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Torbay Express 2015

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by 5944, Feb 2, 2015.

  1. Sean Emmett

    Sean Emmett Member

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    Smoke was wafting from Tornado's chimney this morning.

    Hope FTR went OK?
     
  2. black5

    black5 Well-Known Member

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  3. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    It is very, very wet in the area this morning. I am sure the DSR will have help available: I guess it will be needed.
     
  4. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    The signallers at Bristol have been up to their tricks once again.

    The Tremains to Fairwater Yard engineers train was due to depart Bristol TM at 10:06, actual departure 09:18¾.
    The Torbay Express was due to depart Bristol TM at 09:15, actual departure 09:18 1/2.
    Just outside of the station the engineers train, although running 44 mins early, was allowed to proceed ahead of the 12 coach steam charter. Where is the logic in that? [​IMG] <BJ>

    Update: At Weston super Mare the Torbay Express was quite rightly held to allow a Padd - Penzance to pass.
    The Torbay Express proceeded 31 mins late.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2015
  5. Yorkshire Exile

    Yorkshire Exile Member

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    Return likewise being disrupted but reason unknown. 60.2 into Whiteball - not bad given the weather.
     
  6. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    Am I correct in thinking that the return Torbay Express has ran from Kingswear to Bristol without a water stop? <BJ>
     
  7. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    Nope. We took water at Exeter.
     
  8. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

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    The path assumes a loco with 4000 gallons capacity or thereabouts, theoretically could 60163 do it non stop on a full tank, 6000 and something gallons ?.
     
  9. cg

    cg Well-Known Member

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  10. Yorkshire Exile

    Yorkshire Exile Member

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    Mileage is 244 so the answer to your question, theoretically, is yes she could do it I(if she still does 30 gallons to the mile average) but I doubt whether you would want to take the risk as there wouldn't be a great deal spare.
     
  11. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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    Flat out through, Yatton on the return and good to hear, Tornado reunited with it's chime whistle ! Although it's sounds a little deeper.
     
  12. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    The conclusion might be about right but the numbers do seem slightly odd. The single trip mileage from Bristol TM to Kingswear via Weston-super-Mare is 111.34 miles. The tender water capacity is quoted by A1 SLT as 6,200 gallons. A maximum interval of somewhere just north of 100 miles between water-stops seems to be the ball-park parameter for Tornado, and this was demonstrated in the (abortive) original timing plan for Pathfinder's Cumbrian Fells Express (30th May) which I think I am correct in saying visualised no intermediate water-stops between Barton Down Goods Loop and Appleby - a distance of just over 115 miles.
     
  13. Yorkshire Exile

    Yorkshire Exile Member

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    You are right I have used the round trip figures - sorry. Off shed in Bristol to Kingswear is probably around 120 miles and there is no doubt 60163 would do that without a water top up. However you will always get a pathing stop somewhere so the policy was, and I guess still is, take the water as you do not know what obstacles could lie ahead.
    Now stand pipes are rarely used topping up with Bells and Two Tones power tankers is a few minutes job.
    In the early days when the loco was at Hither Green we used to top the tank at KX but we found that just wasn't necessary as we were arriving at Grantham DGL with well over 2000 gallons left - sorry can't remember the exact figure.
     
  14. AlexGWR1994

    AlexGWR1994 Member

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    Tornado seen at Brent Knoll, Dawlish, Torre and Yatton. A great performance from her despite the delays.:)
     
    782sirbrian and springers like this.
  15. 34098

    34098 Member Account Suspended

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  16. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    Many thanks for that...an interesting insight, and much appreciated.
     
  17. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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  18. Western Venturer

    Western Venturer Well-Known Member

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  19. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    Thought I’d post this report on Sunday’s Torbay Express behind Tornado in sometimes awful weather. Another very wet Sunday greeted us in Bristol. There was some good news. As we watched the shunting we counted 12 coaches. There should have been 11 but TBEL had a large number of late bookings and were able to add another TSO. Then we watched the sad sight of Tangmere being assisted out of the station by a Class 47 on the Weymouth Seaside Express.

    A bit later we watched our train arrive at Platform 8 from Platform 12 where we’d been sent minutes before! Our crew was Driver Graham Ward, Fireman Fred Lewis and Traction Inspector Jeff Ewens. We left a little late as there had been lineside trespassing near Weston Milton on the branch and we were also told about broken points in Taunton affecting all services. Not an auspicious start to the day, made worse when a Freightliner was allowed to pass us both in the station and then at Bristol West Gantry. So a slow start with Flax Bourton summit passed at 44. We were held in Weston for 20 minutes but as soon as we rejoined the SWML there was some decent running. We passed Highbridge at 70, Bridgwater at 71 and then ran in the mid 70s until 3 miles from Taunton before a very slow approach to the ‘island’ platform 2/3. The hose for watering was passed over the running line of Platform 1/2 as the broken points were on the Fairwater Yard side of the station.

    I’ve put the speeds of the 12th in brackets for comparison as the load and weather were the same. The start away from Taunton was brisk, Silk Mill being passed at 42(39). The rain started again as we crossed Victory LC at 54(52) and speed only rose to 55(54) before falling back to 52(54) after a slip approaching Wellington. There was no pick up on the favourable grades and speed dropped steadily 51(52) at the foot of the mile of 1 in 90; 40(42) at the start of the ¾ mile of I in 90; 33(40) at the start of the ¾ mile of 1 in 80 into Whiteball Tunnel reached at 30(37) in 15mins 9secs (15mins 17secs). Once out of the tunnel, speed rose to 35(41) at MP174 and 43(49) at MP174¼. We roared through Tiverton Parkway at 71(70) and maxed at 77(79) on the run down to Cowley Bridge Junction.

    It was wet enough to cause Tornado to slip passing the Panel outside Exeter Station, speed dropping to 32(38). With hard work up front, Exminster was passed at 65(63); Starcross at 67(67) before slowing to 60ish for the run around the coast. Rail conditions were so poor that Tornado slipped approaching Teignmouth. We drifted through Newton Abbot at 37(15) and started the climb of the 2¼ miles of 1 in 110 through Kingskerswell at 47(40), passing the summit at MP218¼ at a really decent 40(28) on wet rails. We ran through Torquay at 36(34) and Graham opened her up to noisily attack the short 1 in 56 at close to 40(37), only dropping back to 36(31) as the grade eased.

    There were problems with the points to cross onto the PSR and we followed their service train. Churston Bank was a challenge again and despite charging it at a little over 25, a number of slips caused speed to drop to 12 by Hookhills Viaduct, and further bouts of slipping led to a minimum of 4.4 before cruising into Churston at almost 8. No real dramas but a difficult climb again with a heavy 12 coach train on wet rails. The return from Kingswear was drama free, the big engine holding 18.5(16.6) into Greenway tunnel and only falling below 17(21) on the approach to Churston Station.

    Vince Henderson was our driver from Paignton, with Dave Proctor as his Fireman and Traction Inspector Gareth Jones. Even with a gentle hand on the regulator there was a long slip on the short 1 in 81. Then speed rose to 28(22) at the foot of the ½ mile of 1 in 91, topped at 32(21). We ran through Torquay at 35(36), then Vince really opened her up on the mile of 1 in 56 through Torre which was topped at 28(29). Tornado roared up the remaining ¾ mile of 1 in 73 to pass the summit at MP218¼ at 29(25) with safety valves howling! After the usual 60ish around the coast, we accelerated to 62(67) through the Warren; roared through Starcross at 70(70), and passed the site of the old Exminster Box at 74(72). Despite a change in the itinerary to stop for water at Exeter, speed was still 70 two miles out from the station.

    We left on damp rails but speed rose steadily to 39(51) by Cowley Bridge Junction; 54(62) by Stoke Canon LC; 63(66) by MP187 and maxed at 67(69) by Hele and Bradnich LC. Speed was held in the mid 60s, passing Cullompton at 66(72). We passed MP181¼, the bottom of the 1½ miles of 1 in 155, at 66(72). Speed dropped steadily and we topped the section at 60(60). Speed recovered to 67(68) on the downgrade through Tiverton Junction, a speed held through Tiverton Parkway 67(70) and to MP176¼, the foot of the 2¼ miles of 1 in 115. Speed fell slowly to 60(59) at MP174½ where the grade eases to 1 in 212 for the final ¼ mile to Whiteball Summit, MP174¼ which we passed at 59(59) in 22mins 2secs (18mins 28secs with 40 pass through Exeter). We passed the Whiteball Challenge by entering the tunnel at 61.8(60.3). Speed was 68(68) by MP173, maxing at 76(79) on the approach to Wellington. We crossed Bradford-on-Tone LC at 76(73); Victory LC at 74(73) and Norton Fitzwarren Junction at 38(51) before rolling slowly into Taunton as the points issue on Platform 1/2 still seemed to be affecting all services.

    The run from Taunton was up to the standard we’ve come to expect. Cogload was passed at 66(62) , Bridgwater at 75 after covering the 11 miles and a bit in 12mins 17secs. Speed didn’t drop below 73 until 2 miles from Uphill Junction. We were held on the branch for a passing train and only crossed Worle Junction at 16. Still, Vince, ably assisted by Dave on the shovel, got the heavy train up to 72 as we thundered through Yatton. We hit the bottom of the climb to Flax Bourton at 75, reaching the summit at just below 69. Another excellent Torbay Express with Tornado and a heavy 12 coach train. Bet you next week will be dry as we’re not travelling!
     
  20. ragl

    ragl Well-Known Member

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    A really superb account of the day's proceedings on the train and the first-rate performance of the loco in difficult conditions, many thanks for sharing.

    Cheers,

    Alan
     

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