37/4 - why the ETH limit?

[47827]

I never had a 37 on the Mule - the crews nearer London wouldn't have signed 37s in any case, so hence a 33 would always be preferred.

I recall many, if not all of the workings being on the Salisbury to Exeter section and I am sure there were instances were 2 trains would be delayed at Salisbury to swap the 37 over with something else (usually a 47) so the 47 kept on the London end, also juggling traction with a Salisbury terminator to stop the 37 going further east. I imagine London drivers were on that leg. If 37s ever reached Waterloo then there would potentially need to be a crew from further west involved and it would be sent back west on its merry way ASAP. I guess double manning (one for traction added in) to get around it. I've no idea if anyone can present evidence one ever reached Waterloo but the pics I saw were always in the West Country. 37s must have only ever got it into the mix due to dwindling 33s and 50s for when there wasn't a 47.

Certainly not a 37/4 on the one I found here to illustrate the point

 

[Cowley]

I recall many, if not all of the workings being on the Salisbury to Exeter section and I am sure there were instances were 2 trains would be delayed at Salisbury to swap the 37 over with something else (usually a 47) so the 47 kept on the London end, also juggling traction with a Salisbury terminator to stop the 37 going further east. I imagine London drivers were on that leg. If 37s ever reached Waterloo then there would potentially need to be a crew from further west involved and it would be sent back west on its merry way ASAP. I guess double manning (one for traction added in) to get around it. I've no idea if anyone can present evidence one ever reached Waterloo but the pics I saw were always in the West Country. 37s must have only ever got it into the mix due to dwindling 33s and 50s for when there wasn't a 47.

Certainly not a 37/4 on the one I found here to illustrate the point

That’s a good find. I’ve not seen that video before.
37035 to the rescue at Crewkerne in this one….

 

[47827]

That’s a good find. I’ve not seen that video before.
37035 to the rescue at Crewkerne in this one….

Ah yes. Noticed that one too but chose the other to post as it was on the train by itself. The 50s, for their popularity amongst some folk, really did keep BR on its toes with a few costly repair bills over those 25+ years.

 

[Pigeon]

No, the ETH index of 66 was required for the original purpose. It was required by the locos hauling the aircon sets in passenger service, therefore it was also required by the locos making the ecs movements. Don't forget that we are talking pre-HSTs here, and the Inter City service operated in a very different way: in 1974 Hornsey kicked out 10 aircon sets at start of day, that's 10 sets needing full ETH, and some of them load 14.

Sure, the original purpose certainly required it, but beyond their original purpose, when they were being used as general-purpose things, their booked duties didn't require it (although it sometimes came in handy on substitutions).

As a contrast the next leg of my journey to Cardiff was with a pair of 33s with four coaches (a 4TC set?), at what seemed to be not much more than a fast tickover they went like the wind, including the climb out of the Severn Tunnel. I always enjoyed a good run with a 33.

They used sets of Mk 1s on those workings. A 4TC turning up would be quite an event!

 

[Dai Corner]

They used sets of Mk 1s on those workings. A 4TC turning up would be quite an event!

There's a long thread about 4TC workings off their traditional routes on another Forum.

There was a summer season when Weymouth crew took them to Bristol Temple Meads and one day of experimental 8TC workings Portsmouth-Bristol. But nobody on that thread has records of one making it as far as Cardiff.

(Apologies for going off-topic)