The Rail Enthusiast thread

[Andy in Germany]

You could always have a fireless steam loco. Local goods yard still had two in the mid 1970's.

I'm not sure how well that would do Kings Cross-Carlisle in one go...

 

[classic33]

I'm not sure how well that would do Kings Cross-Carlisle in one go..

Don't think one would, but the shorter local trips?

 

[Andy in Germany]

Don't think one would, but the shorter local trips?

I'm not sure that would capture the imagination for the charter market. Also would make a Garratt pointless, which for me personally defeats the object...

 

[rogerzilla]

One well-known problem faced by heritage railways is that the big mainline locos attract the punters but they really want something smaller that can plod along at the universal 25mph limit while not burning 4 tons of coal a day. There is at least one "sensible" new build project but stuff like the P2, admirable though it is, makes little sense except for mainline charters.

I'm not sure you can get a piston-engined steam loco to more than 10% thermal efficiency. However, coal is still so much cheaper than oil that fuel costs are not the main issue and nor is labour, if you can use volunteers. The £200,000 rebuild every 7-10 years is the economic problem. In t'olden days this was done more efficiently in huge works with spare boilers ready to swap over. Now it takes years and different jobs have to be sent all over the country to specalists.

 

[NorthernDave]

One well-known problem faced by heritage railways is that the big mainline locos attract the punters but they really want something smaller that can plod along at the universal 25mph limit while not burning 4 tons of coal a day. There is at least one "sensible" new build project but stuff like the P2, admirable though it is, makes little sense except for mainline charters.

I'm not sure you can get a piston-engined steam loco to more than 10% thermal efficiency. However, coal is still so much cheaper than oil that fuel costs are not the main issue and nor is labour, if you can use volunteers. The £200,000 rebuild every 7-10 years is the economic problem. In t'olden days this was done more efficiently in huge works with spare boilers ready to swap over. Now it takes years and different jobs have to be sent all over the country to specalists.

A good point, well illustrated by the programme on BBC 4 the other night which showed the Flying Scotsman doing a journey on the SVR.
A 100mph mainline express loco that barely seemed to get going and constantly needed reigning in to keep down to the limit.

And on a related note, how rubbish is the whistle on that engine? They need to get that fixed. I wasn't expecting the mellifluous chimes of an A4, but really...

 

[robjh]

This came through Foxton, near Cambridge, as I was waiting for a train yesterday morning. It is a class 67 hauling a complete class 91 + driving trailer class 82 ECML train set - I assume this is decommissioned stock being moved to sidings at Ely for storage.

 

[Andy in Germany]

This came through Foxton, near Cambridge, as I was waiting for a train yesterday morning. It is a class 67 hauling a complete class 91 + driving trailer class 82 ECML train set - I assume this is decommissioned stock being moved to sidings at Ely for storage.
View attachment 499231

My Goodness. I have pictures of a very similar setup with a class 31 hauling a brand shiny new set into Bradford Forster Square before the wires were energised.

 

[NorthernDave]

The plan with the 91's:

https://rail-record.co.uk/lner-class-91s-mk4-withdrawl-begins/

 

[rogerzilla]

The Class 800s are awful for cyclists, assuming that's what you're getting instead. Only one bike fits in each 2-bike bay, which will usually be full of luggage anyway. They're trying to make us all buy cars.

 

[robjh]

The Class 800s are awful for cyclists, assuming that's what you're getting instead. Only one bike fits in each 2-bike bay, which will usually be full of luggage anyway. They're trying to make us all buy cars.

You can get two slim bikes in, but it's a struggle.
At least, I thought, you can now load and unload your own bikes as they're no longer in a separate guards' van (do we still call them that?) which had to be locked and unlocked by staff, but oh no, the poor staff still have to run round locking and unlocking the cupboards on the 800s too. And pity the poor cyclist who still has the moments of anxiety hoping that a train or platform staff member will turn up when you get to your stop, not to mention the monumental struggle to manhandle a bike in/out at a busy station with people getting on or off at the same narrow doorway.

 

[classic33]

My Goodness. I have pictures of a very similar setup with a class 31 hauling a brand shiny new set into Bradford Forster Square before the wires were energised.

1994, a quarter century ago!

 

[Andy in Germany]

1994, a quarter century ago!

Longer than that: it was just before we moved house, which was in 1990.

 

[NorthernDave]

On a rail related note, I've just bagged tickets from Leeds to Chester and back next month for 10p each way in Northern's flash sale.

The constant uncertainty of who will be running the trains, or indeed if the train will even run at all just adds to the anticipation.

 

[classic33]

On a rail related note, I've just bagged tickets from Leeds to Chester and back next month for 10p each way in Northern's flash sale.

The constant uncertainty of who will be running the trains, or indeed if the train will even run at all just adds to the anticipation.

"Raffle Tickets" not train tickets then.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Tues 7th

Senior Management was undertaking some consultancy work at Scarborough Hospital
I arranged for a days annual-leave & drove her up (thus earning brownie points?)
We were up there, before 08:45 (with her meeting starting at 09:30)
Once dropped off, I had a few hours (not sure how many it would be) exploring....
Normally I consider Scarborough to be 'Blackpool-on-the- North Sea', but out of season today, it was quite enjoyable

During my exploration, I came across this shop on Easborough

https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101258404-41-and-43-eastborough-scarborough#.Xhb03Hd2vIU

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5932142


11 various buildings/structures. from HERE