LSL - The Chairman's train: 16/04/25 on, plus 10/10/25

You couldn't blame him

I read elsewhere he slummed it up to Carlisle behind a diesel, presumably arriving a little later than planned.

 

Am I right in thinking that without assistance from Mr Smith, The Duke can't be turned, and will have to proceed tender first to Crewe?

Edited to add..

Just seen on the 71000 thread that West Coast did indeed help them with the repair and access to the turntable. Really good to hear!

 

It's what's unique...a beautifully restored steam locomotive in distress..it binds every steam devotee together...

 

Well I don't know of the "arrangement"... commercial or simply lending a hand without charge. Are you privy to the arrangement ? If so please enlighten us.

 

I’d also distinguish between a person whose company has kept mainline steam running for 30+ years in a form and at a price near to what BR used to do and a person who travels around in a private train and whose company runs expensive day trips for the well heeled.

 

That begs a range of questions that go way beyond the scope of this thread, and which risk distracting from the excellent cooperation in evidence for 71000.

 

Hmm. An awful lot of generalisations there? Whilst I would not minimise WCRC's massive contribution to mainline steam, they have surely lost their way recently with the CDL/ORR/Mark 1 farce and what does "at a price near to what BR used to do" mean?

Many won't much like the LSL owner's politics but his massive contribution to the restoration of multiple iconic locomotives, a superb rake of Mark 1's plus abundant facilities at Crewe surely can't be disputed. Plus their Intercity brand and (indirectly) the SRPS certainly cater for the non well heeled. And on a more light hearted note, how many of us, if we had his funds, would refuse a trip on a private train?

 

I am not sure that is correct. The valves (and outer end of the tappets) are outside the gear box (fore and aft of it), and such lubrication as they have is from condensed steam.

 

The valves certainly are outside - surely they are in the equivalent of the steam chest? But the tappet/valve spindles and their guides must be in wall of the cam box, and so get lubricated?
Looks like I’ll have to go to my library after all ……

Edit : I take you point. The cam followers are in the cam box, but they actuate the valve stems in the open below. I can’t see any lubrication points on the steam chest, so maybe it relies on atomised oil in the steam?

 

Couple of pages from Lake & Reidinger attached. You probably know all this but the cam box is modular and sits on top of the cylinder block which has a flat top surface. The steam and exhaust passages are cast into the block.

 

The Chairman’s Train rolls in to York this morning.

 

I agree. Comparable with a short break on the Costa del Sol or a city break in a European capital. Or a first class advance return from Leeds to London on a peak train!

On the one train in their 2026 portfolio which is somewhat affordable and accessible to me ( Sheffield to Carlisle Statesman) standard class is sold out already! Can't be many seats at the entry price.

 

A glance at the most recent LSL accounts on CH suggests that c.£7m was pumped into the company by said owner in that financial year alone.

Much as with WCR, preservation has an enormous amount to possibly be concerned about depending on what succession planning has been undertaken at either entity, Mr Hosking is 67, in time his successors may be less inclined to fund LSL and its component parts?

 

Companies live on and function successfully long after their founder dies. LSL will live on in some form.

 

Timpsons is one good example...Triumph Motorcycles is another that will survive. John Bloor who started it, has his son coming through the ranks as has John Timpson...