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Christmas Coronation-1000+ miles with 60163 in 3 days

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by campainr, May 9, 2010.

  1. Mike Wylie

    Mike Wylie New Member

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    It won't get tour of the year if it can't complete the task. I don't know, you give an A1 a simple Duchess diagram and look what happens.

    Joke by the way!
     
  2. 14A.

    14A. New Member

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    As you all now by now the A1 was Failed at Rugby. Due to poor steaming as a result of bad coal. the problems with the coal first started not long after leaving Crewe. We stopped at Armitage for a blowup to get us the the water stop at Atherstone were the fire was througn out & rebuilt the fire in the hope that whould solve the problem, but as you know it didn't. Its was the same coal that had been used all three days. so its a bit of a mistery why its a problem to day. The Runs on Thursday, Yasterday & this morning were Great, & In case you didn't know Thursdays time to Edinburgh was EIGHT min faster than the Top Gear Run of last year, with approx a 100 tons heaver load. Thanks to all the steam Dreams Stewards, all the DBS crews for what was otherwise a great 3 days off Steam haulage.
     
  3. Panniertank

    Panniertank New Member

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    The station staff at Rugby were excellent and deserve a mention, those going to Northampton and MK were put on a London Midland train, and the rest followed on a VT service from Birmingham, which had plenty of seating capacity.
    Every effort was made to try and overcome the coal problem, but it was not to be. Some excellent running for 2 1/2 days, and no doubt Mike Notley's log will appear in the next Steam Railway, a shame it ended this way.
     
  4. jackprentice2007

    jackprentice2007 Member

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    It sure is, Quicker than what the Tesco train (4S43 Daventry - Grangmouth) done it in when DRS had the contract, Max speed was just under 20mph i understand 66 hauled with approx 30 containers loaded
     
  5. Tyne Turbine

    Tyne Turbine New Member

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    ........and the Duchess could not even manage an empty stock move without problems from Newcastle to Heaton - an easy task for a V1 or V3. The jokes are getting worse. All sympathy to everyone on board for the disappointment they have endured after what had seemed a great tour. Hope it does not bring the days of oil firing closer.
     
  6. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    Seems to be a lot dodgy coal going about at the moment. 60019 and 6233 on the Silver Jubilee and now 60163.
     
  7. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

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  8. 782sirbrian

    782sirbrian Member

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    Bad coal but its good to hear no fault mechanically with Tornado its self, Lets hope the coal situation gets sorted. I dont know what can be done to control quality apart from a visual inspection by those experienced. It would be too much of a burdon to have lab tests done on samples every time a load was delivered.

    Brian
     
  9. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    Most probably the management of the fire was different.
     
  10. spindizzy

    spindizzy Member

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    Can it really make such a difference?
     
  11. leander

    leander Member

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    Thanks to all involved on this trip a good time had by all, it was a shame we did not get to Euston but with the coal situation the crew done there best,thanks to the station staff at Rugby also Virgin for declassifing there train so we could sit anywere even first class at no extra cost.
     
  12. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    That's rather a provacative statement if you have nothing to back it up with....
     
  13. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    this tour was very lucky.
    Suppose the bad coal had been loaded prior to departure from Kings Cross, the whole trip would have been put at risk.
    Is there any come back to the coal suppliers for poor quality coal ?
     
  14. Panniertank

    Panniertank New Member

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    Who actually is responsible for ordering the coal on main line steam trips?
     
  15. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    !4A reports that it was the same coal throughout the trip. And hardly provocative compared to many other posts to NP!
     
  16. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Three days in continuous steam, running a 1000+ miles, with possibly less than ideal conditions for fire cleaning between and during trips are all factors likely to test the best of people charged with fire management. Add to that a batch of coal that it would seem clinkered too readily and you are really asking quite a lot from everybody.

    Perhaps it would be nice to spend more time here celebrating the performances like 74 mph over Stoke with just under 500 tons, a potentially slippery climb of Beattock in the damp and dark plus a masterful assault of Shotts (35 at Benhar) from walking pace at Mossend Junc.
     
  17. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Yes but it was still casting doubt on the abilities of the crew without anything to back up the statement.
     
  18. northernsteam

    northernsteam Member

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    I suppose someone will be busy investigating this coal problem to try and avoid repetitions.
    Has there been a similar spate in previous years?
     
  19. Fezwig

    Fezwig New Member

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    Thanks to all the A1 boys and girl who to my knowledge spent most of friday night pulling apart the fire and again at Preston, Crewe and Rugeley. Because of poeple like this we can still enjoy/photo a good trip week in, week out in spite of indifferent coal etc. Also to the footplate crewes who also worked most of the 3 days. Its a shame hard work, never giving up,blood, sweat and tears could not have got us to Euston
     
  20. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    Rubbish! I am not casting any doubt on the "abilities of the crew" in the sense you mean. I have the highest regard for the work of the mainline drivers and firemen and the support crews that back them up. I often benefit from their efforts and I am grateful for the opportunities presently available to experience main line steam hauled trains. But if the coal that produced clinker to the extent that satisfactory steam raising was impossible, was the same coal that allowed sustained high performance earlier in the trip, then there is an explanation. I have suggested the most likely. I also have not the slightest doubt that the engineers, fitters, and crews involved from both DBS and the A1SLT will be looking at all possibilities with professional indifference to personal feelings but a determination to find the cause and avoid a repetition.
     

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