Royal Duchy 2015

Plucking figures out of the air is all well and good but as none of us here are party to the hire contract between RTC and WCRC, it is impossible to say what the economics of a shorter train really are. As royce6229 pointed out, the trip to Blaenau was only six and I'd be surprised if that was being deliberately run at a loss. Another scenario would be to add a couple more coaches and double head/top and tail it with steam.

 

I take the view that on routes that have some steep climbs then a diesel on the back may be a good move, or even if it shaddowed the train, in the case of this tour, had the 47 been at Plymouth, then its likely that 34067 would have been failed and the tour ran with the 47, or with the 47 leading with Tangmere only in light steam to return it to Bristol .

 

There is a suggestion in the DCE thread that Tangmere now has a middle valve gear/cross head problem which is why it didn't run to Weymouth today. However whether there was a fault with the reverser which fault led to the restarting issues which damaged the middle gear or the gear fault occurred during the day and that caused the slipping isn't stated. If the centre set wasn't fully working at Plymouth with an undetected inside VG/motion fault then not surprising the heavy train, down on power, struggled to get away and then stuck.


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We've discussed the relative economics of some variations and their attractiveness or otherwise to various kinds of customer: lighter train that the loco can definitely cope with barring abnormal events; heavier train with diesel at the back; load that's marginal for the loco with a backup diesel not too far away. But what about double heading? Loco and crew costs obviously double, but minus the cost of a diesel and its driver. Track access the same as single heading or a bit more? Marketing, ticketing, etc presumably the same.

 

But comes full circle to available loco shortages hence the underpowered loco being diesel assisted (or not) in the first place! Perhaps an answer is circular routes like the York - Harrogate - Leeds - York route but lapped twice rather than linear trips. Same options for serving meals and a day out in a nice place but more options to source a thunderbird diesel if problems happen. Run with service train links.


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If future mainline steam tours were always diesel assisted I would give them up. However, I enjoy diesel tours especially with rarer locomotives. I am especially enthusiastic about Deltics but a Western is a good substitute and it's hard to beat a Tractor unless it's a pair of Tractors. Duffs you can keep. Now this might surprise but I probably wouldn't travel on a Deltic tour if it were towing a Duff around. As is said, "You can please some of the people........".

 

Thinking specifically of the Exeter to Plymouth route (my local line), I've thought it a shame there's probably no business case for one of the South West Heritage Railways having a mainline certified, gauge friendly, loco on their books that could provide double heading over the South Devon banks. If I won the lottery (yes, I dream like others) I would support this type of arrangement.

 

Why can't Kinlet Hall come on at Taunton, I even said this to the facebook group it's perfectly capable of working to Plymouth. Take it off there and join again for the return .

 

I have received a video on my Youtube subs. from 1Z64 today which features the 34067 run from Sunday. Two clips from the outward run at the beginning of the video show 34067 making a bizarre noise at speed. Clearly something was not right:

 

At the risk of stating the obvious, 'summat's come adrift, there...' Strange how there was no evidence of it at Dawlish.

 

Maybe in future, the diesel will be taken along, instead of being left in bristol....

 

I doubt we will find out what, after last time I would be wanting to keep quiet..

 

I'm guessing that 70000 shall now be main power. That is unless anything else available. But that may just be speculation on my part.

 

Dont be fooled, Tangmere has a catalogue of weird mechanical noises to call on, all of which are perfectly "normal"

 

I know it clanks as a matter of course, but that was CLANKING above and beyond the normal for 34067.

 

I know of another loco here in the states that clanks. 4449

 

I've just watched my film clip of Tangmere on the outward run approaching Whiteball tunnel.
It was filmed from the lane next to the railway so was close to the train. At this point there were
no obvious clanking noises from the loco.
I saw the train once again at Dawlish. I was on the hill above Kennaway tunnel but to be honest
I could hardly hear the train because of the sound of the waves hitting the seawall. <BJ>