RTC Flying Scotsman/Black 5s to Carlisle 23rd January

1000 miles before going mainline....what's that, about 40 round trips on the ELR? Or does that mean 1000 miles before hauling a mainline railtour with some of the mileage being accumulated by light and loaded test runs?

 

There is no definitive rule on mileage accumulation, only the standard which must be achieved to merit certification by a VAB. If the VAB is prepared to issue a cert, its done enough miles.

 

I too find the Bulleid whistle especially evocative - a rich tenor compared to the high soprano of a T9 or M7. Just one thing puzzles me: what makes you say that Bulleid whistles are tuned to Middle C? I've just checked 2 recordings of Bulleids against my piano. Both Clan Line and your own 92 Squadron have whistles tuned to E-flat, a minor third above Middle C. You're not the first person I've come across to say that Bulleid whistles are tuned to Middle C, and I'm insterested to know where the story may have originated.

(Maybe we should shunt this discussion to the Bulleid loco thread...?)

 

So really to summarise..

1. Railway herald were sort of right - but as a 'respected' railway news magazine they should already know the rules and also print that in their article.

2. Scotsman will be fine...

3. The press are annoying. You have to get a story out but 'jazzing up' happens to any story that goes into print to get readers. If you want, I could write a dramatic article about how I might not get to work on time because of the length of time it takes my toast to cook in the morning. I could ask for a statement from morphy richards and then choose a few sentences from it that make it look like I might not be getting to work on time and it's their fault, when in fact I will. I can also forget to look up in the manual for my toaster when writing the article the amount of time it takes to toast, so I can get up earlier....

This is why there are so few publications in print that are actually worth reading without taking a certain amount of the printed word with a pinch of salt.

They don't always contain incorrect things, but the nature of journalism is such that even in a railway publication (which, let's face it, isn't exactly tabloid stuff) there will be opinion and a certain level of sensationalism in the important stories.

A single paragraph such as this - 'Although a 1000 mile running in period was specified by the NRM press office, this seems unusual as many other locomotives returning from overhaul have had shorter periods of running in. The VAB have no requirement for mileage accumulation so we will wait and see if Scotsman is available on the 23rd. On the day, Ian Riley was unavailable for comment.'

- and nobody would be complaining. Part of the job of journalism is to 'investigate'. It's not hard to find the actual facts - especially if you want people to carry on reading.

Can I have a job now please?!

 

I think we need to run a book on FS making this trip or not.

BetKnowwun says:

10-1 - will gallop across the finish line
5-1 - will appear at the starting gate but fail to complete the course.
2-1 - will fail to get jockey club approval.

1-3 - Entry to the course will be rejected 3 minutes before the off as the jokey(sic) club suddenly decided that as they haven't seen the horse for 10 years they are fearful its expanded and is too fat to fit in the starting gate.


If the course is waterlogged and the race abandoned, all bets are off.

 

FS has worn blinkers in public before so lets hope they are declared this time

 

Times for the tour now available .

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50608/2016/01/23/advanced

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50609/2016/01/23/advanced

 

whats the odds on the Jockey being told he's not allowed to race on the course anymore ?

 

That wont come before the stewards until after this race start time, so is not a factor this time out.

 

Or the racehorse is decided to not be the actual horse because its had so many replacement parts that it can not be confirmed that this horse is the same one thats on the jocky clubs stud books.

 

I think you mean its a ringer. For this race the stud book and breed register is not applicable. However if a substitution is made by a team of cart horses wearing the black colours of Riley Stables, all stake moneys are forfeited.

 

Are we all forgetting that the 23rd is considered part of the running in process and was advertised as such?

 

On a serious note regarding Scotsman's whistle, I would have thought that in today's safety climate there would have been a standard decibel wise for warning horns/whistles. I know Scotsman has grandfather rights, but it still has to carry a high intensity headlight. A coasting well maintained steam loco is just as quiet as a coasting diesel, and in Scotsman's case there will be a lot of people lineside and on/near foot crossings on all its runs.

'I ate all the pies' Harris could have a field day .... "West Coast takes out loco with inadequate aural warning device, thousands could have been run over! Ban them immediately !!! Rail has an exclusive interview with a very shocked linesider, who signed to our reporter that he never heard a thing. "

 

Elf and safety busybodies cause enough grief already don't encourage them!

 

At some times of day and/or in certain locations drivers are under instruction not to sound their horn. Haven't seen any sensationalist articles about that aspect of our railways.

 

Instructions that can be overridden by the driver for safety related reasons, IE a pie eater on the tracks.

 

Scotsman out again on the ELR 16 January 2016

A cold but dry morning encouraged a quick visit to Rawtenstall at the start of Flying Scotsman's second weekend of public runs. I had been warned that there would be a diesel behind the engine southbound to provide train heat but not that there would be two modern BR coaches in blue and grey behind the diesel!

Nonetheless, it was good to be able to study this impressive loco as it ran round its train, whilst keeping fingers and toes crossed to try and be sure it will be able to undertake its first mainline run to Carlisle in a week's time.

12 pictures are at http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com/p937096709

Peter, on a snowy afternoon in Manchester
http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com

 

You could be waiting a while for 60103 on the MHR as I asked the MHR twitter account if they had managed to book FS for an appearance in 2017 or is there a waiting list? The reply I had was that there is a long waiting list!