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NNR gala...I'll go home now


PhilH

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As some of you might now know 34007 will not be chuffing up and down the North Norfolk Railway as part of their gala this weekend. Without boring people reading this suffice to say that the engine became a football kicked around between the contractors rebuilding the M3, the Highways Agency, the company moving the thing and the Mid Hants, so was not allowed to traverse the extensive roadworks and lane/ complete closures on the M3.

 

The net result was that 34007 would not have been able to do anything till Sunday which obviously was no good for the NNR. We drove 250 miles yesterday to the NNR, we were only given the news late yesterday afternoon so obviously were a tad disappointed. So back home today, a financial hole in somebody's pocket no doubt at the end of the toings and froings of this, disappointed punters, all because of politics and semantics on behalf of said Highways Agency.

 

I shall say no more.

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the NNR's recent gala curse strikes again sadly

 

I was looking forward to seeing Wadebridge tackling Weybourne bank and meeting Phil (!)

 

The resident Black 5 has failed too

 

NNR news here http://www.nnrailway.co.uk/page.php?pid=40

 

I'm sure it will still be a good event but your absence will certainly weaken it.

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To be fair, it's a train, you should be cursing the various railway bodies for making it unviable/impossible to get there by rail before having a go at the road authorities

Believe you me, the 'road authorities' are squarely in the frame for this one.

 

Um...it's a locomotive not a train......

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Believe you me, the 'road authorities' are squarely in the frame for this one.

 

Um...it's a locomotive not a train......

I don't want to start an argument with someone who is obviously understandably annoyed at the way things have turned out, but I think you've missed my point
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In an ideal world to move a loco by rail would seem to be the way to go, and some do go this way (61306 arrived by rail as we were leaving today). However it's surely reasonable to expect that if you are going to put any form of traction out on today's railway and run it reliably at a speed which doesn't hold everything up then that traction unit has to be demonstrably fit for that purpose. So, you want a loco that has been prepared, engineered and certified for that purpose, which is a step up from the engineering required to run up and down a heritage line at 25mph, which is what 34007 is certified for.

 

This is not to say that you couldn't do it if allowed, but the accountability has to be in place so that if it does go wrong then it can be shown that all steps were taken to make it fit for that purpose. This is not peculiar to the railways, it is a fact in all facets of life today.

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On the subject of enjoying what is there rather than what isn't (?)... I managed to catch Mayflower arriving in Sheringham on Thursday afternoon in readiness for this weekend's gala. It arrived by rail under its own power, not a low loader or traffic jam in sight. Shame Wadebridge has to navigate the roads. Commiserations to Phil.

 

post-17811-0-77613100-1441432431.jpg

 

 

 

 

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Though even I wouldn't want to be stuck behind a preserved loco through the 50mph roadworks that stretch along the M3 from Fleet Services to the M25.I imagine it wouldn't be good publicity for heritage lines in general either.

Personally I'm always thrilled when I see a heritage loco unexpectedly - so much more exciting than planning to be in a particular place to see a particular loco. I can't imagine that anyone else wouldn't be!

 

Highlights - a 'castle' on low loader in a service station, a light engine deltic through west Drayton, overtaking 60009 on the wcml (not quite sure my colleagues shared my enthusiasm on that occasion mind). Arriving at Birmingham International for Warley last year with 46233 waiting on opposite platform. The surprise of the staton staff that half the passengers ignored them saying the exit was the other way to go and see th Duchess.

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I was there to day it was great to see "Mayflower" hauling the the right stock for a change.

 

post-6815-0-01527700-1441568364.jpg

 

D6723 was running in place of Spam can Wadebridge.

 

post-6815-0-39787400-1441568634.jpg

 

92204 looks great in green. 

 

post-6815-0-85780700-1441568864.jpg

 

Parallel running at Holt on the North Norfolk Gala.

 

post-6815-0-10650600-1441569157.jpg

 

I hope that you enjoy looking at these images, they are not my best photos as the camera is getting long in the tooth like the owner.

 

Terry.

 

 

 

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This is not to say that you couldn't do it if allowed, but the accountability has to be in place so that if it does go wrong then it can be shown that all steps were taken to make it fit for that purpose. This is not peculiar to the railways, it is a fact in all facets of life today.

Ah yes - the good old risk assessment. No doubt invented by overpaid H&S herberts trying to justify their positions, p*ss people off and trying their hardest to stop things from happening. At work we are but one step away from filling out such paperwork before dropping a f*rt. Will it be a wet one or not? Did i have a curry last night?

 

Brian

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