last year (I didnt count it precisely)...

thats about 10 mainline runs per loco per year..I'm sure some run more than others... in a year when many tours (>40) were canceled.

 

Does that include The Jacobite (covered by 3 locos), The Cambrian (1 loco) and Scarborough Spa (4 locos I think in 2010)? Between them , these trains will account for about half the total but used 62005, 45231, 45407, 5690, 70013 and 76079 as far as I can remember in 2009 - i.e. a total of just 6 different locos of 20% of the fleet. That rather reduces the average for the rest!

Whether that is enough is dependent on so many factors that vary from loco to loco - how major work is undertaken, who by, whether the loco needs a major boiler rebuild or a "quick" 10 year job, how many years running are missed etc. Nevertheless, we do head towards the risk of insufficient work for some locos - although in some cases, this has already been the case and we can name some locos that have already said they don't have the moeny for the next overhaul already.

Of course, the other option is for new mainline "products" to be developed that have a market and provide extra work.

Steven

 

I reckon Tyseley theory of "less running = less wear n tear" can distort the figures somewhat, only a loco doing the bulk of the season on the Shakespeare will rack up any real mileage.