Does anyone think we have a surplus of mainline steamers this year? your thoughts

Isn't this great 33 Steam locomotive rostered this year on the mainline. (are there any missing) I haven't included Esk Valley Line engines
Last year : 24 locomotives

The addition of 61306 Mayflower came as a surprise in my mind

BR 70000, 70013, 71000
GWR 4936, 4965, 5029, 5043, 6023, 6024*,7752, 9600
LMS 44767, 44871, 44932, 45231, 45305, 45407, 6115, 6201, 6233, 48151
LNER 60007, 60009, 60019, 4472, 60163, 61994, 61306, 62005
SRR 30777. 34046, 34067, 35028

TOTAL 33

KEY
*locomotive going into overhaul : 1
locomotive returning to Mainline : 9
Locomotive with extension : 1
Locomotive under repair

 

You can add 5029 to your "under repair" list. 6024 and 6201 will soon be out of the equation and of those marked as "returning to main line," how many will make it on schedule? Add the inevitable failures and I don't think there's too many at all.

 

Lizzie shall be on the overhaul list next year with the current extension.
The biggest question marks for me are Flying Scotsman and King Edward II.

 

Pleeeeeeeeease! Don't tempt fate, with Nunney and the Duke hors de combat at the moment it show how quickly the scene can change.

Foxy

 

I just enjoy doing the math and some current analysis . What's wrong with that? What wrong w/ expressing one enthusiasm?
I think that I should have not started this thread after all the time I spent figuring the numbers out.

 

There's never anything wrong with expressing ones enthusiasm. I do have a question though: have we ever had it so good? To me it seems like we've got far more on the mainline than we ever have with more joining every week, ok, that's rather exaggerated but you get my drift. I think it's great, just a shame that I can't get to see them all - I'm greedy I know :rockon:

 

I think to cover all bases, a couple more Class 8 locomotives might be needed to act as 'Thunderbirds'. As it stands, and taking into account the eventual depletion of 46201 and 6024, we'll have eight (although 48151 is a special case as it is restricted in its top speed), with very few others in the pipeline after 6023 and 60103 finally enter service. 35028 will probably go for overhaul in 2016, followed by 71000 (I'm unsure when this locomotive last had a general overhaul, but I'm working on the basis that this was last done in 2008). Hopefully, 35027 will be well-advanced by then, particularly as the Class 8 locomotives are of mostly LNER design, and may be restricted elsewhere on the network.

 

33 locos running mainline this year
...meanwhile, some of our preserved railways must soldier on precariously with their deficit

 

It is an interesting subject, with more and more people wanting to get in on the act. I know that we always say we want more mainline but what locos in the short to medium to long term are going on the mainline?
Didcot: Pendennis, 6023, County, 47XX
J Hoskins: One or two Merchants, 6100, Standard 4 Tank
Riley: Another Merchant. Another 5 (according to SR)
Tyseley: Clun then Kolhapur?
KWVR: Bahamas
Llan: Grange, 45551
NRM: 2500, Hamilton?
Carnforth: Leander, Galatea

I know there are prob others and some of the existing ones will be going under overhaul, but will there be to many? or is this still not enough.

Please discuss

Cheers Gavin

 

I'm led to believe that the sale of 80079 to Mr Hosking has fallen through. However I have no official backing up from that, this is simply what I've been told from those working at the Severn Valley Railway.

Henners

 

Just because there's a long list of numbers on paper doesn't mean theres are too many when you consider certain loco's can only do certain itineries and work for certains Tour Promoters, for example 9600 is not exactly suitable for a Waterloo - Weymouth Cathedrals Express

 

But wouldnt it look good bringing in the stock then pushing the train out of the station , then you could always do an round the houses tour with an pannier if the stock for that was left at clapham to enable it to do a one off ecs and then start its own tour from clapham

 

As I see it, most of the country would benefit from regional pools (a la Crewe and Southall) of at least three locomotives, with one class 8, one class 7 and one class 5, with any remaining 'spare'. This would help mitigate the cost of LE running, although I'm sure people would start to complain that there is a lack of variety. In that case, when engines are swapped around, you could have an engine from one pool (say Bristol) going north to Crewe via the North and West route, with another locomotive taking it back from Crewe. Fanciful, but there are benefits.

 

For KWVR the magnificent (ex"vulcano") "City of Wells" soon...........
regards
noel

 

The biggest problem though is going to be the pathing/ clearance question, some engines will be no use in some parts of the country because they just wont fit the loading gauge now, unless you have a fleet of standards , for instance, anything LNER except Tornado will not fit round kent, the kings have a limited route availibility now , even engines such as 30777 cant be used on their home routes so whilst the idea of moving engines around is good , it might not work, whilst im sure that a bulleid over the S&C would be welcomed , there is no point in having 4472, 60019 doing a tour of the south east because it would just be the western division routes same with 6023 , but on the other hand where as a 5 can go anywhere, its not 75 rated or can haul without assistance a train booked for a class 8 loco so there is scope for more larger engines on the main line either that or a way has to be found to allow class 5s when substituting for a larger engine to run at 75 if thats what the timings have been worked out for

 

I do not think that there will be a surplus of mainline steam locomotives in 2012. Some are more reliable than others. Some are only used by one or other of the two steam TOCs but not both. Some are tied to fulfilling contracts i.e. 35028 & VSOE, some have weeks of regular work i.e. Jacobite & Scarborough.
Take out all of those, and there are not many to cover the Charters.

 

Happened in the 90s. Carnforth pool for the CMEs and a Crewe pool for the NWCEs. Most Summer Monday's saw a tour to arrange a swap of a loco from one pool to another.

 

So at least there's a precedent. Speculating for one moment, where would other pools be located? I'd say Bristol for S. Wales/West Country), Southall (for Southern England east of Bournemouth), York, possibly Glasgow/Edinburgh.