Tornado Paddington/Penzance 29/05/17

Not to deride what WCRC do, but the DBC crews get the maximum from Tornado whenever they can, that comes from operational experience.

The fact that DBS also get a seemingly preferential treatment with regard to fast pathing, don't need a rear gunner, as they have air loco's close to hand, makes A1ST decision to use DBS a no brainer.

Think a lot of bridges were burnt, over the cylinder liner fiasco, and honestly, it looks with other plans (carriage set, shed etc.., in Darlington), they are having the last laugh.

To have refurbished rake of clean, modern equipped coaching stock, is only going to help the A1ST further.

I wish them every luck in their plans, think it is great for everybody concerned.

 

Wasn't it said upthread that it was Graham Bunker who identified the path ?, DBS Are far from immune to naff pathing.

 

No - I'd say it was very good regulation. The following HST was 6' behind you at Teignmouth but had closed up a bit more by Newton Abbot. An HST is always going to gain time over steam between Newton Abbot and Plymouth due to the acceleration and speed differential on the gradients, and there is an absolute minimum 10 minute headway required on that section governed by the long block sections between Totnes and Ivybridge. Delay to the HST would've been inevitable had 1Z63 run first (looking at RTT the said HST did Newton Abbot West to Ivybridge 5 minutes faster than Tornado including a stop at Totnes). Similar long block section issues exist in Cornwall which is why it was held at Plymouth for the GWR HST to overtake - that would have ended up at a stand somewhere around St Germans/Menheniot whilst Tornado cleared Liskeard.
Creative regulation was applied to the 59 and support coach using the bidirectional signalling running along the up line along the sea wall to allow the GWR HST to overtake!

 

Its seem less likely that they get given one....

 

While on the subject of Tornado, Is there any indication when the 90MPH capability will be let loose ?, I'm eyeing the Dorridge - Newcastle run in October if it's likely to be a 90 job.

 

I am sure a forum search will unearth the relevant threads and reasons.....

 

First, from one who was on the train, many thanks for the pics and videos from the lineside or further away.

Further to the comments about regulation, one slight oddity was when we were about ready to leave Riverside Yard. 1CO8 Paddington-Bristol-Exeter arrived and was held at a signal roughly level with us. For a minute or two both trains sat there, then we were given the road onto the main line and through the station. If we were ready to leave when the HST arrived, why were we held a bit longer, or if we weren't quite ready then why did they hold the HST rather than let it straight into the station and then let us out behind it?

When we did get the road the acceleration was remarkable: I'd love to see a video from someone on the level crossing or on the station, or failing that a bit of SpamCan81's sound recording would be good.

Good as the runs over the South Devon banks were, the climb to Dainton would of course have been better if we'd been able to run straight through Newton Abbot and have a run at the bank. However the York-Plymouth was already running a few minutes late, so it seems not unreasonable to have held us to let it pass.

We ended up about half an hour late at Plymouth and a bit later still at Penzance. Then the world and his wife were thronging the station to see Tornado arrive and it took quite a while to get all (or most) of us through a narrow gateway in the barrier and out of the station. But personally I had little to do in Penzance and was quite happy to have a bit less time there than scheduled.

 

Barely breaking into a sweat then.

 

I was delighted to get a pure steam run yesterday. As for the other trips over the weekend that dobs0054 claimed were being shoved around by diesels, I wasn't on them and I suspect neither was he but from video evidence of 5043 and 46233 that I've seen so far, it would seem the diesels were doing sweet FA and all of the work was being done at the front end.

 

Possibly with The Earl because we know Bob seriously dislikes diesels assisting. On the Hadrian, not enough footage to tell what the box on the back was doing. Can't figure out why it wasn't detached at Hellifield. Was it needed for shunting at Carlisle?? Seemed more logical to leave it at Hellifield. Big cost in coal to lug 120+ tons of dead weight both ways over the S&C. Environmentally 0/10.

But back to yesterday, if we hadn't been held at NA we could have been on the best steam run in preservation.... subjective term I know as Tornado ain't a preserved engine, but you know what I mean. Every time I look at my timing book I have to blink and look again!!!

 

What a fantastic run by Tornado yesterday, the run to Reading and flattening of the banks in the West Country was exceptional. The only downside was Willy Watsits ice cream factory. After squeezing through the narrowest of gaps to exit the station with half of Penzance coming the other way we crossed the road for some real home made Cornish ice cream to find the queue spilling onto the pavement, so off for a walk. returning at 4.30 to find the place closed and the wife inconsolable!

This was only the second trip I'd done since the no lingering in the vestibules policy started but happy to find standing next to an open droplight was not frowned upon. However the many p.a. announcements became a little tedious about keeping our 'body parts' inside. The speed we were going from Paddington to Reading I was quite happy to remain on the cushions. All in all an outstanding example of what steam can do almost 50 years since its demise.

 

Very good run yesterday. Sound track from Dainton:



Thanks to all who made it happen. A1ST, DBS, Network Rail etc.

 

I thought that nine coaches was the maximum over the devon banks with a class 8 including support coach . ANYONE PUT ME RIGHT?

 

Your information in relation to what are described as “Guidelines” appears correct based on the “Significant Gradients (i.e.>1 in 100) Table for the Paddington Penzance route that accompanied Network Rail’s “Guidelines for Steam Train lengths and loads” (v1 23.05.2016) published last year.

Although these guidelines don’t specify whether they refer to “tare” or “gross” weights, they do assume a stated average vehicle weight of 36 tons per coach, so maybe it’s the former and certainly the tabled computation of “Weight” based on “Load” reflects this parameter. On this basis, the declared maximum load for Class 8 over the Devon Banks would indeed be 9 coaches/ 324 tons.

But Page Three of the Guidelines describes the provisions that will exist for authorising exceptions to the guidelines, prefaced as follows…..

“Risk assessment criteria
The loadings and guiding principles set out above should only be exceeded when supported by a formal documented risk assessment undertaken by the train operating company. The risk assessment will provide evidence to support the service operating in excess of the guidance table without imposing any additional safety or performance risk upon the network.”

It then goes on to describe/ exemplify 13 specimen items (i.e. “including but not necessarily limited to”) for consideration in the Risk Assessment. Worth a read.

I assume that this is where the DB-C’s expertise, not to mention Tornado’s demonstrable track record, really comes in particularly handy. I have no specific knowledge of how those professionally involved interpret/ implement these guidelines in the real world, but I think its quite legitimate to infer that some flexibility does indeed exist to deviate from the published guidelines

 

Isn't it more there's a precedent for Tornado and Sutherland taking 10 without issue previously ?.

 

And some say it's quiet !

 

Surprised it's Tornado first visit to Cornwall. Would've thought she would've done a royal duchy before

 

The TOC for the Royal duchy is WCRC and Tornado is not on their books, which is why it hasn't done one.

Dave B