Lakelander Tours 2024

I think it is fair to say this type of opertion is now the "norm". It is unassisted steam that is now the rare event, regardless of who the TOC or promoter is.

 

Despite the warm temperature SRWC class No.34046 'Braunton' puts on a show as it works 'The Lakelander' through Hincaster and onwards to Carlisle



SRWC Class No. 34046 'Braunton' works the 'Lakelander' away from Furness Abbey tunnel with part of the old Abbey in shot back to Carnforth and Nottingham



A closer look

 

34046 seen at Scout Green.

 

34046 with the return leg seen from Arnside Knott.

 

34046 on the Lakelander

 

The network also has current fire risk in places so assistance always likely.

 

I get what you’re saying Al although it’s getting a normal thing especially on Shap with a big push.Im a bit older than you think but today who knows what Network rail have told TOC,s to do in warm weather conditions push wise .

I posted this video and got slated for it re steam unassisted.

 

Just a note. Class 5s to 7s will get help on severe gradients with big trains. Thats not much different to steam days.

One thing that isn't up for debate is how hard they are worked. They are definetly not worked 'within' themselves. They are worked very hard, in almost all cases. Just try and imagine that 34046 had 8 or 9 behind her yesterday and not 12+diesel.

cheers

 

But in Steam days the assistance was generally another steam locomotive but not a hulking great diesel.

 

I’ve been lucky enough to do almost all of my Steam runs without diesel assistance but with the advent of the new rules and regulations, air-conditioned stock and diesel pushing, a trip on the mainline holds no interest for me whatsoever these days. I’m sure there are still many people happy enough to just have a steam locomotive on the front and good luck to them but it’s not for me, I shall spend my money elsewhere.

 

If your main interest is exactly how fast a locomotive can pull a certain load up a particular bank, then you do indeed lose interest if there's additional power at the back. But how fast the train loco can go depends anyway on its condition, the quality of the coal, the enthusiasm of the fireman and, nowadays, the understandable concern of locomotive owners not to work them too hard. If on the other hand your interest is to see or ride behind a steam loco working fairly hard, then having some additional power at the back matters only if the banker is doing too much of the work. The videos from yesterday indicate that Braunton was doing its share.

It is even not so different from prototypical: in the heyday of steam many trains would take bankers. Sometimes it was at the discretion of the driver of the loco at the front: how well was it steaming; how knackered was the fireman after working from wherever; did they need to make up time (and if so would the faster climb more than make up for the delay in stopping for the banker to buffer up), etc.

 

Lovely footage.

I have spent many a miserable, cold hour under the Arnside Viaduct when it had its huge refurbishment 2010/11/12.

It's quite nice to see it from an altogether more pleasant angle.

Chris

 

It's a shame they can't or won't run the English Riviera Express without a rear gunner. Out of all the excursions they do, this one would be the easiest to run without a diesel.

 

Across the Lune Gorge.
34046 Braunton with the Lakelander on 18/5/2024
David Price
Cop Lane on Flickr

 

Spotlit on the Cumbrian Coast.
34046 with the southbound Lakelander of 18/5/2024

David Price
Cop Lane on Flickr

 

Now that's a lucky bit of sun.

 

Thanks.There appeared no chance as the train came into view but this gap opened up nicely.Needless to say,the whole scene was fully lit a couple of minutes after the train had passed !

 

That is my experience too Mike. There seems to be an assumption by some on here that you cannot have a good steam run if there is a diesel on the back and that is so untrue. Of course nothing is garunteed with or without a diesel but most steam drivers are enthusiasts themselves and will see that their steeds do as much of the work as possible.

I'm fortunate that I get to work on plenty of steam jobs and as I'm not up front anymore I see more of it from a punters perspective these days. In the last 12 months I had many memorable trips but two stand out in the memory and both had a diesel assisting. The first was coming back from Aberdeen with Leander on a fabulous summers evening last July (shades of those marvelous Bill (WJV) Anderson pictures from the '50 and '60) climbing from Hilton Junction, Perth up to Gleneagles. The 5x was really giving it the gun and that classic Jubilee roar sounded superb. It was quite clear that she was working hard and earning her keep. Ok, so from the speed we were doing it was also clear that the diesel at the back was helping but not excessively. With load 12 plus the diesel it appeared that Leander was probably taking the equilivant of about 8 or 9 with the diesel accounting for itself and the load excess. What was not to like about that?

Then last month an equally memorable run with 44871 returning from Kyle of Lochalsh with a load well over the limit for an unaided class 5. But the sound of the "hiker" climbing up out of Glen Carron towards Luib summit showed that she was doing far more than her fair share of the work. Again the speed that she was maintaining indicated that the diesel was taking its share of the excess load but no one doubted that 44871 was doing the lions share of the work. Sure it would have been better if we could have had a Clan Goods as pilot but this had to be the next best thing.

We all understand the feelings about having diesels on the back but if that is a means of keeping steam operations on the main line going lets enjoy whats on offer while we can. And please have faith in the fact that loco crews across the board will always try to deliver the best performance that they can.

Peter

 

Unfortunately the stock needs an ETS supply for the CDL, so unless they use a generator car instead, you're stuck with a 47 on the back.