46100 - The North Wales Coast Express - 6th Feb

Amongst other considerations, the diesel was there at the request of the loco owners.

JS

 

Likewise with 60103 I believe?

 

Indeed

 

Naughty owners!

 

Both of the locos out yesterday are, to all intents and purposes, still running in. Would any of the moaners be prepared to pick up the bill if they sat down on a busy mainline. I think not.

 

You don't have to live with it.
You can move on and do something else with your hard earned cash too.
Let's not pretend... many have and did last year too.

The return of 46100 and 4472 May prove a financial boom for the hard hit toc and promoters this year after last years losses, but at what cost to everyone else with a mainline loco.. 4472 has certainly taken the lions share of a shrunken 2016 Railtour calendar... Only 240 separate tours listed for 2016 on UKSteam.., 25% of that is divvied up between 3 loco's (60103/46100/60163), 26 listings (another c10% / 26 weeks) of Jacobite is another 3 (not yet stated which), and there's cancellations (current ratio is running at 20%\c48 a year) in that 240 total already... As its stand that would leave about 120 for everyone else...

It's been claimed 30 trips a year is needed for break even, means there's only enough work to justify another 4... (Or, justifies a mainline fleet of +\- 10-12 loco's).

Could be a tougher market ahead for some mainline loco owners in the years ahead, if nothing changes. Mainline steam seems to be on a path to become more European / EU style frequencies.

 

Just a little note of thanks to Mr Shuttleworth.
All hell would have broken loose if either of those two locomotives had "sat down" yesterday so a bit of insurance was, IMO, a very sensible thing to do.
The locos went well, good, here's to the next trips. If I were running the job I'd have "the insurance" tagged on every trip, the delay penalties are horrendous.

 

Thanks for clarifying that James as it wasn't what came from a previously reliable source. But I still think that should be made clear to paying passengers as it presumably wasn't a last minute decision. For those who are happy to travel on top and tailed trains it's fine but for some of us it isn't.

Can you tell us if the 46100 is going to do the 5th March and if so will that be top and tailed too?

 

In many cases the Deisel is just taking its own weigh, but if a reversal as part of a turning move is needed, then its already coupled up and brake fitted, then you have the delay issue, if a tour has lost time, then the quicker the train can get to the designated speed the better to regain lost time, when the deisel can go back to idle mode. in both 46100 and 60103's case, both are just out of very expensive overhauls, and some back up motive power to me makes sense.

 

More than once, when joining a railtour, I have looked to see whether the diesel that has brought in the empty stock has been uncoupled and been pleased to see that it has. That is sometimes the first that one knows for certain whether the trip will be with or without. Information at the time of booking would be better, even if it is not yet entirely certain. Also, when there is a diesel, it would be good to know how much work it is intended to do; e.g. only there for shunting and emergencies, carrying its own weight, helping to recover any lost time, helping to keep time after station stops, etc.

 

How many times have you done the climb out of Holyhead?

 

I will be blunt - I hate diesels attached to a steam tour.

I do not hate diesels altogether. Rather enjoyed a New Years Day trip up the Cumbrian Coast behind tow different 37s from Preston to Carlisle courtesy of Northern Rail - deliberate heritage train!

BUT yesterday there were a number of issues that made having a box on the back sensible;
1. Both locos are newly restored and still running in.
2. The loco owners wanted the security of rescue in case their newly restored locos had problems.
3. WCRC are rightly playing it safe as they are still under investigation.
4. For FS, Carlisle is very congested due to the problems at Lamington so a quick turn around is critical there.

However, I would hope that when all those issues are resolved, we will revert to pure steam.

 

Unless my driver friends are telling porkies, there is no 'taking it's own weight' notch.

 

A couple of shots from me of Royal Scot bursting out of Bodorgan Tunnels, then speeding past Wig Crossing, east of Bangor.

 

I fixed the whistle on 46100 recently. I want to fix Scotsman's now.

 

Royal Scot at Llandudno Junction yesterday afternoon

 

Shhhhh.....

It's a rumour spread to keep the train timers happy and content.

 

Strewth James. Do you mean the loco owners wishes are now taking precedence over the views and wishes etc of the Nat Pres armchair experts?

If so, how long has this been going on?