Saphos Trains 'Golden Arrow' - 26/10/19

My video of yesterday's Golden Arrow, seen at Victoria, Bearsted and Canterbury:

 

I think "Britannia" as "Iron Duke" is another of Saphos' superb "incarnations" but would prefer to see it with an early BR emblem as that is (a) how it appeared in its Southern days and (b) when it got the later totem it had lost its smoke deflector handrails (I think). Perhaps if it's going to stay as 70014 for a while could it regain early emblems?

 

70014 kept its smoke deflector handrails until the end as I'm sure did the other one, 70004. I'm not sure when 14 got the new BR totem but no 4 still had the old one up to at least 1963. I would prefer it as 70004 which always seemed to be the first choice for the Arrow.

 

Which brings back all those memories of 31019 and 31067 back in the day. Maybe what they really needed yesterday was 45231 in behind.

 

Both 70004 and 70014 kept their smoke deflector handrails until they were withdrawn.

 

They were not removed from all of them, No 70004 /14 being two examples. There were two different designs of handholds, the Western sticking to the tradition of the GWRs love of polished copper with four having copper beading while the others had two of the LMS type as fitted to the Duchesses.

 

If we’re looking this deeply into the correct representation of 70014, I’m surprised there’s been no mention of the Air Pump before we start talking about handrails on the smoke deflectors

 

Agree, on its last ten year ticket the pump was hidden away

 

... but the hookers were still very obvious.

 

must give up doing this on the phone. Fingers too big☹️

 

I've just checked my photos from June 1967 and both 70004 and 70014 had handrails on the blinkers to the end.

 

I suppose there's also the extra long lamp irons, too...

 

So it clearly hasn't been the best of weeks for LSL.....

https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/green-liveried-class-47s.1417149/

Just checking my video I took back in May on 871, forward onto 19 minutes 35 seconds. LSL sent the Statesman (11 coaches) around Kent behind 47810 & 47614 in favourable conditions so it comes across as an interesting decision sending 70000 with 12 unassisted.

 

Yes slightly lighter . Tare weight of train was 417.5 tons and I calculate gross weight as 450 tons. MK1s would have been around 428 tare

 

Taking into account the gradient the maximum load should have been 8? Did you get home OK? I think you said you had to get the 2130 Paddington

 

A couple of observations on this. Should operators change what they do just because the infrastructure company can't look after the network properly? At normal FOCs and TOCs what do we do in this circumstance? If a freight train for example only 'pays' if you run it at 1500ts do you simply make a loss in the Autumn and run it light or carry on as normal? I think, as far as i know, certainly in the area where i work they carry on as normal and if the railhead can't support it then that really isn't the operators fault. I'm not getting into the wisdom of it, just what normally happens elsewhere. I realise steam has its differences but traction or lack of, is traction, even the most modern diesels and electrics with all the bells and whistles still come to grief. I guess power or capability wasn't the problem here, only adhesion? If for example a diesel won't go up a hill it can normally go up no problem then usually the diesel isn't blamed.

 

I think the leaf fall question is a red herring, a Class 7 engine on a wet rail from a slow speed at the bottom of the bank would be in trouble anyway. I don’t know what the load limit was in steam days but I’m sure it was less than 450 tons

 

A Class 47 could have sat on the rear and assisted where it was needed.
Just cause its switched on doesn't mean its shoving everywhere.

Surprised the better safe then sorry approach wasn't taken Saturday.

LSL have learnt an expensive lesson.

 

Got this from a friend who works at the sharp end;

''Before we worry too much about steam getting the blame, this morning the Scunthorpe to Dollands Moor slipped to a stand approaching Sevenoaks off the Bat and Ball line.

This appears to have been a shot in the foot. Booked to run via Orpington to avoid Bearsted bank, it was sent towards Swanley in error, which was how it came to be coming off the Bat and Ball line.''

So there you go. I now feel slightly less fed up about Saturday. Also had an email from Saphos saying that a letter about Saturday was being sent first class to everybody on the train.