THE SILVER JUBILEE 30/9

Don't quite understand why BAD COAL keeps appearing. Not a new problem; remember when we went from Didcot to Derby must be 10 years ago now with the King only to lose the fire at Derby ending up a crawl back to Didcot losing time all the way. Must be a nightmare for the crews but why does it happen. ??? Dont know the answer. Shame todays tour ended so bad

 

If it is the same Derby trip I am thinking about, I was also on it. It was nearer 20 years ago , early 90's. I believe the train had a dreaded "ethel" attached as well which didn't help. Seem to remember had to stop for several blow ups before Banbury. During the water stop at Banbury I think the fire was brought round & rest of the run to Didcot was not too bad. Also had a similar encounter with 71000 on one of it's very first main line runs around the same time on the same route.

 

I remember a trip with 6024 that succumbed at Taunton a few years ago. We were rescued by D1015. The coal was described as 'melting all over the fire bars' and yet was supplied to the 6024 guys as the same as a week or so previous on which the King performed immaculately. I think the science of coal is complicated!!!!!

 

If tour diesel hauled back to the Cross then Bittern will have to run LE south at some point .

 

Right, summary of the day. Yes Noelist, I was on it.

Left King's X on time, and that was pretty much the only point we were on time! Poor coal on both locos was cited as the reason. We were only a couple of minutes down all the way to Stoke, but we got stopped at the top on the slow line for a blow up. Left there 44 late, good run down the other side of Stoke bank (73mph through the station, 78mph near Peascliffe briefly), but then looped again at Claypole to allow a service train pass.

Once we left there the speed never really recovered. 53mph for a lot of the journey from what I saw. Missed out the stop at Babworth loop, but then went via the yard opposite the RMT at Donny, where we sat for a long time while they brought the fire round again. According to one of the support crew on the way home, they were struggling to keep boiler pressure above 150 psi! Departure from Donny was delayed by a track circuit failure. Arrival at York was 93 minutes late.

Loco change was undertaken while a lot of people were watching the DRS diesel gala from the end of the platform! 20308, 66427, 37038 and 37069 there, along with 47760. Departure from York was 85 minutes late, so we'd made up 8 minutes. A pretty good departure, but then turned out slow line to Northallerton, max speed around 70 mph. Checked for a service train in the platform at Northallerton, then put in the loop at Ferryhill to allow a couple of trains by.

The run to Newcastle was pretty pedestrian again, and arrival was at 16.23, 114 minutes late, having lost 31 minutes from York. I dashed off to the pub for something to eat, as we were told they were aiming for booked departure time at 17.26. A friend saw 6233 take the stock out, and said she was slipping along and the brakes were dragging. If the duff coal rumour was true and they were struggling to create vacuum that would make sense.

After some food in the nearest Wetherspoons, we wandered back to the station and waited, until about 17.30 it was announced the train was being delayed due to technical difficulties, and wouldn't leave until at least 18.20. At 18.40 another announcement was made, saying Network Rail had refused to allow the train to be steam hauled back, and would be diesel hauled.

Various rumours doing the rounds before the announcement were 6233 to work to York then diesel forward, or diesel to York, 60019 forward, or diesel throughout. In the end the latter one was true, as it seems 47760 had left York around 17.45, and it passed Newcastle about 19.10 heading to Heaton. It seems there's a block on south of Peterborough that NR were worried the tour wouldn't make if it continued steam hauled, especially if the delays continued, hence the decision to run with the 47.

Fair play to Steam Dreams, they tried to keep passengers informed, and they managed to get some passengers on the 18.35 East Coast service back to London, which itself was delayed by 45 minutes due to setting off a hot box detector north of Newcastle!

All in all, a pretty rubbish day out, and all due to bad coal on both locos it seems. Well over 8 hours to get to Newcastle, for an hour's break, followed by 90 minutes hanging round a cold station waiting to find out what was happening. At least some people managed to get back to London at a reasonable time. Indeed, I was indoors just after 10pm. Just a shame a tour that held a lot of promise, with two A4s along the ECML and some high speed, non-stop running, turned into such a damp squib.

 

mmmmmmmm...sorry to hear all that. I suppose it had to be the right decision in the end because none of us would wnat to hear that bad coal had stopped the train ON THE MAIN LINE with all the inevitable awful delays to service trains. Better luck nex time. (Buseng, can't believe King to Derby was 20 yrs ago BUT YOU COULD BE RIGHT> My memory !!!

 

5944, perfect summary of a crap day all round, the only highlight was the bonus of getting the last train home.

 

The train arrvied back about 30 seconds early at Kings Cross, Special thanks to David Blair driving the 47.
Marcus R. informed us that the Duchess had to stop for a 20 minute blow out, between Newcastle Station and Heaton.

 

The "science of coal" is not particularly difficult and is well documented. There used to be official standards for energy output, ash content, tar content etc etc. Suppliers were contracted to provide coal that met a certain specification. Most large organisations carried out their own tests on coal before full scale use. Most tests did not require very sophisticated equipment. A properly equipped old fashioned school science laboratory would have been able to carry out many of them. I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong but I believe that such testing is not carried out these days by locomotive operators.

 

Thanks for all the info regarding the coal, & also the checks incurred - they were inevitable, I guess, once the train got out of its path . Not one of the better days, for sure.

 

Took my daughter to see the dos last night at newcastle. Attitude of one reps was discusting. When we asked what the problem was with it to a steam dreams rep we were told nothing and to f off.

To be sworn at like this is bang out of order.

Maybe this is an exmple of how the steamdreams company is run.

 

Would agree with you that was unacceptable,however this must have been an incredibly frustrating and stressful situation for everyone from Steam Dreams and if you picked on someone at random to ask your question,well we're all human and at stressful times come out with things we later regret! However to say that is an example of how SD "is run" is frankly ridiculous.

Clearly you have never travelled on an SD trip.If you had you would know that in my experience their people are the nicest,most approachable and helpful you could wish for,and that applies to to Marcus and Grahame the top people through to (particularly) the coach stewards. They have always gone out of their way to look after their passengers(which of course you were not!).

 

Well I was one of the disappointed passengers yesterday. The stewards were great, relaying what little information they had in what was a very stressful time for them.
Full marks to SD for getting us on the East Coast service train, a great move by them and allowed many to catch connecting trains home. Normally I wouldn't mind a bit of 47 thrash down the ECML but not at that time of night.

 

Ill give you a clue, you are the wrong side of the viaduct, you need to be on the west side..

 

Richard Foster the train manager who was on platform 2, kept us informed as soon as he knew, including where the diesel was on route, expected departure, and when the train had left Heaton. A cheer went up as the 47 passed through on route to Heaton.
Marcus went through the whole train on the return, to explain the problems.

 

Whatever the situation, it does NOT warrant the the use of such language especially with a "daughter" present. I think I am correct in saying it is an offence to swear in public under the public order act. So the steward could of been prosecuted. Also it is a totally unprofessional act from a company representative. His name should of been taken & a formal complaint made to SD. If they are worth their salt, they should sack the said rep. What would people say if you went into a shop & the shop assistant swore at you, they would be straight out on their ear hole. Same applies if you were speaking on the phone to customer services to a company. I have had a run in with a SD steward, I was looking out of a door window on a trip last year & a steward came along & slammed the window shut in my face & ordered me to move elsewhere. Since then I have been reluctant to use SD again.

 

As I was on the East Coast service with a lot of SD stewards we didn't get to hear the official line on what had happened, any chance you can bring us up to speed? I see you are from EG, how did you get back as the last train here is 23.23?

 

Glad to see others have found sd to be decent. Hopefully it was just heat of the moment comment. Have been with sd and previously found them decent.

 

Well I am sorry that happened to you,and as a matter of interest,what were the circumstances? Wouldnt have thought he had any right to "order" you to move? However I can only go by my own experience as a passenger on at least a dozen SD trips(and yes I am an inveterate,if cautious and sensible, "window hanger"),I have never once witnessed any unpleasantness or confrontation of any kind from an SD steward either with me or any other passenger.