Paignton and Dartmouth Heritage Festival 9-10th May 2009

Ummm yes our cheeky little visitor was giving it some, could hear it 3 miles away! And that was probably on about 1/3 regulator! =P~

As regards signalling you could do it without calling on signals, I think you could simply have a handsignalman down there to check points and clip them etc if required. But to be honest I would think that you could have the loco on at Paignton, with 2 locos there you could do shunt releases etc and go for a lonnnnggg train!

If there's someone from the P+D whos knows otherwise about signalling at Goodrington it would be interesting to know - I don't understand these knew conflaggled electrics things! 8-[

 

Somehow I don't think Thomas would make it as far as Kingswear from Paignton, as he can't make it from Buck to Totnes, or at least not easily so better stick to his little shuttles.

As for the signalling maybe a siganllman would be better commenting but isn't the signalling at Goodrington stillbeing constructed anyway. I know the loop is almost ready (Did anyone else spot the new control box for Britannia in the workshop at Churston) but even so not quite ready.

 

I think you'll find both of these, or at the very least in Tangmeres case, it was down to a bad engineman always blames the engine!

 

I suppose that doesn't help, but then GW locos were built to handle the type of grades we have down here in Gods Wonderful Realm. And don't say that we're only a 55mph railway, we had the first steam loco to travel at 100mph!

However I think that considering something like Tangmere can get over Goodrington Banks, then I'm sure Tornado will do just fine! 8-[

 

Careful there Ernest its a slightly disputable fact there, although now you mention it Scotsman was the first to "officially" do 100mph.

I have no doubt that a certain amount of the engines getting stuck is down to the driver, or at least to an extent, don't forget Tangmere did make it twice unnassisted, but also it does make the job a lot harder if its not designed for the area.

 

This argument always comes up lol! Maybe we should prove that City of Truro really is capable of doing 100 - tighten up a few bolts here and there, and Berks and Hants here we come! =D>

 

Will be interesting to see what they actually use the loop for, and that rather precariously placed headshunt heading down towards Cliff Park rd and the "Goodrington Avoider". It's good to see however that the old yard is being used to store carriages in the future.

Anybody think extending FGW services from London in summer to Goodrington sands would be a good idea? They usually go into the yard as it is, so sitting at Goodrington sands for an hour wouldn't do any harm.

 

That probably would actually be a good idea, as there are so many holiday homes and stuff near there, and would make it easier for holiday makers to get to where they're going rather than having to negotiate Paignton town. I suppose the problem there again would be signalling, as I saw when Nunney Castle left on Thursday they clipped and scotched all the points, the ones from the P+D onto NR and the ones from NR onto the P+D, even though there is an FPL installed on the points. But I suppose if they sorted out a few minor things that could prove to be a profitable idea...

 

From what I have gathered through talking to people is that the Goddrington loop is going to be for mainline specials to have another place to pass the service train as only being able to pass at Churston does cause delays if the TE for instance is late if so it can then go into Goodrington Loop and the service train can pass it if it is already past Kingswear or even Churston and would in theory stop a few of the delays.

It could if as you say the Signalling could be sorted be used as an intersting location for a third location for a service train to pass but not really much point as only 5 mins from Paignton and would prbabl6y cause delays at Churston??

 

There are 2 'new' loops aren't there? The up plaform road and a loop running behind the up platform that re-joins the line under Tanners bridge? Scope for 3 trains in Goodrington halt at the same time!