Replica builds for heritage lines.

The NYMR could easily fill nine coach trains on some services to /from Whitby but both loco power and loop lengths preclude this.

 

Doesn't surprise me, was packed when I visited. Length of loops, loco power/gradients limit length of trains on heritage railways, platform lengths do not.

 

Odd therefore that the SR can can carry the numbers they do without "cramming like sardines".

 

They can do it because it is a relatively short line and they run more trains over the course of the day. is my impression.

 

It should be remembered that the Swanage Railway operates on more days per year than virtually any other heritage railway.

 

What they said!

 

This seems to have developed into a debate about the best way to carry more passengers - longer trains, more trains, more operating days or a combination of the above. I would have thought it would be obvious that railway management would take the decision based on factors such as volunteer availability, the number of coaches they can expect to have available for traffic at any given time, loop length and the like. Because each individual situation will be different in each individual railway, each individual railway will have its own individual solution, which the management will have reached based on its knowledge of the requirements and resources at its disposal. Having a single-minded attitude that there is one right way to do things is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

The subject of big chufferitis has arisen again with the Swanage used as an example, so let me approach this from a different angle. Looking on the listing on Wikipedia, the Swanage Railway has (not including 41312, but including Sir Keith Park) 12 resident locos, operational or otherwise (563, 30053, 30120, 31625, 31806, 31874, 34010, 34028, 34053, 34070, 34072 and 80104). One will notice that 5 of those 12 are Bulleids. One could also probably class the 3 Moguls and 80104 as medium sized locos, so the SR only has 3 resident 'small' locos. Under Paul's belief that the SR doesn't need locos the size of Bulleids and therefore shouldn't run them, what do they do? Tell SLL to sod off somewhere else? And then where do they find enough small enough locos, which are in short enough supply, especially in an operational sense. They have an Austerity on loan at Embsay, but its boiler ticket is up at the end of the year, and I expect the line would argue that Bulleids do a better job of recreating the feel of a Southern Railway line (which the railway tries to recreate) than a former industrial which has been retrospectively fitted with vacuum brakes (In fact, I can't think of another railway which in terms of locos and rolling stock does a better job of continuing the heritage of its parent companies than the Swanage, the only non SR locos it has are 80104, and currently 41312, both of which are types with Southern region heritage).

Put quite simply, if the railway couldn't afford big locos, they would have looked to replace them with smaller locos by now. But they can afford them, so they've kept them. That, for me, is a better scenario than railways like the Swanage downsizing and leaving the big locos to end up at railways like the Lavender line or Chinnor and Princess Risborough, where large locos definitely are not suitable in the long term, nor are they affordable.

 

My point exactly, the problem has been dealt with so why is it being kicked around on here.

 

Paul that post is one of the biggest pile of steaming BS I have had the misfortune to read, Paul have you ever paid a visit to Highley? A 4 or 5 coach platform that regularly has to deal with 8 or 9 sets of bogies worth of passengers . I'm sure Mr Ralls would love to hear how he can cram 8 coaches into 5, yet still not have to steam something bigger than 46443. Come on Paul let's hear your magic formula

 

Risking life and limb by approaching the edge of the swamp here...but I travelled over the S & C regularly in the early '70s, on the late lamented "Thames-Clyde Express", and at both Appleby and Settle (the only intermediate stations between Carlisle and Skipton open in those days) the train length was well in excess of platform length, so the train stopped with the first half of the train in the platform, allowed people to get on and off, then (shock, horror) drew forward so that the passengers in the rear half of the train could do the same. Mark 1 (or older) stock, inside door handles, no secondary or central locking, no stewards at every door...how the chuff did we all survive?

The point is - there's a prototype for trains longer than platforms...

 

Magic money tree combined with small chufferitis I am afraid.

 

All sorts of practices grow up!

PH

 

Simon, I've mentioned this before but I was once on a departure from Kidderminster in the summer months, it was the first northbound departure of the day and there was a bit of of dew on the rails on the bank at Highley, despite being a former WR thoroughbred and tackling the likes of the Dainton, Rattery, Hemerdon and the Lickey as well as being entrusted with the Royal Train in its youth, this wonderful piece of kit struggled with about at least 8x Mk1s on the climb out of Highley that morning at about 1030. So much so that it had to reverse down to Highley station and back to the Engine House and have a big run up the bank to get to to Bridgenorth. What was this loco? A massively overpowered Western Region Hydralic D821 Greyhound! If something like that can struggle, with plenty of power in reserve... Well.

 

Go on then give us a straight answer, we're all ears.

 

Good luck with that Matt. If you are holding your breath, then you had better learn how to breathe out of those ears! New holes for the goalposts need to be dug first....

 

That's just what you got.

PH

 

Don't forget, Northwood is even shorter and most trains are booked to stop on request. Clearly the SVR should be running 1-coach trains with locos the size of 1450!

 

It just wasn't Paul, Matt asked for a solution to a problem that you have identified, you didn't give one.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

You'll never get one mate. I'd go have a beer instead.
Either Paul really believes what he posts or he's a first class WUM. I'll leave you to decide which.

 

Some of their trains can get very busy. I've been on some that were standing room only. You should visit more often rather than sit in that ivory tower of yours.