ORR to Reduce Mainline Train Lengths - the end of 12/13/14 coach trains

Did you miss the smiley perchance?

 

This is nothing new, loads were imposed as to route and loco in David Wards Day.
If I remember on the S& C a 5 was limited to 9, on the Central Wales the load was 7 for a solo 5.

Cheers Dave

 

I didn't miss the smiley, but there is a valid consideration here. Although freight trains go a lot faster now than in the old days, they still typically have much lower acceleration and top speeds than expresses, more like the characteristics of a steam-hauled charter (hence those apparently 700 ton trains on RTT) . On the one hand the need for paths for those freights already reduces the total number of paths available, but on the other it means that those paths include some lower-speed ones.

 

Winter CME in January is always 12 or 13 coaches as the trip has been so popular over the years. This trip I know is always double headed but 45407 still managed to give it some welly this year when assisting loco Leander failed on 10A before departing with the ECS to Manchester.

 

During the "David Ward years" I did CMEs behind a Black 5 with trains longer than 9.

 

Yes indeed, Black 5s would be loaded to 11, sometimes 12 on the CME. I remember 5407 once taking 13 from Skipton to Carnforth, although not over the top, still not easy......but she managed.

 

5407 gave me a superb run on that leg, 15th July 1981. The climb past Giggleswick was excellent and is still one of the best recordings I have of a Black 5.

 

I was thinking of 29th July 1981, royal wedding day. Here she is at Bell Busk complete with red/white/blue ribbons.

 

A proper rail tour.

 

4767 had 11 on the 28/02/1981 , with a Carlisle -Skipton. Round about this time the Glasgow to Nottingham with a 45 on, was if I remember correct, booked 31 mins Carlisle to Appleby,4767 was timed the same. I remember asking the driver before leaving Carlisle if he would be on time at Appleby ,and he replied that he had been brought up on" Number 5s" and wasn't expecting any problems. Any how we were about 5 late arriving.
I don't think the Central Wales line was passed for steam in Mr Wards days.
A photo', if any one is interested, of 4767 on a run past at Appleby, on the above trip, with 11 coaches visible can be seen on http://www.flickr.com/photos/5611hongkong in a album B R 4-6-0s on the main line 1975/99.

 

Even with the Myriad of slight variables, surely in this day and age with the analytical tools at our diposal not to mention the years and years of data a power / characteristics model for each and every mainline steam locomotive can be produced into which route and timings information can be fed in and the permitted load advised...

 

... but what if said loco is an 'improved' version of the original and so there's no historical data?

 

Maybe for certain locomotives, an increase of maximum speed to 85mph might also help with timings...if the loco is capable and able to keep to schedule this could help?

 

I suspect that that is easily possible; the question is whether the Tour promoters would like the results?

The Black 5 that stalled on Parkstone Bank a couple of years ago is a case in point: video showed that it was blowing off, so no shortage of steam, yet it physically couldn't move its load up the bank. That train should simply never have been permitted to depart unassisted with that load. Either book a bigger engine, a second Black 5, allow a diesel on the back or knock off a couple of coaches. They all have financial implications, but not as much as coming to stand for an hour or more on a busy mainline.

Tom

 

Has anyone thought of this from a loco owners point of view? A black 5 shifting 11-14 coaches on a regular basis isn't going to do the loco any good. A reduction is weight on the drawbar, whilst having financial implications for tour promoters/ operators, will reduce the cost every 7 years.

Easy solution. Half the amount of coaches on the train but run twice as many trains.

 

And of course, to complete your equation, double the ticket price.

That might have other results.

 

If a tour promoter cannot make a profit on a six coach train then the loco owner will need to worry where the work is coming from rather than how hard his loco is being worked.

 

wouldn't double heading be more cost effective? Especially if you could run with a single support coach. Might be some work for smaller express locomotives that way.

Which is a thought that has this GWR enthusiast dreaming of the possibility, some time well into the future of 43,000lbs of Edwardian tractive effort with the City and the Saint taking to the mainline... The combination ought to be well capable of outperforming most Pacifics on appropriate length runs.

 

If double-heading became more of a necessity in the future, it may see a revival of some of the smaller class locos on the mainline that can't really be justified at the moment due to the fact they can't handle the large loads.