Dartmouth Steam Railway General Discusssion

Well let's face it Dartmouth operated for 35 years with unsuitable locomotives for the most part.

Only now have they a fleet required for their requirements - 5239, 7827, 75014, 4277, 2253 & 4110 (4555 is not suitable).

 

I do wonder if L94 last year was something of a "last hurrah" for the days of smaller locos being worked incredibly hard on the line?

 

Why is it perhaps that the DSR has taken so long (45 years or so) to reach a point of having an entirely suitable fleet? I know it would have started with the branch line engines already purchased and suitable for the Totnes - Buckfastleigh branch, but it perhaps surprises me that they didn't purchase more larger GWR locos from Barry. There would have been plenty of Halls, 28s and the like available for them. Was it just finances that stopped them looking to expand the fleet or was it pure stubbornness and a desire to use the stuff they already had?

 

Probably because they are run as a business.

 

Have passenger numbers and train lengths increased in more recent times? Could it be that smaller locos were more suitable at one time but not any more?

 

Or is it perhaps that using locos with power to spare is better than using smaller ones at their absolute limit?

 

If anything I'd suggest running a railway as a business would lead to a decision to invest in appropriate tools earlier than a heritage railway which is running a tourist attraction, relying more on a volunteer workforce and donations and therefore would be more likely to simply use what is available

Possibly. But the DSR has always had steep gradients, so there has always been a need for locos with a certain amount of grunt just to get trains up the climb. I'd suggest with locos like 6435 4 coaches would be getting close to stretching it.
It's not just power either, it's also water capacity. As far as I am aware the only water tower on the route is at Paington (although please correct me if I'm wrong). Asking a loco like 4555 or 6435 with only about 1000 gallons of water in the tanks to take 7 fully laden coaches over a steeply graded 7 mile line, even if you can coast half the journey, is, I would imagine, running things a little tight with tank levels. Admittedly crews would probably therefore have to be trained and become more competent than at some other railways at running economically, but it's still a bit of a risk, especially if something were to go wrong or there were to be a delay to the service or whatever.

 

All this sounds too much like W.I.B.N.

 

In what way? It's pure practicality. As a fireman I would much rather work on the DSR with a loco like 5239 or 7827 which has more power and more water capacity in reserve than use a little loco like 4555 or 6435 which is constantly at its limit (even though it would sound epic) and where you're constantly aware that you've got less wiggle room before you need to top the tank up. The accounts and engineering departments will be happier too because a loco worked closer to its limit will develop more wear and tear, requiring more time in the workshop being fixed and more money being spent on it when it could instead be chalking up more miles and bringing in cash rather than sucking it in.
I would also make a point that if you are going to brand talking about using larger locomotives to run a service for which they are more suited than small locos as 'WIBN', then one could just as easily paint a scenario of a railway switching to smaller locomotives to run a service for which larger locomotives are a little excessive with the same brush...

 

The DSR has acquired a sensibly sized locomotive (4110) and despatched it promptly to a workshop (Cranmore) which has acquired an excellent reputation for restoration from Barry Island condition. As I said, businesslike rather than WIBNesque

 

Perhaps a bit of big chufferitis too.

 

You said it!

 

Always taken an interest in the railway as my gran used to live in Brixham so family holidays were also spent down here.

I was only young in early 90’s but I always remember the station at Paignton & kingswear always said trains “Easter to October” majority of the year was a standard green timetable I can only remember the summer trains then having 6/7 max carriages. So 4555 4558 were fine to use most of the year and again if my memory serves me right the two train service was hauled by 7827 and 5239 even the Hall that is now as SDR.

The last time two times I have visited one late September they had the standard service and it had 11 carriages as there were 2 coach trips turning up. The last visit was an October 2 years ago even then the train was packed and had 9 coaches on the first service out.

I think the railway has moved with the times, more and more people now do staycations in the UK there is a demand all year round mean larger locos. I love a GWR locomotive but it’s good that the fleet has been varied with 2253 & the 75014.

It’s also good to see that other railways ESR for example overhauling the locomotives as I assume the staff have very little time these days to compete them with a full timetable.

Final thoughts I would expect 4555 will be sent on a longer term loan? Living in Leicestershire be nice to see it either at Ruddington or The Battlefield line. Which I think would be suitable


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I think I read somewhere that 4555 will go to ESR for 2 years. Not sure if that’s still true or not.

What is the logic in overhauling 4555 and loaning it out though? Would it not be better to sell it and concentrate resources on the larger locos instead?

 

I don’t know how much it costs to overhaul something like 4555? Vs loan fees.

I would make sense going to ESR as they now have a good working relationship


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I never thought it was a very profitable exercise. Loco owning groups always seem to have to raise additional funds for each overhaul, in addition to the hire fees they have accumulated.

However if 4555 is done by DSR staff, and there are no major problems with it, then perhaps it’s worthwhile for them.

 

In an ideal world you would swap it for a larger engine, I expect but no one lives in an ideal world!


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Restoring a loco not big enough to work your services sounds a bit WIBN. Little chufferitis perhaps?

Jon

 

unless trains are 8 carriages long and packed to the rafters from January to December then having a small prairie on the shoulders of the season would probably be quite useful...


regards

Matt

 

Yes, and there will always be a hire market for a 45XX in peak, but then the large locos you need for the peak might get only a couple of months of service a year .

Jon