Mainline Steam Operations

[wensley]

I was wondering if the following scenario would ever occur on the railways. Should a steam locomotive arrive in a bay platform with no run-round facilities and a diesel at the rear of the train, would the diesel pilot the ECS out of the way before allowing the steam loco and support coach to propel a short distance to a suitable turning point. The diesel could then run round the stock and return it to the platform before the turned steam loco could propel onto the stock, support coach leading. If this happened would the support coach require a portable headlight?

Corrections/notes would be greatly appreciated
Jonathon

 

[heart-of-wessex]

i thought usually even if its a terminus like Swansea a diesel simply hauls the return portion, unless I'm wrong?

 

[Tomnick]

I believe it's the accepted practice at Scarborough to propel the whole lot the short distance into the sidings from the station, and do the necessary shunt moves with the steam loco - no diesel necessarily involved. I'm sure the same happens elsewhere too - Skegness, for example. Not sure whether a portable headlight would be required for such a move; I suspect not though.

 

[AlexS]

If it's a shunt move of less than a quarter mile, any or no combination of white lights or red lights is apparently permissable.

Hence you used to see units at Lincoln working in to the bays with their red lights on the front, and the same at Nottingham with moves to and from Eastcroft.

 

[driver9000]

When Blackpool Nth gets a steam charter, the coaches are put in the sidings and the steam loco goes off tender first to the triangle at Farington Curve, Lostock Hall & Farington Jn south of Preson. A light steam loco running tender first isnt classed as a propelling move.

A propelling move of less than 400m doesnt require the lights to changed, a move longer than 400m requires normal front/tail lighting