Mainline loco of the decade!

Thanks for all the replies so far, as to the decade debate....


I think I will just get my tin hat on....

Neil.

 

OK I am giving up. It would clearly be pointless to try to explain to you lot the meaning of zero. (That's a pun by the way!)

 

Would it also be good to have a narrow gauge equivalent of ones that have performed very well over the last 10 years.

Since locomotive of the decade is mentioned would Western Champion be a contender on the diesel front.

 

Seems people are going off the thread a bit, with the "what constitutes a decade" argument!
It's still 34067 Tangmere for me, highest mileage (surely), some brilliant performances and almost total reliability!!

 

I think that you've just disproved your own theory....... 2000 years are completed at the moment Big Ben strikes the start of year 2000. (Let's please ignore the lost years and changes to the calendar, not to mention leap days and seconds to keep the timepieces in line with the earth's orbit!)
This is a much better topic than expressing biased opinion on locos!!

 

Being a GWR fan... there not much to write home about really. 6024 hasn't had the best of times, all the Castles apart from 5043 Earl of Egecombe (so far) not been great. So its seems to be 3440 City of Truro for her 2004 exploits, 9600 for being 'different' on the mainline, and 4965 for being the relaible face of the 'Shakespear Express'.

I tempted to surgest 34067 Tamgmere but I dislike Bullieds... but she would deserve the praise.

It would have to be 4565 for me...

 

Just collated all the 'runner' tours that 34067 'Tangmere' has undertaken in the last three years, and it makes pretty impressive reading. 2009=27; 2008=26; 2007=31; 2006=26. On average, available for 27.5 tours a year. 46233 'Duchess of Sutherland' is as thus: 2009=17; 2008=17; 2007=15; 2006=16, with an average of 16.25 tours per year. 6024 'King Edward I' is currently on: 2009=6; 2008=11; 2007=20; 2006=23 with an average of 15 tours per year.

 

Mine would have to be out of 60009, 34067, 6024 and 60163

 

Despite all the off track rubbish about what constitutes a year, or ten years and so on, there has not really been a serious contender put forward to rival Tangmere for the mileage put in, route availability and overall reliability over a decent length of time during the last 'decade'. Only 45407 or 76079 can be considered as even close to what Tangmere has achieved yet they have barely been mentioned. Too much bias towards peoples own favourites it would seem. Whilst Tornado has been wonderful and will continue to do great things, I cannot see how it can be considered for an honour in the past 'decade' but will almost certainly take the accolade for the next 'decade'. I very much admire the work of 6024 but feel she has never been seen enough or worked enough outside of her home ground.

Peoples comments about the maintenance/support staff/crews etc are all very valid but they are on the wrong thread. If you wish to offer them a prize; why not start a 'Maintenance and support award for the last decade'.

 

73096 did alot of mileage earlier in the "decade"

 

Well I make no apologies for posting my favourites, especially considering the original post said "so that people can nominate their favourite mainline registered loco of the last decade". So I'm sticking with Portbury (dodgy, I admit!), followed by 70013!

 

as did 35005/ 34016 but the green 5 was often the mainstay of the steam dreams runs, and is very missed its a pity that none of the mid hands based engines are no longer mainline performers they did seem to perform very well , the 5 especially surprissed a few

 

62005 anyone?

 

How about offering 7802 as the wildcard

 

Just gets on with the job with the minimum of fuss; exactly what it was designed to do. I don't have the statistics to prove it but I don't think that there is any preserved loco anywhere that can match it for days in steam and, probably, mileage since its preservation in 1968.

 

Without a set of criteria to work with, it is nigh-on impossible to say. For me, it has to be between King Edward (of course!) The Duchess and Clan Line. However, to change the subject a tiny bit, imagine this scene: All mainline support crews in one room together. What have we got?... A gathering of the best grafters of the decade. It's really these folks that make any loco what it is, so my hat goes off to them as we enter 2010, because we will need them if next year is to be a mainline steam success. Well done you lot, and mny thanks!!!

 

I hate to disagree with Ralph and the others but surely THE loco of the decade must be 46115 from the WCRC stable. Even before it had completed its main line test runs, WCRC staff were whispering that it was a BEAST and once shakedown running identified what needed fettling - and the work undertaken and tested - then it was released on the main line.

Whilst much of its work in 2008 was part of the shakedown effort who can forget 6/09/08 when 46115 returned in triumph to its home ground of the WCML on a Carnforth - Chester run, or 29/11/08 at a frosty Hellifield when its exhaust hung in the air whilst working a Carnforth - Scarborough charter as substitute for the out-of-gauge 850 Lord Nelson. Once released to the main line in 2009 whose hair didn't stand on end when 46115 flattened the S&C on a snowy 07/02/09, flattenned Shap on 09/04/09 when it was a last minute substitute on the Preston - Glasgow leg of the Great Britain and repeated the effort a month later on 09/05/09 working a round trip from Preston to Carlisle.

Whilst the claims for the 8Ps may hold some attraction for the sheer number of people who venture out to watch their mainline efforts I feel that to ignore the work of 46115 is to underestimate both men and machine involved and I would venture it even more worthy a contender than 60163 - despite the higher profile of the latter - AND I speak as an LNER afficiendo !

 

Certainly for "Best Newcomer" the three engines Ralph mentions above are a credit to their respective builders/restorers, ie the A1 Trust, David Smith at Carnforth, and the GCR works at Loughborough. All have performed reliably "straight out of the works" so to speak.I happen to think "Tornado" would be the ultimate choice, given the magnitude of acheivement of building a totally new locomotive.

Perhaps after yesterday we should also include Ian Riley's 44871 in this sub-category as well.

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