nightstar.train

I have a theory as to why they do this, but I'd need a full carriage working diagram to confirm. It goes FTW to FTW to change platforms, as others have said. But the reason it does it twice is to swap the front and rear units. Although it's shown as one train on RTT it is actually two, front unit goes out and back to P2, then the rear unit does the same and they swap position. This done to allow units to rotate through the works when they reach Glasgow. That's my theory, that fits the circumstances. Another possibility is to allow the bike wagon to change ends when it's being used in the summer. Although why they'd keep doing it in the winter, practice maybe?

I've come across this really weird working on Real Time Trains. It seems to scheduled for every evening. The train starts in the station, goes out to the junction, back to station, to junction then back to the station finally. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W60888/2024-04-15/detailed#allox_id=0 It has actual times listed for last night so does seem to have run, it isn't some sort of ghost working.

Maybe. But I’d think a rake of Mk3s with 37s will attract a lot more rail enthusiasts than “civilians”. Overseas tourists will want a steam engine pulling red coaches to get the Harry Potter experience. And even if it’s aimed at local tourists it’s still very short notice, and rather early in the morning. The last trains did get some punters, but not even enough to fill 2 coaches. I doubt it made a single pfennig in profit. They’d be better running in the afternoon Jacobite slot. Although do WCRC own that at this time of year? They obviously do in the summer, I’m not familiar with their access agreements.

It’s such a shame they announce it with so little notice. Fort William is a long way from anywhere, and you’d have to stay overnight as even the sleeper doesn’t arrive early enough. I think they’d get a lot more punters if they announced it for a fortnight or sometime in May. I’m in Paisley and would quite like a trip, but can’t swing this Friday. As to WCRC, I wonder if the guys and girls at the ORR are looking the Facebook videos with their heads in their hands, then stuffing a briefcase full of prohibition notices and booking tonight’s sleeper? I do think that WCRC are breaking the spirit, if not the letter, of the law. Also what are they thinking running a train without ETH? And presumably the Mk2Fs aren’t through piped for steam heating either, so all the coaches will be freezing. Temperatures up there aren’t breaking 10°c today.

Foxtrot uniform, juliet indigo mike.

Found a video on the book of faces of the train. My up to date coaching stock 2024 book is out of date as the Mk2F FO is clearly maroon and not umber/cream. https://www.facebook.com/mrdouglasclark/videos/3798887400330078?idorvanity=879470575759230

And for those like me who don't have the full Platform 5 pocket book memorised: 45212 is an LMS black 5 35486 is a Mk1 BSK support coach 6000, 6022 and 6103 are all Mk2F SO in maroon 1860 is a Mk1 RMB in maroon. Has this been CDL fitted, or will they use it with the doors locked OOU? 3360 is a Mk2F FO in Pullman umber and cream.

These two trains have popped up, Carnforth to Crainlarich today https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U06380/2024-04-13/detailed Then Crainlarich to Fort William tomorrow. Pathed as a diesel loco trailing 715 tonnes at 60mph. So presumably a diesel hauling a pair of steamers and a rake of Mk2 air-cons. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U06381/2024-04-14/detailed

Oh please oh please oh please be a NGG16. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee. I’ve been ever so good and it’s my birthday soon.

Is it this one?

Show me a house or office or any building door where you have to open the window and lean through it to turn the door handle. And a house door where the handle has two latching positions and if it's not firmly slammed onto the second position it can spring open without warning and injure people. It's a simple fact that the vast majority of the public and overseas visitors will never have encountered this type of door and handle arrangement and may not know how to use it correctly. And if you lean against a door in a house and it unexpectedly falls open the risk of injury is far lower than if you're travelling on a train. Your not going to fall off a viaduct or encounter another train travelling at 100mph. And yes maybe trains should have seatbelts, and maybe preserved lines should have CDL. But that's not what's under discussion here. There are no regulations requiring either currently. There ARE regulations requiring WCRC to have CDL fitted to run their trains, which they are refusing to do. That is the start and end of it.

Thanks for this, and earlier posts by yourself and @The Stationmaster. It really is fascinating how the timetable of a very minor branch in the wilds of Scotland affects/is affected by trains all the way to Glasgow and even London!

Indeed WCRC have a rake of Mk2 air-cons fitted with CDL. They could have them up at Fort William and the Jacobite running tomorrow. Would get the service up and running and revenue coming in whilst they fit a rake or two of Mk1s with CDL. But that would require them admitting they're wrong.

The real problem with an electro magnetic system is getting a reliable power source on a Mk1. The alternator and battery system are not reliable enough. You need better batteries, which is easy in 2024. But then they need charging. AAUI the alternator on a Mk1 doesn't work well at low speeds, and indeed can fail completely. So you need better alternators, or a regular shore connection to charge them. It's not insurmountable by any means but a huge problem will be the paper work. Any system like this would need certifying for use on railway. Could certainly be worth it for WCRC with over 100 coaches to fit. But again it comes down to their willingness (or lack thereof) to spend the necessary dinars.

Because they don't want to and it's not fair stamps foot like a petulant 6 year old But seriously I think it's in a large part down to sheer pig headedness of the MD. He's run it this way for decades so why should he have to change now? He's not killed anyone (yet) so it's obviously all fine and the ORR are just being ridiculous. He doesn't want to spend money on the stock, he wants to buy a nice steam engine.

There was a war between Voice Of America/Radio Free Europe/BBC and the Soviets, with the Soviets trying to jam the incoming broadcasts. Might well cause some of the mentioned.

From an email from Accurascale today, mini update on the 37s

I’m just going by the purple deltic. It is much hated and there are many many negative comments about it over on the deltic thread. However it sold out very fast and sold so well it’s the only loco that Accurascale have (so far) ever made an exact re-release of. I get a similar feeling for the sentiment around 50017. It’s a marmite loco, strong feelings either for or against, not so much in the middle ground.

I found it funny that Accurascale chose 301 to model for this reason. 302-4 would maybe be better bets as they’ve had longer working lives. Unless they’ve had more modifications that make them difficult for Accurascale’s tooling suite. Anyway, 301 obviously sold well, as did all the 37s, so it can’t exactly be called a bad call, maybe just slightly odd.

Will the red and gold pseudo LMS Coronation livery ever be made? It might be like the purple deltic, some people hate it but enough people love it to sell out easily. Would make a great exclusive.

I never knew that the modern KUAs were designed to do that. Has it ever actually been done though? I've certainly never seen a photo and you'd think it would've come up when Accurascale/Revolution were making their models. I know that the KUAs have been up to Georgemas junction to collect things from Dounreay/HMS Vulcan. But I'm fairly certain they didn't transform to road mode, rather stuff was brought to them at the loading pad.

This is great. A 91 towing the 89, a Mk2 something barrier, 4 Mk4s and then another Mk2 barrier. Great formation, definitely one to print out and keep for exhibitions to silence the “well akshully” crowd.

Here they are https://railsofsheffield.com/products/Bachmann-37-590-br-45t-ttf-tank-wagon-bp-lubricants-green https://railsofsheffield.com/products/Bachmann-37-590a-br-45t-ttf-tank-wagon-bp-lubricants-green-w Seem to be numbers BPO60365 and BPO60194.

Initially the HST was set to just provide ETS to the coaches. But this meant the engine was running at very low revs and led to carbon build up in the exhausts. ISTR that there was a fire involving one of the HST powercars because of this. So they modified the controls to make the powercar run in full multiple with the 91 to get the revs up and keep the engine clean. It did lead to some very spirited acceleration as you say.

I expect that they are rightfully fearful of Warner Bros army of lawyers and know exactly where the line is and how far they can tread it in regards to Harry Potter. Seems they can't apply the same thinking to the ORR though. I would imagine that IF (and its a big IF) WCRC can show the ORR that they have a costed and timed plan for fitment of CDL then they will get an exemption, just as Belmond, Vintage trains and so on have. But they will have to prove it, not just make vague statements. I'd imagine the ORR would want to see orders for CDL equipment placed and workshop slots booked. They have fitted the Northern Belle, which shows they can do it (although it's easier to fit them than a Mk1), which I would imagine will help their case with the ORR.