VT: Ticket to Ride with 7029 - 11/07/26

We're just pulling into Crewe, but they appear to have stuck our TD code as 1Z12 when we came out of the signalling black hole. 1Z18 appears to still be at Weaver.

Johb

 

Its stopped reporting but is now not too far from Crewe. Showing as 1Z12 on the maps not 18

 

Just switched back to 1Z18

 

Just been recoded to 1Z18 again, so RTT might update now!

 

Now reappeared south of Winsford

 

37240 has just come off the rear, running round to pilot the castle

 

Just arriving into Stafford, about 4 hours late. This is where we say goodbye to the train so we can carry on by coach...

 

So, with the benefit of a few hours of sleep - my impressions of yesterday.

Picking up at Nuneaton, we left about 50 down after a points failure at Coleshill had delayed things - but a barnstorming run up the WCML, and skipping all of the regulation pauses, saw us get to Liverpool pretty much on time. The open windows and speed kept the train pretty cool, and I personally quite enjoyed the 60s music on the PA, though it was largely inaudible whilst we were moving. I did see at least one guy who wasn't keen and asked for it to be taken off.

There was a little confusion at Liverpool when right as the ECS was due to come in, an Avanti appeared in our platform, but some quick moves by the station staff saw it turned around and out promptly, and 37240 drew our stock in, we loaded up and were aaway mere 15 or so minutes late. The stock had obviously been sat in the sun for a while during the layover and was pretty warm, but we accelerated up to Roby and things began to cool down somewhat. However as we got towards Huyton, the brakes went on, strangely as we had a clear road ahead to Earlestown, and we stopped. That, sadly, describes the next 2 hours, as we sat just outside the station, with regular, but sadly uninformative, updates from the Guard - I don't blame him, he was only passing on what he had been told, and that was evidently nothing. Thankfully the trains passing us that could head along the line to Manchester kept some air movement in the train going, though it did get a bit warm. The cheer when we started towards Warrington was palpable, and again we got a decent shift on, though we knew we wouldn't be going too far. Warrington station was lovely and cool, thankfully, and we were at last allowed off the train whilst we sat for another hour. Bottles of water and lemonade were distributed by the crew, and generally speaking good humour abounded.

Another cheer when Clun announced we were about to get going, and everyone piled back on board became a bit downbeat when nothing then happened for a further 15 minutes, but soon enough we were on our way, but only as far as Acton Grange, where the brakes came on again! By this point I was trying to deal with an overtired, and somewhat emotional, 10 year old, so I may be a smidgen less upbeat, but eventually, a long blast said we were passing a signal at danger, and of we trundled. A fairly slow run down to Hartford didn't reveal any lineside damage to me, but by this point it was so dark I couldn't make much out at all, and we then got a decent shift on to Crewe, having been informed that the delays had taken us to the point where the Trent Valley would be closed for engineering works by the time we got there, so everyone for Lichfield, Tamworth, Nuneaton and Coleshill would be bussed back from Stafford, whilst the train took the direct route back to Birmingham.

We arrived at Crewe where we weren't told we could disembark for a leg stretch, but after about 15 minutes, the sound of 37420 accelerating away from the train raised the odd eyebrow. No fear, it ran to the front of the train, I assume because doing the power is somewhat easier when you can see(!) and soon enough we were away again. A fast run under greens down an empty WCML got us to Stafford in short order, and a mere 240 minutes late we disembarked, and border the coach back to Nuneaton where we arrived around 01.30, against a planned end time of 21.00.

I cannot say anything but praise for the VT crew and stewards, who were attentive, and gave as much of the little information they had as they could. The drinks being passed around were appreciated on such a hot day, and a thankyou to all of the passengers who took such appalling delays in such unpleasant heat in their stride with patience and good humour throughout.

John

 

Having been in that situation a few times, both as passenger and steward, the lack of information coming through at times is incredibly frustrating, but there's nothing anyone can really do about it as there's so many links in the chain it takes a while for any info to come through. At least they managed to get you into a station for a while so you could get out and cool down.

It wasn't a big fire and it was just after a bridge, so chances of spotting anything would've been minimal, and no chance in the dark. Unfortunately it burnt through some signalling cables, which have been repaired overnight. Still, at least it wasn't as bad as the one at Stratford in London on Friday night...

 

A classic example in this photograph of the perils of not clearing lineside vegetation. The metal cabinet didn't catch fire, it was obviously surrounded by vegetation that did and the contents of the cabinet were effectively "cooked". I am old enough to remember main line steam. There were lineside fire then but they were nowhere near as disruptive, as they were mainly short-lived grass fires.

 

As a comment there was generally less electrical signalling equipment trackside 60 years ago.

Cheers, Neil

 

Can only echo the above. At Warrington I had several long chats with staff (including the guard), who were pulling their hair out with the lack of information, but somehow seemingly kept their good humour and most of all professionalism. I hope the guard is OK, as he realised quite early on at the delay in Warrington, that he wasn't getting home at all last night.
There was a final twist, only 2 out of the 3 buses turned up, meaning Lichfield and Tamworth passengers had no transport. The Lichfield passengers joined us on the Coleshill bus (unfortunately adding a good half hour onto our journey), the last I heard, the Tamworth passengers still didn't have transport at 1am as the VT rep was asking our bus driver if his company could help - I really hope they were OK. The Avanti staff at Stafford were doing their utmost.
We got back to Mid-Wales at 4am, certainly the latest ive ever returned from a railtour. Ironically yesterday's trip was supposed to be a short, family friendly, summer day trip - not sure my wife and daughter will be in a rush to join me again!
Once again massive thanks to all VT staff who went above and beyond. Clun (& the 37) performed faultlessly with some good fast running on the outward and a very noisy, unassisted, climb of Edge Hill bank on the return.
I am not sure we will see steam on the mainline again now for some time, suspect yesterday's incident will be in the infamous steam induced damage hall of fame for a number of years.

 

It would be a shame if the fire is definitively attributed to a steam loco because, as you suggest, the repercussions for innocent parties will be profound.

 

The word on the VT train yesterday was that the fire was definitely down to another steam loco and NR were not seemingly in a rush to help another steam train last night - others can suggest if the 2 items were linked.

The decision to go Black from today (instead of Monday) was made yesterday, presumably as a result of the incident. People can debate whether Black should have come in sooner, however, 4 'steam hauled' trains operated fine this weekend and ironically it ended up being a LE & coach move that started a fire.

 

Well IF the fire was started by the LE move there'll surely be some questions asked about the risk assessments and mitigation measures when 3 other actual trains ran without incident.

 

All a bit of a lottery really, so many factors enter into to it beyond the loco.

 

If it's "a lottery", ie left to chance, is that wise, Captain Mainwaring?

 

Well I for one am surprised we have not had a NR steam ban for a couple of weeks.
My local line has run steam until yesterday but the moment the wind was due to reappear (a day without any is unusual down here) understandably switched to diesel ops.