NORTH WALES COAST EXPRESS 2012

Frodsham Sunset | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

At least the 47s looked good crossing the River Weaver at Frodsham in the evening!

 

If a "cock up" then is should be rectified then by who ever carried out the work at there expense. Interestingly. some one some where within NR knew when it happened that the Duchess would fall foul of it and therefore I assume they informed the owners of the Duchess accordingly? Anyway, back to the real world the damage has now been done and a Duchess will not sadly go along that nice line again!

 

Quite right, there's supposed to be a process in place to try and ensure accountability in the event of failiure by a key stakeholder so why hasn't it been enacted ?

 

Its death by hanging on here if I agree? Even as a long standing follower of those particular "boxed shaped box things" with the Swiss variant of engine I still wouldn't wish them onto a steam leg of a charter from an "industry viewpoint" (or where it me in the hot seat) except as a last resort (even as probably the only person on this website who has shares in one of them that was on that train). Hope they all have better luck next week on that train. By some strange coincedence that fact we had a set arriving in from Carnforth at 1500 on Sunday (running a mere few hours early) from Perth complete with a vac braked 47760 (complete with a driver who was going back passenger in the Carlisle direction) the souls aboard the other Northern charter York-Carlisle at least got home without being hours late or by other transport even if it wasn't steam. Fingers crossed next week's steam jobs will be smoother for all concerned.

 

Enforcing the RT1 Contract - unheard of! - But it is what Network Rail are required by law to do, but won't get off their backsides to achieve.

Their duty to keep the railway open to carry the applicable classes of traffic has been breached so many times that they know no-one is going to make them do it.

Keep drawing those bonuses for not spending boys - I'm sure that just like Mr Coucher, you are all making good use of it - NOT!

 

In the latest Railway Herald there is an apology from Network Rail along with an admission that the reason 46233 couldn't run was a paperwork and communications cock up on Network Rails part. Would post the text of the news item but can't see an easy way to 'cut and paste' - sorry.

 

print screen, save and import

 

If they did enforce the letter of the law instead of common sense and prudence the outcome may end up something like this failed nirvana...

Spain to close up to 30 state-run airports - Telegraph

 

This is an abridged version of the news piece in Railway Herald.


'…..Network Rail blocked the 'light engine' movement because of incomplete paperwork. A Network Rail spokesman said 'This is a very unfortunate incident that should not have happened. Our Very Short Term Planning (VSTP) managers in Swindon rejected the company's request to use 46233 because they did not have the correct paperwork for the steam loco to operate on the line of the route. They spoke to our Route Manager Control Managers in Manchester and Cardiff and advised them that if they should receive a request from West Coast Railway to use the steam loc they should reject it. However this issue could have been resolved simply by speaking to the customer and asking them to email or fax the correct paperwork for the steam loco to operate the route.


We are very sorry this did not happen and will put contingency plans in place to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.'


Also says that 60009 had a Superheater problem that is easily resolved but needs the loco to be cold.

 

The question I have is would another operator have known the solution? If we had an overarching tour industry body this knowledge could be shared.

 

Or maybe invent a new machine called the "paperwork finisher".. You put blank paper in one end and get printed matter at the other...

 

Now any Project Manager worth his salt performs a comprehensive Risk Assessment, turns up all potential pitfalls and has a Contingency in place to mitigate/eliminate that risk. On the unfortunate occassons when that risk is not identified, the result is captured in the Lessons Learnt Log. That forms a part of future risk assessments for similar projects. Outcome, the same problem should be avoided. Now sharing the Lessons Learnt across a symbiotic business looks like good practice. The failings of one part has a direct impact on the other.

 

But ADB won't like it because he has this aversion to working in co-operation

Something about it reminding him of socialism - poor thing!

 

nice enough trotting out Prince2 or PMP but they do have limitations, thats good if it's the same PM doing both the previous job and the latest one, and he has the gumption to look up what he did last time. If not then it comes down to knowledge share.
Last time I looked PM's werent compelled to be part of an industry wide organisation or listen to them over their own procedures.
Everyone and NR agree its a failing of Network Rail and its documentation procedures, but why people believe NR will listen to someone outside their business, in a non-professional role, telling them how to manage their paperwork fails me. I would imagine a PM would consult his own management first.

Put it another way.. if you joined neighbourhood watch, does that give the guy at Number 12 permission to tell your mrs how to organise her paperwork to allow you to drive your car and would you expect her to listen to the guy at Number 12 or you first ?

 

Maybe the guy from neighbourhood watch informing and sharing infoirmation that has a wider value is not a bad thing. It does not have to be proscriptive.

 

60009 departed Crewe 09.37.

 

No. 9 coming off at Chester, problems with the valve rings. As well as the annoying leaking drain cocks, there's a very loud and irritating squeak when the regulator's open. Still, at least it was steam most of the way.

 

Line shut at Dallam Junction. 60009 to work the train direct to Crewe, then the 47 to work the tour back to Manchester via Stockport.

 

Done a bit of fishing around, seems some "nutter" is threatening to to "chuck" his "kid" over a railway bridge in Dallam. Rumours say he has a gun as well.
Words in inverted commas are as the info was put, not my wording.