RTC's Dartmouth Express 9/06/18

Your optimism may very well be justified, but no matter how good 45212 is, the consequences of not "making it" are far more serious than in 1966.
Obviously the DL is there for a reason but once it is in the consist, it has to do something at some point unless the route is flat as the proverbial.

 

The DL was there for a reason indeed. NR guidance for an unassisted Class 5 over Whiteball is load 8. The Black 5 or the intended Mayflower means that the load of 10 was always in excess of NR guidance and a DL had to be there. Profit above product?

 

The NR guidance is there to inform the risk assessment process but it may be an aspect other than simply load demanded a DL - chicken or egg? If so, it presents an opportunity to stick another couple of revenue earnings coaches in the rake.
In any event, the facts should have been available to anyone making a booking. I can't say whether or not that was so as I didn't try to buy a ticket.

 

Not been so much rain in the south west lately,
WC & NR made the right choice, better to avert the risk of lineside fires, before you lot start complaining about Diesels inside the Kettle and the Kettle only there for show
Black Kettle taking load 10 plus over whiteball in pretty much tinder dry conditions would have been idiotic,

 

But if a rogue spark were to escape from 45212, by the time it gets back down to Earth it’ll have ice on it

 

Well reading upthread about how hard 45212 was working it looks as though it was idiotic! The DL was assisting but 45212 was not just there for show. The load was too great for the 5 alone.

 

It could not have been worked any harder than it was and that was continuous from Taunton. The noise from the second coach back was incredible. Whilst June has been almost dry so far it hasn't been very hot and the Spring was very wet so I doubt if there is a great fire risk. If 45212 was going to start fires it would have done so on Saturday. DL or no DL it was worth being there just for that climb to Whiteball on the down run.

 

Some images from the early morning light engine move ( at Crofton ) and the railtour itself at Dawlish and Burlescombe

 

I was on my way back to Sherborne after working on 6024s tender and had to pass through Exeter St Davids so decided to wait for 45212 on its way to Taunton from Kingswear. The train is seen passing non stop through Platform 5..

 

Do these look like a Black5? They don't to me.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...XHJsAKHXLwD3sQsAQIJg&biw=1920&bih=947#imgrc=_

 

Black and boils water so one and the same isn't.

No resemblance between a box and a diesel, but that doesn't stop you disrespectful lot.

Does it,

Fairs fair isn't it.

 

Actually, I think Thomas had it right - DISIESEL...

 

Coughes and sneezles spread...

 

Or should that be BoCo, a metropolitan Vickers diesel-electric type 2, the twins Bill and Ben had him very confused. Thank goodness Edward could tell them apart.

 

Shows how childish you are then doesn't it.

 

Can't work out if its a sense of humour by pass or just bitter and twisted...

 

Dont use the word kettle, its offensive to some... Bit like box to others..

How about we end this here and all the ke... sorry steam nuts call diesels a diesel and bo... diesel fans call steam steam.. I realise its a big step for Nat Pres to be sensible but it gets tedious for both camps.. Im just glad Im a RAILWAY Enthusiast and have a foot in both camps..

 

Perhaps a pertinent point which should be made is that there is a big difference between wanting a steam-hauled train to be just that (i.e., no diesel on the back) and disliking diesel and electric locomotives per se. Having lived virtually all my life within the Southern Region's electrified network where multiple units have held sway on some lines for over 100 years, I have always appreciated the variety provided by any loco-hauled train, whether the loco in question is steam, diesel or electric.

Perhaps the strangest irony about the situation today is that on some parts of the network, you see more steam-hauled excursions than diesel-hauled. Last year, 70013 visited Eastbourne last December and then ran up from Hastings back to London via Tonbridge. Apart from the diesel working the Eastbourne-Hastings leg of this special, I don't think any diesel-hauled passenger train visited this neck of the woods at any point during 2017.

 

Just seen this video of the train coming out of Greenway Tunnel.. my thoughts are the 5 started to slip and the 47 kept pushing as radio would not work in the tunnel so full emergency brake was applied.. stood for 3 mins to inspect for any damage I guess??