Fire Risk

Indeed so - I will be surprised if steam is even present, given the scorching weather.

 

Which calls into question the usefulness/point of a blanket banner like that, when conditions were obviously inappropriate for steam over quite a wide area.

 

Posted about this on the Steam Dreams thread but relevant here also. Nunney Castle has set fire to the lineside between Newton Abbot and Torre. Trains are delayed by more then 20 minutes at Paignton while the fire is being dealt with.

 

So predictable, which is the shame of it. We all want steam to run, but it does more harm than good when it does so in the obviously wrong conditions and fires are the result.

 

I agree. When I saw that fire by the lineside and then got to Paignton to see trains stuck in the station while the announcements went up about what was happening just makes you think about the consequences that come of steam railtours in the summer.

As much as I love seeing steam on the mainline, I can't help feel bad for the people who have sort these messes out what things go wrong as a result of steam locomotives.

 

Not to mention who compensates farmers for lost crops.

 

I'd of been very much happy just to have the 57s was surprised 5029 was allowed out to play.

Its a beautiful evening now just enjoying the last of the long evenings.

Great day as usual on board.
Couldn't recommend it enough.

 

They will claim on their insurance in the first instance who will then make a claim from NR. Timings will be carefully examined, I remember a case I the north where I think SNG was the culprit but analysis of the the passing times and the 999 call showed that the call was made about 4 minutes before the train passed!

 

Probably time to think about some oil firing on the mainline to be honest.

 

But given what seems (to me, at least) to be a declining number of main line steam tours now, even allowing for the increasing frequency of weather events such as we are now experiencing, would it be financially viable for the owner? Some more mainline-capable Type 4 diesels in earlier BR liveries may be a better bet. Double-headed 40s (for example) would have me reaching for the credit card!

 

Or do tour promotors try and make more of the shoulders of the year?

I think this year has been exceptionally bad though.

I had to wear a woolly hat for an evening walk Fathers Day last June (16th) it was that cold!

 

I think that 10 years from now most mainline steam tours will only happen in Winter. It will be a shame but I think it will be inevitable if these scorching heatwaves continue as they are. It was 32 in Worcester yesterday where I am!