SD to Chester14th April

One advantage of baling out at Northampton on the way back was it gave us the chance at Berkhamsted, the original stop before change, to see 70000 absolutely thrash through only 5 minutes after the service train had dropped us. Whistle screaming for the benifit for the many who thought to wait. A grand day out despite the change of pick up.

 

Nice shot I didn't get to see the return leg but I did catch it this morning see

70000 Britannia | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

Only managed a few shots at Atherstone on the return leg.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF OUR HERITAGE AND MAINLINE RAILWAYS | Recent

Regards.......Rick

 

My contribution from yesterday at Wardle on the outward bound :


A Wardle Britannia by JonathonAG, on Flickr

Thanks to all for the updates on the run.

 

Very much a day of two halves. Being in "Super Standard" meant being in the last coach on the way out and the first (behind the support coach) on the way back. It was worth it for the return trip - some very spirited running particularly on the last leg from Northampton to Euston. Must indeed have been a fine sight at Berkhamstead as it was absolutely charging through there. Not so for the outward trip - the last coach is not where you want to be when there is a "box" on the back making nasty whining noises. I don't think it was doing too much except possibly between Northampton and Rugby when we were getting a bit behind schedule but you couldn't help being aware of its presence. Presumably it was there for train heating, but there seems to be some inconsistency over this - some days you get a generator van, some days you get a diesel. Surely the generator van has to be a better option all round?

Still unconvinced about Steam Dreams' new Premier Standard class. Seems like it will be like the existing Super Standard but without the guarantee of being next to the loco in one direction. The tea and coffee service is nice but the food on offer is less than appetising and the service somewhat erratic.

 

I think it's more likely there are not enough (working) Genny Vans to go round.

 

That's the idea, the less risk of shoving the better. That was the only one good thing about the old "Ethels", they couldn't shove as they had their traction motors isolated. Anyway what's with all this heating lark? Aren't Mk 1's & early Mk 2's capable of being steam heated? Also we are now coming out of the heating season.

 

I believe that DBS do not do steam heating just like they don't do vacuum brakes.

 

P
Correct, Riveira/DBS don't maintain the Steam Heat & Vac Brake equipment like WCRC do, though if the Coaches are SRPS they could well have the Steam Heat/vac Brakes in operational condition but DBS are not allowed to use them.

 

[youtube]40WaY7OOjng[/youtube]

70000 chuffing well departing Atherstone

 

I know that DBS has these restrictions (vac braking and steam heat - and I believe double heading too) but surely sooner rather than later, common sense will prevail and they will change their minds. Trains have run for ever with vac and steam heat. Surely there is no health and safety issue because WCRC get on with without fuss. One thing is for sure, the brilliant DBS steam crews wouldn't object. I'm sure Wayne would agree!!!

Nick

 

For DBS/Riveira to do Steam Heat would be a good idea but I can't see them going back to Vac Brakes, their arguement against would be, can you think of ANY DBS Diesel with working Vac Brakes ?, only the Riveira 47's possibly have them and they are rarely used now as they are know to be 'ropey', WCRC have about 5/6 Dual Braked Diesels so are able to provide assistance to Vac Braked trains.

 

I don't think there's any reason why DBS can't do steam heat, except that none of the stock they use is fitted for steam heat. It was investigated when RCS still owned the stock and kept it at Bounds Green, but you've then got to go down the road of fitting it, training people up to fit and maintain it, plus regularly checking it works. Easy for WCRC to do, they've got the staff and equipment to do it. And if they need to check it works, there's plenty of locos that can be used. There's not a lot of steam locos based at Eastleigh.

And what restriction on double heading? Admittedly it hasn't happened a lot recently, the last booked DBS double header being 10th March with 60163+6024 (or 71000, or whatever else it was that was mooted!). I think it's probably more to do with the lack of steam crews DBS have at present. That 10th March tour would probably have needed 4 crews.

 

The current Steam Dreams set is a bit of a mixture of Riviera and SRPS stock as far as I can see. That is due to change as the "new" Cathedrals Express set begins to appear. No idea what the heating equipment on that will be but I assume that DBS have a say in the matter as they have signed up to operate the Cathedrals Express for 3 years.

As well documented on this forum we all know that steam heating is very unreliable - just read accounts of a couple of WCRC operated tours during the cold spell in February. So electric heating seems like a safer option. It means less of an authentic steam train experience I suppose but better that than frozen passengers who probably won't book again (at least not for winter tours).

I had also heard that DBS don't do double heading although presumably they were prepared to for the 10th March trip to Plymouth. They used 3 crews that day so would indeed have needed a fourth if a second loco had worked from Exeter to Plymouth.