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Spitfire Tractors to Edinburgh 27/9/08

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33011

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As i am new to this forum this subject may have been posted before so if it has sorry. Are any of you on this forum on it?
 
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Phoenix

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I see the novelty of having a rare piece of traction such as a grid on a railtour.
But I don't get it when the word absolute hellfire and grid are put into one sentence.
Great loco's just slightly boring.
But then again don't listen to me or let me offend I have only been on 20x2 37x2 47x2.
 

37402

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I see the novelty of having a rare piece of traction such as a grid on a railtour.
But I don't get it when the word absolute hellfire and grid are put into one sentence.
Great loco's just slightly boring.
But then again don't listen to me or let me offend I have only been on 20x2 37x2 47x2.
Your last line just about sums it up really...

Suggest a bit of youtube searching may help change your mind, although nothing beats the real thing...!
 

33056

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To appreciate a "Grid" properly it really needs to be on a heavy load (1,500 tons +), not the likes of a piddly little railtour or 4O90 etc. I have fond memories of being disturbed most mornings by the pairs that used to work the Acton to Purfleet trains (over 3,000 tons) before the 59s turned up.

The pairs on the South Wales iron ore circuit in the 1980s were good as well :grin:
 

Techniquest

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56s sound brilliant, it has to be said. Not had the opportunity to sample them myself unfortunately, but heard 56301 in 2006 on the Darlington Railfest thing as we waited to get off the Wensleydale line. I was expecting a HST to be passing as I couldn't see it to begin with but I was very impressed.

EDIT: Not on this tour though due to the unlikeliness of the grid producing and will be chasing Valentas instead.
 

Phoenix

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Your last line just about sums it up really...

Suggest a bit of youtube searching may help change your mind, although nothing beats the real thing...!

I see them quite enough I live in water orton at the moment it's two a day with 311 on route learning.
But yeah good loco's just not railtour worthy for me.
 

Techniquest

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417 and 422...two nosy locos should work this one...

At least that's what I'd have my money on...I'm waiting for the froth to start when it's announced no grid is available...
 

33011

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417 and 422...two nosy locos should work this one...

At least that's what I'd have my money on...I'm waiting for the froth to start when it's announced no grid is available...
Spitfire have delivered everything that they have said so far so hopefully fingers crossed it will be ok. It won't be 417 and 422 as i don't think Spitfire use EWS loco's they leave them to Chingfinder.
 
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37412

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417 and 422...two nosy locos should work this one...

Oh yes course they are because the TOC WCRC are going to hire them ffrom EWS for this job arn't they? The tour is already allocated a West coast loco as the last bit will be so if there is no grid I presume they will just use that. :roll: Of course those over on wnxx no best though don't they?
 

87015

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If grids are regarded as boring then what does that make 60s and 66s??

Quietly confident 56303 will perform, might be a bit knackered but it keeps going on and on
 

5872

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Its a shame its not starting close to me, I would have loved to do another Spitfire tour 8)
 

37412

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there's plenty of time to learn yet... ;)

Hope your a patient person...that 60 on the Alloa certainly didn't do any thing to make me interested, in fact I was asleep for the four hours that was on 8)
 

Techniquest

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You didn't get much of a machine then. I thought the same of 60034, but when I had 60038 I loved it! Pet 60!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh yes course they are because the TOC WCRC are going to hire them ffrom EWS for this job arn't they? The tour is already allocated a West coast loco as the last bit will be so if there is no grid I presume they will just use that. :roll: Of course those over on wnxx no best though don't they?

It was an attempt at humour ol' boy. Clearly it wasn't humourous to anyone else.

I'm not confident in a 56 showing up for this tour. I know Spitfire have done a brilliant job with providing what they've said they will so far, which is very commendable, but I'm predicting a last-second failure of the 56.

If it works the tour, throughout and without major incident, I'll eat my words.
 
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87015

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If it works the tour, throughout and without major incident, I'll eat my words.
Have some faith, this is not Chingfinder EH 37 Rail!

yutz0e.jpg

That is what I hope to be greeted with off my rancid overnight bus move.
 

Techniquest

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Ouch, what's the overnight bus move?

At the end of the day, if 56303 (the only one likely to turn up it seems) fails then it won't be Spitfire's fault. I don't intend to blame them at all, but I just don't see it happening.
 

37402

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That is what I hope to be greeted with off my rancid overnight bus move.
Dunno about you, but I'm not overly keen spending a night and a day inside a container, whatever the traction is... ;)
 

EE Type 3

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To appreciate a "Grid" properly it really needs to be on a heavy load (1,500 tons +), not the likes of a piddly little railtour or 4O90 etc. I have fond memories of being disturbed most mornings by the pairs that used to work the Acton to Purfleet trains (over 3,000 tons) before the 59s turned up.

The pairs on the South Wales iron ore circuit in the 1980s were good as well :grin:

I used to hear them on 6M30 or 6V75 steel trains, and I live a good mile away from the Cardiff Line!

302 was lively on load 11 on the Grid Arising tour <D
 

37402

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It's all very well saying such and such was very lively out of wherever, but 9 times out of 10 (and especially on light loads such as coaching stock in question here) it is down to driving style. Even the 'loudest' loco, when driven 'by the book' (i.e not "off" straight to "notch 8") can sound pretty tame.
 

Techniquest

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Very true. I recall some trips last year when I had 43170 and it was extremely rateable for a VP185. Everytime heart-of-wessex was with me and we had it on a set it was considerably tamer. Granted, it put some of the MML ones to shame but I've heard MTUs that were more rateable than 43170 was with certain drivers.

Same occasionally applied to 43002. Some drivers, especially nearer the end, got some beautiful tunes out of her and it was extremely enjoyable. On other occasions, I was left wondering why she was my pet power car.:shock:
 
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