Royal Duchy 2015

GW locomotives on a GW route required! 'Ducks for cover!'

 

Who was the driver today? Ray Churchill has had the measure of Tangmere on this route in the last couple of years and produced the storming performance in the video above.

 

It was Ray.

 

Wasn't Ray on the outward trip?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

If he couldn't get it up there then no one would. Not a good day.

 

I know what I saw which was steam load 9 plus class 47.

But who am I to question west coast,
Tangmere an amazing bank climber obviously.
doesnt ever need assisting.

 

Removed as out of context in merged thread

 

So you're blaming the load without knowing the reasons for the failure. Tangmere has taken 9 up Hemerdon before with ease. I'll keep an open mind until we hear the facts.

 

At least three: VT trip to Kent, with passengers sent home via Javelin, LU and Chiltern.

 

Ray Churchill drove Bristol Par Plymouth and was a brilliant trip he came off at Plymouth and another driver took over, don't know his name a new one down here I think, she slipped violently several times trying to get out of Plymouth before slowly getting out but still slipping/

 

There's your problem, doesn't the book say load 8 for a class 7 over the South Devon Banks ?, ok loco's have taken 9 before (5043 and 34067), but in the circumstances it does seem odd for them to be doing this, especially with 34067's track record of sitting down on banks.

Controversial, but I think it's time to remove 34067 from the mainline scene, how many issues caused by mainline steam have involved this machine ?, you'd think Eastleigh Works crashed it into a mirror factory on a test run or something with the incidents it's involved in, I'm fed up with this thing almost single handedly driving nails into the mainline coffin, get shot of it before it does irrepairable damage

 

I wouldn't say that is a controversial decision. I am surprised that it hasn't been banned before. NR probably dread seeing it going out on tours and wonder when it's going to go wrong again. It does seem to be the most unreliable loco on the ML as it has been in the news mainly for all the wrong reasons.
34092 needs to get back on the ML to show that the class isn't cursed.

 

No it is not the loco, it's unfortunate circumstances with footplate crews, I've said before that Tangmere is a difficult loco to drive, Ray Churchill is the expert in handling the engine, and gets the best out of her, and never has any problems, I have said before that there is nothing wrong with Tangmere with an expert on the regulator, tonight was just about the worst case I've seen of an engine slipping it's way out, the driver had 4 or 5 attempts to get her out violently slipping each time, she was still slipping after Mutley tunnel, he struggled right from the start.

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O15810/2015/08/02/advanced

Tangmere's on the move, but possibly behind a diesel along with the ECS back to Bristol, as there is no planned water stop. A miserable end to the day indeed.

 

I bet the delay minutes, bad reputation and costs to WCRC soon silence all the purists - everyone here seems to be saying why wasnt the diesel on the back, as is mostly the case these days.

As for Tangmere. It is a machine that seems to be harder to control and get the most out of. Maybe they should factor that in when loading it on runs, rather than always aiming for the maximum they can take, but maybe that is still due to the fact that the design and class was always known to be a machine that slips. Personally, I cant see Tangmere going anywhere. Most of the WCRC stuff is smaller and medium in size, being the Royal Scot, Jubilees and Black 5, even though the loads should be similar for Tangmere and they are coping well over the S+C. Most of the large class 8 stuff seems now to be owned by Hosking and Co, or running under its management/affiliation, Bittern, Blue Peter, Brit, Merc. If Tangmere does go, it might be for the Merchant Navy WCRC have, but how long is that in the offing, as with WCRC its a case of its ready when its ready.

I do think its a case of; its been an incident, but things will carry on much the same as before as it will be put down to circumstance. Maybe thats right after all.

 

It's late now. Let's hope the passengers get home safely and we get to hear what really happened later in the week. We all have our 2p-worth of opinion (informed or otherwise!) but none of that's going to help...

 

Just my observations:

Ray looked pretty grumpy and tired turning the engine at par, perhaps tangy was having a bad day.

When taking the loco off the turntable, the engine went backwards instead of forwards as per the other video in this thread, and much clunking and banging from the footplate, then forward gear seemed ok.

She also seemed to have a leaky gland on the right hand cylinder.

I'm no expert and I really have no idea, but perhaps tangys steam reverser has been playing up today, perhaps there was also bad coal in the mix - and perhaps someone less experienced with a spamcan didn't know how to deal with these extra difficulties?

 

I have to say that Tangmere struggled all day on the big banks even in Ray Churchills capable hands. Speed fell alarmingly on Dainton and Rattery and on the climb to Largin on return. Some argued that it was overloaded with 9 on. But I suspected other problems with the steam reverser as well. This was reinforced by alarming events starting from Plymouth about which I will say no more. I was expecting the engine to be failed there and then

But eventually it got going and accelerated to over 60 at the bottom of Hemerdon, but rapidly ground to a halt at .mp 240. Was it ever in full forward gear ? I suspect not! It just did not have enough power to move the train despite blowing off. I will say no more. If my speculation is right, this was an engine problem NOT a crew problem and the crew have my full sympathy on a difficult day. Also taking a class 8 load is too risky in the present climate. Thanks to FGW for getting us home.

David

 

I am one of those who are fed up with this loco for many reasons stated in every post after many instances has had. Put 67 into a "spam can" and leave it there permanently.

Praying for more class 8's as soon as possible.

No .9 up at Crewe put in a spectacular performance when she did one in 2013.