Tornado to haul certain timetabled trains on S&C: Feb 14-16

That's exactly what I was thinking. 61264s run from Grosmont to Whitby was for a normal timetabled train working on the main network. For me that would be the most recent example.

 

Didn't Sir Lamiel do something similer with a Scarborough Spa Express in the 1980's too?

 

There have been a number of occasions when a steam-hauled excursion has picked up passengers left stranded by the failure of a service train, but the incident with Sir Lamiel, which comes into this category, isn't quite the same as a plandampf - i.e., a steam loco working a timetabled service.

More recent examples included Tornado picking up passengers in a snowbound Kent when hardly anything else was working (December 2009 or 2010??) and 60009 helping out South West Trains when a Class 159 failed and it took some extra passengers from Salisbury and Andover to Waterloo in 2003. On 11th October 1986, I was a beneficiary of a similar situation. I had gone to photograph Clan Line on one of the Gerry Daniels-organised Salisbury-Yeovil specials near Buckhorn Weston Tunnel. The Class 50-hauled train which had dropped me off at Gillingham then conked out at Axminster, which was then in the middle of a long single-track section. With eastbound trains consequentially delayed, the only way of getting stranded passengers back to London was for the steam special to stop at all stations back to Salisbury, including Gillingham where yours truly jumped on board, complete with bicycle. In terms of performance my 20-mile journey behind No. 35028 doesn't compare with some more recent main line trips I have done, but being totally unexpected, it still ranks among my favourite memories of post-1967 main line steam.

I know someone who was on the 60009 run who told me about two girls who got on (at Andover, I think) and didn't at first twig that this train was a bit different from the usual stock on the line, but when someone told them it was a steam-hauled train, they got very excited and started giggling. One wonders whether there will be any passengers on the Tornado specials who won't realise that this train isn't a normal one.

 

It is half term week for Lancashire schools.

 

Timings now staring to appear on RTT. Seem to confirm tender first from Appleby.

 

Yes, timed for 60mph towards Appleby, 45mph towards Skipton.

 

Thanks for that, Half term in Bradford is the following week, don't know about leeds/ N yorks.

All I need now is the how much for / how to get hold of tickets info....

 

If these are normal service trains then surely it's normal fares, pay on the day?

 

Looking at the schedule just over 40 minutes to shunt Tornado from front to back at Skipton is looking a bit tight unless the diesel is staying in the same spot within the consist all day and thus going to be tucked inside for one journey?

 

If its too good to be true, then it usually is n't.

 

Half term is certainly the same week in Leeds as these trains.

 

Well looking at RTT for Skipton and Appleby, the empty train moves for Appleby are there. At Skipton the train arrives at P3 and departs from P3. No LE moves. That says to me it's going to be top and tail. Tornado on the front northbound.
Standard fares Skipton-Appleby. But we are still waiting to see the exact ticket arrangements.

 

but what about 'normal' travellers who will have no idea of the special arrangements?

 

I note that the various online journey planners now recognise that the 09.47 from Leeds will terminate at Skipton, but they don't know about the 10.45 Skipton - Appleby.

I wonder whether final details of how to travel on the trains hauled by Tornado are awaiting the publication of the next issue of Steam Railway, so that they can claim their "exclusive". If this is the case and it turns out that normal fares do not apply or you have to pre-book, it will negate any claims of them being "service train".

 

The planners did once show the trains as did RTT, but they were removed from database, yesterday I think. The shunt moves are still on RTT.

 

I suspect the DL will stay at the same place in the formation, and that Tornado will run-round. My guess (and it's no more than that) is that the DL will be at the Leeds end of the set, so will be immediately behind Tornado on the south-bound, tender-first runs. IIRC, shunt moves within station-limits are not always shown separately on RTT.

 

Could possibly do with clarifying as some travelling to Appleby for a run behind a steam engine could find a large and very noisy (from memory its been noted previously on here when 67's have been in consists and accused of assisting that they have to run fairly hard to create the necessary ETH supply) diesel engine running between them and the locomotive themselves?

 

Possibly. At Skipton in the morning platform 4 is required for the Bradford local train and bay platform 1 for the Leeds local. So what it comes down to is whether Tornado can unhook, pull forward, reverse back through the station and get out of the way of the 0947 arriving at 1026. Let's agree it's tight given the Leeds local departs 1017 and the Bradford local arrives 1020.
What is the water capacity of Tornado? Can it do 112 miles of haulage without a refill at Skipton?

 

IIRC, DBC isolate the diesel, so it cannot supply assistance unless someone overrides it. The 67's do sound noisy when ticking over.

 

I suspect that 60163 will remain on the rear heading south given that it will need to run at a maximum 45 mph if running tender first heading south but can operate at a higher speed if the diesel loco is leading and 60163 remains at the rear.