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andyram
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From what I have read in steam railway and heritage railway magazines ( can't remember which issues ) railway and locomotive enthusiasts will have to get used to locos like tornado hauling mk3 coaches at somepoint soon.

 

This comes as the result of crash worthiness assessments being carried out on mk1 coaches currently used on mainline tour trains.  The result of these assessments being that they can be used for now but when mk3 rakes become available for conversion for use as tour stock, the tour operators may have no choice but to use mk3 coaches as their safety case I think its called is much higher therefore making these coaches safer than mk1s in the event of a derailment given that most steam trains run at less than 80 mph anyway.

 

And indeed the A1SLT have announced plans to assemble a rake of Mk.3s, which I gather will be fitted with opening toplights.

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From what I have read in steam railway and heritage railway magazines ( can't remember which issues ) railway and locomotive enthusiasts will have to get used to locos like tornado hauling mk3 coaches at somepoint soon.

 

This comes as the result of crash worthiness assessments being carried out on mk1 coaches currently used on mainline tour trains.  The result of these assessments being that they can be used for now but when mk3 rakes become available for conversion for use as tour stock, the tour operators may have no choice but to use mk3 coaches as their safety case I think its called is much higher therefore making these coaches safer than mk1s in the event of a derailment given that most steam trains run at less than 80 mph anyway.

Surely if a safety case has been made that Mk1 stock is in anyway unsafe then they would be banned outright. I doubt Mk3 coach availability would have, I would hope, nothing to do with it.

 

Griff

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The mk1s are either good enough or they're not. But there other way to look at it is that the MK3 is a stronger, safer design, and if they are available it's questionable if using a less safe design is compatible with the ALARP concept. I don't know the answer there...

 

The A1SLT also want to run at 90, which might change the equation on whether a MK1 is satisfactory in a world where safer options are available.

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From what I have read in steam railway and heritage railway magazines ( can't remember which issues ) railway and locomotive enthusiasts will have to get used to locos like tornado hauling mk3 coaches at somepoint soon.

 

This comes as the result of crash worthiness assessments being carried out on mk1 coaches currently used on mainline tour trains. The result of these assessments being that they can be used for now but when mk3 rakes become available for conversion for use as tour stock, the tour operators may have no choice but to use mk3 coaches as their safety case I think its called is much higher therefore making these coaches safer than mk1s in the event of a derailment given that most steam trains run at less than 80 mph anyway.

Doesn't bother me. I like Mk3's. Best rolling stock built in Britain since the 1970's. Bring it on!

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Bringing this thread back to topic;

 

The Great Central is running midweek services this week and next week. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday sees the Easter Bunny Express event with the Easter bunny giving sweets out on the trains. There are also characters from Alice in Wonderland to meet. The website is advertising 92214 and 70013 as the steam locomotives in service.

 

Over the Easter weekend, Quorn yard becomes the focus for the annual Easter vintage festival.

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Bringing this thread back to topic;

The Great Central is running midweek services this week and next week. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday sees the Easter Bunny Express event with the Easter bunny giving sweets out on the trains. There are also characters from Alice in Wonderland to meet. The website is advertising 92214 and 70013 as the steam locomotives in service.

Over the Easter weekend, Quorn yard becomes the focus for the annual Easter vintage festival.

Does anyone know if there's any bunny-free heritage railways this weekend?! I fancy a trip out, but can't face all the egg and bunny-related "fun"... !

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Does anyone know if there's any bunny-free heritage railways this weekend?! I fancy a trip out, but can't face all the egg and bunny-related "fun"... !

I believe the bunny is absent from the GC over the weekend. The Easter vintage festival features traction engines, steam lorries, fairground organs etc.

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The GCRN welcomes its new guest steam loco for Easter , 'Douglas', an 0-6-0 Hunslet with tender, formerly a real J94. Look forward to seeing it on the climb to Barnstone Tunnel and hoping it resembles a J10 from some angles!

 

Dava

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Does anyone know if there's any bunny-free heritage railways this weekend?! I fancy a trip out, but can't face all the egg and bunny-related "fun"... !

If you go to the Mid Hants Railway you can avoid the bunnies by hiding behind Thomas!

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Chance of anywhere being bunny / easter egg free will be pretty slim even if not advertised as such there is bound to be something easterish about - no doubt one layout at least at the York exhibition on the Sunday will have a coal wagon full of mini easter eggs.

Edited by Butler Henderson
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Easter bunnies, chicks and eggs are good for business on today's visitor-engaging preservation enterprises! They pay for the other things we enjoy at steam events etc. The family market is worth more than the enthusiast market...

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