Steam Dreams 2013 & 2014 Archive

If SD have their own rake, it's up to them to ensure it works, I've seen enough faults on Riviera/DBS vehicles too so the grass isn't greener, I may of had 1st class coach in error on Sat, but it also had a monster of a wheelflat.

 

Are you sure thats correct? Seem to recall the CME's,in particular,running last Jan/Feb without diesel for ETH,so they must have had steam heat

 

The steam heating was working on the CME last Saturday.

 

IIRC, not all WCRC vehicles have steam heat fitted (only about a third of them?) and those that have it have not always had it working, for whatever reason.

 

It may be that another TOC may enter the market capable of operating steam hauled charters if 'Steam Railway' is to be believed. See issue 416 (21/6-18/7) and what it says about DCR making an application for a passenger charter licence which it implies would include steam and be submitted in June 2013. It is also says that DCR and DBS are working closely together. Anyone know of any subsequent developments?
Regarding coaching stock for steam hauled charters. Although SD have said much in the past about forming their own rake, presumably based on a similar model to that of the SRPS and Vintage Trains, only 1666 has yet appeared and it is far from clear what other carriages are to be included. I suspect though that if they have the money available they cannot find anyone to do the work. Very few companies are currently capable of overhauling Mark 1 stock to the standards required and those companies have limited capacity and a lot on.

A 'back of a fag packet' calculation shows that WCRCo have between 50 & 60 carriages suited to steam operations (a mix of air, dual and vacuum braked) to which can be added the SRPS and Vintage trains sets. By the time you have allowed for 'Jacobite', 'Scarborough Spa' and 'Shakespeare Express' that gives possibly four sets at most for everything else in summer and that includes the demands of diesel hauled charters were non air-conditioned stock is preferred.

 

Travelled on three of them and some of the coaches were steam heated but by no means all of them. There's an issue with the old Metro Cammell Pullmans which we were told last year weren't allowing heat past them and also had no heat themselves so trains were sometimes part heated. We travelled in at least three Mark IIs with no heat either. Hopefully SD will spec out a properly heated rake until their own come into use. The SRPS rake is the best for heating by far. There wasn't full train heating on the Perth Train on the weekend and there were comments at times on the Duchy yesterday about the lack of heat. It's a pity more generator cars haven't been created but they are costly animals.

 

DCR or another player in the steam market would be most welcome, as good as WCRC can be, I don't like the idea of having all the eggs in one basket so to speak, problem is, DCR, DRS or anyone else is just rumour short of an official announcement.

As for additional stock for any TOC, Riviera while having ties to DBS, I'm sure would rather have a hire fee for use of theirs than sitting idle in a siding, rusting away and not earning, short of that, I can't see where any new steam TOC would get suitable stock from, can't run air cons with steam.

Any idea where SD's alleged rake will come from ? I thought by now most Mk1's that are available are likely to be pretty knackered and need considerable time and expense to make them serviceable, whether to heritage railway or 100MPH mainline standard.

 

In theory yes, with an air braked loco & some form of power- ie genny car or eth box. But who wants travel behind steam encased in a sealed tube? They weren't nicknamed "coffins" for nothing.

 

Of course you can. If the normals are 'happy' with steam on the front and a diesel loco tucked inside providing the power then I doubt aircons would be a bother. You could have an opening window coach at the front for the weirdos to loiter in, everyones happy then.

 

You are of course both right, you can run air cons with steam, what I more meant was, why would you want to ?, with all you can hear inside these blasted things, you may as well just run with a 67 upfront, even for Diesel charters, it's usually only the daytripper market that uses coffins with enthusiast tours using pressure vent stock where available.

 

You really hate anything to do with steam don't you? By your reckoning anybody who likes or supports steam should be on the funny farm, hence "wierdos"?.

 

Surely everyone traveling behind a steam loco on the main line want's to hear the loco at the front. Even better when it's a Bulleid pacific and the driver keeps blowing the whistle.

 

Just sayin' how it is my old fruity. Most of the punters on Kettlexes aren't all that bothered about kettle noise, nice old steam train on the front keeps them happy.

 

Ignore him buseng, he's not worth the effort.

 

i think that nymr have a steamheat van for sale if so could't wcrc buy it for heating stock?

 

I think the inability for steam engines to supply ets is the issue - they're mostly quite capable of supplying steam heat unless the fireman is struggling..

 

Agreed...
dont feed the troll.

 

On the mainline, it would be more to do with reducing the ammount of water you are using, rather than being in trouble with raising steam, for instance, steam heat uses a lot more steam, and therefore water, if your water level in the tender is getting low, and you think you might run it too low for safety before your next water stop, off goes the steam heat and your driver would ease back to reduce the amount of steam you use, another reason for poor heating might be that the steam heating equipment is in a poor state of repair, replacing,or repairing steam heating on any Mk1 is a pain , needing both bogies out and a pit to work in, depending where the leak is, and its always at the most inaccesable point.

 

The evidence suggests otherwise, the amount of steam trips run with air cons are countable on one hand.

 

At the moment, what happens when the Mk1s need a big overhaul, bogie work etc? Is it cost effective to overhaul a rake of Mk1s for one train a week?