'The Bath and Bristol Christmas Markets'. Thurs. 28 Nov

Soon to be rectified

James

 

I suspect no support was available at such short notice.

 

Nothing about the return journey? They should all be home by now.

Watched the departure from Bristol Temple Meads. 44871 upon receiving the "right away"at first displayed a reluctance to move (even while blowing off), and after two failed attempts the Crompton was called upon to assist.

Plenty for the old Motive Power Department to explain today.......

 

Thinking more where/how they would park it if necessary as can't recall there being a run round option any more at Bournemouth just that kick back option in the centre at the Poole end or the bay platform, again a kick back. Any shoving unit on an up train would be at the wrong end to put it into either place. Happy to be proven wrong though as Bournemouth isn't my local station.

 

Not me. Off out Owling. Can't do that in my armchair! LOL!

 

Was it "centred" ?

 

the stall made the local rag last night with a photo:
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/ne...uses_delays_between_Weymouth_and_Bournemouth/

my good and reliable pal at SWT at Bomo said rail conditions were not 100% and that 111 delay minutes were suffered by SWT.
(Plus SWT had the 3 hour Tangmere hoo hah on Saturday night as we know)
he also said there was a woman on the RTC train yesterday at Bomo and was most unhelpful - She was blaming NR for poor rail adhesion!

a Cl 5 locomotive - to take 11 on unassisted in winter to get up Parkstone bank from a standing start in Poole? er..?

even a 33 on the front would struggle on it's own...Tangmere could not do it in winter either.
a class 33 used to take/push up 8-TC in the old days. as for CI boat trains i do not know.
an industry pal mentioned a load of 7-8 is enough for a black 5 in winter unassisted, and i was told by an old SR guy that 8 max unassisted for a WC/BB was the 'book limit' for BR steam days.

As a comparison 60163 Tornado can be scheduled for 12 on unassisted in summer weather and i understand from Big Al that Clan Line took 11 or 12 up the bank on her own (again in SUMMER) but that was not from a stand at Poole iirc.?

Rog Dorchester

 

.

 

1 train caped, 3 part caped, 62 trains delayed/affected and 649 minutes of delays.
Oh and 8 trains ran fast eg not stopped at booked stations to recover service and time keeping.

Rail conditions were ok for the time of the year...

 

What complete Bow Locks.... in fact the flexibility at Bournemouth has been improved not cut back.....and I do believe that there have never been "overtaking" possibilities ever between Bournemouth and Brock...

 

hi there Al, thanks for confirming that re 35028, i was not 100%. cheers. We did Weymouth back to London with 61063 a few summers ago and i cannot remember if we stopped at Poole on the way back or not but it was in the summer.

 

But, AL, this seems to be a modern day thing in every walk of life that 'we've learned'; but guess what...then it happens again....and again. !! This really is upsetting to steam supporters (and of course travellers) and like you, from info before us, someone, somewhere has got it wrong, terribly wrong. And, just a question, is the motive power left completely with the organisers or do NR get involved ....Pete

 

er...see train trouble already reported....!

Nick

 

Really? Surprised no one had mentioned it earlier

 

THE CATHEDRALS EXPRESS​

is proud to announce ​

DOUBLE HEADED BLACK FIVES​

for the Christmas Season​

​

Just had this in from Steam Dreams. Now then, they seem to have taken the correct approach and are not taking chances and this is with no notable banks to tackle that I am aware off.​

​

Well done Marcus, assuming he requested this of West Coast?​

 

I think the plan to use both 44871 and 45407 was made well before the unfortunate incident at Parkstone yesterday. This still by my reckoning leaves two SD trips and two RTC trips rostered for a single loco. Three of these four trips (RTC Haywards Heath-Bath, RTC Sussex Belle (London-Eastbourne-Hastings-London) and SD to Chichester) don't sound too awkward, and the "Sussex Belle" will need a diesel for the Eastbourne-Hastings leg anyway, but the SD Sherborne trip is a bit of a concern. There are reasons why only one loco can be used - platform length, I believe. However, Britannia slipped a bit on the 1 in 80 to Milborne Port on the corresponding working last year, and as has been pointed out elsewhere, it is a class 7 loco, whereas 44871 is Class 5.

Yesterday came as a bit of a shock to me and I'm sure to others, because the Riley Black Fives have such a good record on the main line. One expects these engines to tackle anything thrown at them with no problem. The bottom line is that no matter how excellent an engine is, it needs a load appropriate to its power and the conditions. I hope that steam will not be banned from the LSW main lines after these two unfortunate incidents, as these routes are synonymous with the great Southern Steam finale in the 1960s, but it seems like unassisted steam up Parkstone bank isn't a good idea in November with a 10- or 11-coach train. Whatever it appears that the rail conditions were like. the fact is 44871 didn't make it in the leaf-fall season whereas 44932 has managed on several occasions in the summer months when working the Dorset Coast Express over the last few years.

On a slightly different subject, I'm intrigued that whenever it's a single "Five" rostered, whether RTC or SD, it's always 44871 rather than 45407. Please can anyone enlighten me as to why this is?

 

Why you say that ?, they have excellent reliability and the like, but can't defy the law of physics.