Tail Gunner…The Jolly Fisherman..

[Spekejunction]

On Saturday 14th June I watched 60163 Tornado depart from Huntingdon after a water stop.
The steam locomotive departed with minimal effort and as the rear of the train passed it became clear that Diesel Loco was doing most of the work.
You Can see the action on U Tube..
Be interested to know what other enthusiasts make of this..

 

[TSGN Spotter]

I believe its perfectly normal industry practice.

 

[Harpo]

Been a very dry spring so it could well be mitigation for those conditions to give most of the work to the ‘box on the back’.

 

[TSGN Spotter]

Been a very dry spring so it could well be mitigation for those conditions to give most of the work to the ‘box on the back’.

Exactly to my knowledge its due to the risk of fires, of course WCR/RTC have to ensure that all safety regulations are followed, its possible this was a decision by Network Rail.

 

[DarloRich]

On Saturday 14th June I watched 60163 Tornado depart from Huntingdon after a water stop.
The steam locomotive departed with minimal effort and as the rear of the train passed it became clear that Diesel Loco was doing most of the work.
You Can see the action on U Tube..
Be interested to know what other enthusiasts make of this..

It is quite normal, especially as times when the lineside is dry and could go on fire quite easily.

it isn't a conspiracy - After all Tornado ran from Carnforth to Southall a couple of days before and was running well.

Bletchley by MKDarlo (Richard), on Flickr

 

[Forty29]

Was that the railtour quoted above which travelled the S&C and caused a lineside fire near Ribblehead?

 

[TSGN Spotter]

Was that the railtour quoted above which travelled the S&C and caused a lineside fire near Ribblehead?

Carnforth to Southall is likely straight down the WCML. The Huntingdon tour didn't go on the S&C

 

[thejuggler]

It also helps in maintaining timings. I was on the S and C trip a couple of weeks ago. We were about 30 minutes late leaving Hellifield, we were only 10 late in Carlisle thanks in large part to being pushed up the hill.

 

[Iskra]

It also helps in maintaining timings. I was on the S and C trip a couple of weeks ago. We were about 30 minutes late leaving Hellifield, we were only 10 late in Carlisle thanks in large part to being pushed up the hill.

That’s actually not the reason that particular tour made up time. There were two 15 minute or so dwells in the schedule; one at Settle and another at Appleby. Not dwelling at those two points is how that time was recovered. When the tour passed me at Dent the 47 wasn’t doing much.

 

[12C]

It is normal practice nowadays, tours which are purely steam hauled without diesel assistance are becoming very rare, and the steam loco often seems to be more a decorative feature at the front of an otherwise diesel hauled train.

I watched ‘Mayflower’ passing through Cumbria last Saturday. Apart from the loco making the occasional chuff here and there and whistling, it sounded like the 57 behind it was doing most (or all) of the work. I can’t see dry weather being a reason as it had rained a fair bit last week and there were torrential thunderstorms early Saturday morning, the ground was soaked.

No that most steam tour passengers care much anyway nowadays, they’re more bothered about what’s on the wine list, and as long as they hear the odd toot it’s pulled by a steam engine as far as they’re concerned.

 

[The Chimaera]

It is normal practice nowadays, tours which are purely steam hauled without diesel assistance are becoming very rare, and the steam loco often seems to be more a decorative feature at the front of an otherwise diesel hauled train.

I watched ‘Mayflower’ passing through Cumbria last Saturday. Apart from the loco making the occasional chuff here and there and whistling, it sounded like the 57 behind it was doing most (or all) of the work. I can’t see dry weather being a reason as it had rained a fair bit last week and there were torrential thunderstorms early Saturday morning, the ground was soaked.

No that most steam tour passengers care much anyway nowadays, they’re more bothered about what’s on the wine list, and as long as they hear the odd toot it’s pulled by a steam engine as far as they’re concerned.

The dry weather was exactly the reason, there’s lots of dead and dried out vegetation on the linesides. It doesn’t take long to dry out after rain and burns very easily as proved at Ribblehead earlier in the week. Network rail are rightly very nervous about it and won’t let steam run at all unless it is heavily diesel assisted at the moment.