Fire service delivers water for steam train

[Flamingo]

I did offer but still no good apparently!
I did consider setting fire to it but fortunately I sorted it without such drastic measures in the end

It wouldn't burn underwater :-P

Glad you fixed it anyway, it must have been a scary few minuter!

 

[ffm]

The non-emergency number? Do you mean the general administration number? Who did you speak to? We would normally attend such a call, and maybe charge - we have (many such incidents just try google) where we attended following a 999 call, if only to protect the environment from the fuel that would escape and pollute the waterway. But some services may not, either due to location (there are not fire stations everywhere and cover may be affected by being at the canal side)

 

[GearJammer]

Given that some individuals own redundant fire engines, this sounds like a way for one of them (with some imagination) could earn the price of diesel to keep it on the road.

The thought of one enthusiast helping another has a certain quality that appeals to me

I think you'll find thats normally the case, when ever ive seen a road tanker filling a steam loco on the Southern Region its always been an ex fire service truck still painted in fire service livery, normally a 4 wheeler DAF truck, i dunno who it belongs to but i always had a hunch that it was something to do with the MHR but i could be wrong, im sure i can't have been the only one to see it, its quite often used when steam stops at Eastleigh on the north bound platform, it parks in the car park and the hoses are run from the truck, through the fence over the platform and to the loco.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

As per my post #11... it's almost certainly from "Blues and Twos".

 

[Tracky]

Most steam operations on the mainline are supplied with water from road vehicles these days. Hydrants can suffer from low pressure and may be obstructed or full of dirt and crud. There are quite a few tanker operators now, from Blues and Twos mentioned above, to those who supply water for tasks from swimming pool filling to industrial users, building sites and major events.

In this case it was short notice and at an odd time of day, so a commercial provider would not be able to assist. While not an emergency, if the loco had run out the crew would have been looking at dropping the fire on the mainline and needing a loco to assist.

 

[Flamingo]

I suppose the option of sending all the passengers to the nearest open water clutching empty buckets, bottles and milk-jugs is no longer there?

 

[ainsworth74]

I suppose the option of sending all the passengers to the nearest open water clutching empty buckets, bottles and milk-jugs is no longer there?

I think health and safety would have a field day

 

[Flamingo]

I think health and safety would have a field day

The old line from the West Clare Railway "First class out and walk, second and third class out and push!"