Torbay Express 2015

I find it interesting that LNER and SR pacifics always seem to be flummexed by Goodrington bank, yet BR and LMS pacifics (71000 and 70000 mainly, though 6201 went once)) seem more comfortable and sure footed, did Crewe distribute the weight differently to Doncaster/Eastleigh or something ?.

 

I don't know if this was an isolated occurrence but I was on a Torbay Express with DOG and it stalled on Goodrington Bank and had to be rescued by the Manor. This was the day the Duke failed on the way back to Bristol.

 

Must have missed that one, I know Tangmere and Bittern have come to grief there but didn't know the Duke had, sounds like Tornado wasn't exactly in the comfort zone either.

 

To be honest I think it looks pretty neglected at the moment and could do with a good tidy! Will be interesting to see how they put the wires up, supposedly it will be as sympathetic to the surrounds as possible. Will make this shot difficult though...

 

Any chance of a copy of the above picture? Yours truly is the one leaning out of the cab!

 

Ah! Goodrington bank up to Churston. It sorts out the men from the boys.

 

Maybe on that occasion it was the weather as much as the load that contributed to the problems that DoG experienced on the assault of Goodrington Bank. The date was 12th June 2011, and it was marked by some really archetypal damp, dank, downright miserable South Devon weather. IIRC, the mizzle/ drizzle persisted throughout the day until some time after the late afternoon passage of the returning Torbay Express, which is seen here emerging from the gloom and entering the loop at Churston station.


Incidentally, after its post failure R & R on the WSR, DoG returned to TBEL duties some 10 weeks later, on 21st August, with load 12 + POB + Class 47. But, on this occasion, and despite its inclusion in the consist, it was reported that diesel assistance was confined to the climb to Churston.

 

You can get an idea looking at the Network Rail slides here: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/great-western-route-modernisation/banes/

 

The weather was a typical summers day wet and a tad windy, the load was 12 so everything going against the engine on the run up to Churston but it got there. Tornado is down again in two weeks so let's hope the weather is a lot better! Good to see the train was full and sold out (more or less), it's what you need after the not so good start to the year steam charters have had...

 

61306 Mayflower had to stay at Paignton when it visited the area. I assume the climbs on the PDSR were too much for it. I've always thought LNER designs were made to look good and go fast, but not real load pullersTangmere handles them OK and has done TE many times.

 

61306 was an odd visit. It had diesel assist to Churston due mainly to short turn around timings. When it got to Paignton for servicing, it was discovered the rocking grate had broken, repairs were taken out with the 25 bring the train back up from Kingswear and then 61306 then taking the train back to London.

 

No problem! I have sent you a message.

 

Ah that was the reason, thanks. I was waiting at Kingswear to see it, only to see the diesel. LNER are OK then, well actually BR in Mayflowers case.

I'd love 61306 to come to Plymouth as the other Mayflower took the Pilgrims to America. It would have to be double heading though, with Braunton or Tangmere in disguise as 34003 Plymouth. Oh you can dream can't you

 

I'd like to see 61306 in Plymouth as well. Double headed with Tornado would look quite nice. Has Tornado ever double headed before?

 

Hi, yes I'm pretty sure it has on a visit to Plymouth. I remember it with 6024 King Edward I or perhaps the Duke of Gloucester 71000? I've got a photo of it somewhere double heading. I'll look for it. We had a lot of double header visits between 2008 - 2011.

 

Yes, it doubled headed with 71000 DoG on the Tamar Devonian a few years back. I'm sure it has also double headed on preserved lines as well.

 

On train footage from my son, including some on the infamous bank, you see the weather for yourself.

 

Found the pics, but not uploading them. They are rubbish anyway, I remember getting pushed out of the way at the vital moment, by some bozo with a Nikon DSLR and a massive lens. It double headed with 6024 King Edward I on the 'Tamar Devonian' run by Pathfinder in 2010. Tornado would be right in a railway sense but 34003 Plymouth in a historical sense. Bittern got mocked up as Dominion of New Zealand 4492.

 

I don't think it's down to one main depot doing better than another. I think it's down to the weather, the load of the train and more importantly, the tractive effort of the steam locomotive itself. Tornado has an tractive effort of 37,397 lbf. With a load of 12 coaches and with constant rain during the morning, it can cause a powerful engine like her to struggle up the bank. The same with 4464 Bittern with 35,455 lbf and 34067 Tangmere with 31,000 lbf. The point is, the more the tractive effort, the more you can get up the bank without much problems. 71000, 6024 and 6201 for example have a tractive effort of 39,080, 40,300 and 40,285 lbf respectively.

 

4472 worked 11 coaches plus Lydham Manor on the climb to Churston. 40% cut off and full regulator with no slipping reported. The rail conditions were good on a sunny summer day and if the tyres were in good condition regarding turning/tread profile this would also have helped. This engine has far less tractive effort than 71000, 6201 or 6024 and less than 60163. So much depends on railhead conditions and on the ability of the crew to enable the engine to master them.