but a good point was made upthread that the actual drivers don't know the road (obviously) and the conductors don't know the braking behaviour of the Everos - plus there is the time for communication between the two, with both - initially at least - being cautious "just in case."
When I travelled yesterday there was no evidence of overcautious driving. The drivers in both directions drove exactly to the line speeds where possible - as verified by members of the Railway Performance Society travelling on the trains. The only thing that does lose a little time leaving Carlisle in the Up direction is the necessity to perform a running brake test on the (approximately) 1 in 120 rising gradient at Scotby....but this can be recovered using the pathing time approaching Preston. (I signed and drove over the Settle-Carlisle line for twenty years from 1992 to 2012....but never had the opportunity to learn Hellifield-Blackburn-Preston, unlike some of my more senior colleagues).
With a 70 maximum from Preston to Blackburn, 45 from there to Hellifield and 60 onwards to Carlisle, they couldn't really run them much harder!
that's all good to hear then. If the timings are too tight let's hope that they are updated for future diverts.When I travelled yesterday there was no evidence of overcautious driving. The drivers in both directions drove exactly to the line speeds where possible - as verified by members of the Railway Performance Society travelling on the trains. The only thing that does lose a little time leaving Carlisle in the Up direction is the necessity to perform a running brake test on the (approximately) 1 in 120 rising gradient at Scotby....but this can be recovered using the pathing time approaching Preston. (I signed and drove over the Settle-Carlisle line for twenty years from 1992 to 2012....but never had the opportunity to learn Hellifield-Blackburn-Preston, unlike some of my more senior colleagues).
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With a 70 maximum from Preston to Blackburn, 45 from there to Hellifield and 60 onwards to Carlisle, they couldn't really run them much harder!
I was one of the latter. But does it matter why people are onboard - as long as they are?
There were plenty of regular passengers with suitcases getting off the train that arrived at Preston around 1145 yesterday, so it clearly has provided some usefulness at a very quiet time of year. It has definitely attracted railway tourists, and I’d say the majority of the 1st class passengers on my train were in that category plus a good number in Standard. However, I think regular passengers will need a bit of time to get used to the concept of diversions again before they get confident using them.
Thanks again, great day yesterday, heres a few highlights, https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.25530115763275935&type=3
No. You'd have to get them to Carlisle, do the full round trip and get them back again within the maximum turn length.
So the answer (yet again) is that Carlisle is too important a node not to have staff located there...
The only staffing issues attributed to the diverts have been having to lock out a set if caterers have not been available when running as a double set. And there is a catering depot at Carlisle who have been trained on the 805 for these diverts, even though day to day they don’t work them. Some logical pre planning.
Not so many hikers eating ice creams at Ribblehead this time of year, I'm guessing.
Maybe not ice cream, but quite a few hikers out too, lots of cranks of course, the Railway pub did well.
Yes.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Thanks!
Why has this been pathed? Also for the 4th.
They appear to be hourly aswell? They are on the week after then the week after that is rail replacement. Very confusing!
I’d like to think that’d make sense but i think you’ll find BR took all the Inter City sector work away from there (apart from catering) in 1993 so nationalisation might not be a panacea.
Didn't Virgin still have some Carlisle crews until the end of loco haulage?
Why is it confusing? The WCML is blocked again in April.
I didn’t realise it was. Why is it blocked? I didn’t think they would bother with the diversions again after how these current ones have gone.
AFAIK your right about Northern, I didn’t think Virgin retained anything other than caterers & initially a few ex BR conductors but happy to be corrected.
Never mind I have read an article on this. It says that Carlisle-Preston will be shut for parts of September. Is it possible Avanti S&C diversions will take place at the same time LNER TV line Diversions take place? If so Carlisle will be hectic!
Correct. Carlisle Intercity depot closed in 1995
Slightly less than nil I reckon. The additional cost of extra route and traction training won’t advance beyond the (mostly ex-DfT*) bean counters’ pens at GBR.
If the maintenance depot for the HS2 fleet at Quintinshill goes ahead there’ll likely be a train crew depot either there or at Carlisle
More OLE work I believe.
Patchy, and it can differ between the two sets of the train. On Saturday neither portion received the advertised offering, however one set received an at seat service of cold sandwiches, snacks and alcohol and the other portion were denied any alcohol as apparently it was against policy to serve it… other passengers have been directed to the shop to claim their complementaries.