VT- Cornishman Doubleheader

What a load of rubbish. We spent a lot of money repairing that tender, we love it to bits and to be perfectly frank, if you don't like it get your own.

The capacity of the tender has never caused us any issues as it normally falls in quite well with lineside resources and in point of fact you can get more coal on it than on a 4000 gallon tender of either persuasion. It rides beatifully and the vision going backwards is superb on the Shakespeare. As for comfort it has never caused us an awful lot of difficulty even in cold weather at 45 mph on the Stratford jobs. A decent load of coal and the storm sheet provide a very good wind deflector, obviously footplate staff to the west of Tyseley are a bit softer than my blokes here at TYS. As for wanting to take on somebody else's careworn 4000 gallons tender on the whim of contributers on here is not exactly a very sensible suggestion when you think of the very serious 5 figure sum that it would cost to pursue your suggestion and bring it back to a state fit to operate on Network Rail.


Regards
Bob

 

Half main valve and 35% actually,

Regards
Bob (stood behind the driver looking over his shoulder!)

 

Any chance of a railtour to Cornwall in future Tyseley? The ACTUAL county of Cornwall?? It's really 5043's next new but familiar destination, I'd be willing to pay hundreds of pounds worth just to go on it from Tyseley to Penzance (or Par) and back even if it meant travelling up to Birmingham by car from Devon.

 

Hey Bob
You should read what Tony Barfield says about going up the Valley backwards covered in snow and trying to get warm pressing against the backhead.
Pleased to get to Alveley sidings to get warm in the brake and have a cup of tea.

Cheers Dave

 

Suspect Brum - Cornwall and back in a day by steam would be too long a day(I'm booked on a 90MPH Diesel tour doing it in June and even that looks like 5am to not far short of midnight), though a weekend tour or one way is possible, am I right in thinking gauging restrictions around Hale currently prevent Castles reaching Penzance ?

 

I think there a number of obstacles to doing a run from say Bristol or Plymouth to Penzance with VT.
1. A fair few of the support crew also have full time jobs away from the railway and to do these long trips they have to book time off work, don't forget that Saturday's trip involved a Friday positioning move.
2. The lack of servicing amenities in the Penzance area, including I think, an issue with the turntable at St. Blazey.
3. I think a trip from Brum to Penzance and back would have to be a full weekend returning on Sunday which means paying for overnight accommodation, for the driver, fireman and stewards. Add that on to the price of a ticket and with accommodation costs it would probably be beyond what most people would be willing to pay.

 

That's one hell of a long day I agree with David.
In the '80''s I think it was we went to Penzance by diesel with Britannia back from Penzance to Bristol, the pick up at Kidderminster was something like 5AM.
Very long day

Cheers Dave

 

I did in many many locations!!!

 

I know now .

 

So lots to spare and it sounded great

Don

 

Or alternatively a trip to Kingswear, another GWR route for 5043 to take in future and that has all the facilities a mainline engine needs on a days trip, a turntable, water and coaling facilities. So....little excuse not to make an effort to take the classic "Torbay Express" route. It's a typical and historical route, not to mention Torbay and Dartmouth being perfect places to go to for passengers.

 

I recall Kingswear has been done by VT some years ago ( a marathon steam hauled throughout), a fairly decent trip with 35005 which took the then record on Old Hill Bank on the return, 6024 did it a year later, but the less said about that trip the better.

 

And from many different angles.....

 

Is someone looking over my shoulder?

 

No idea... I'm not in Tyseley!

 

With all this discussion of potential destinations for 5043, has VT ever run to Weymouth? It may be a long day out from Birmingham, but perhaps putting steam on at Gloucester as with the Cheltenham Flyer would be do-able. In view of 5043's reputation for flattening banks, this would be quite an interesting run, with Brewham, Evershot, Upwey and Filton to give the engine a good work-out. There was talk of a turntable being installed at Weymouth this year, but I haven't read much about it in the railway press recently.

 

Or...have we been forgetting? 5043 go up the Lickey Incline as VT have done previously with Lizzie along with 9600 & 7752 (L94) banking or more better just a single pannier do the banking! And the good thing is the Lickey Incline is only just down the road from Tyseley...so again I can't see why it shouldn't happen unless theres a pathing or gauging problem. Still 5043 over the Lickey would be worth something for GW fans to enjoy.

 

My post was intended to be tongue in cheek Mr. Meanley and not to cause offence