46115 Doesn't do it again

[45156]

I was on the 1Z20/1Z21 Lune RIvers Trust steam hauled special yesterday, and was a little surprised to see that 46115 was at the head, as it had already been doubtful after running warm on Wednesday on its loaded test run. Indeed, the surprise turned to reality when at the Hellifield water stop, the departure time came and went, and there were still orange jackets custered up front, and no sign of the road being given. Word came up the train (the enthusiast grapevine is fast nowadays) that the loco had run a hot box - same one as before. The strange thing was that this was known by the enthusiasts before the train stewards - the joys of mobile phones and mobile internet. I think that somebody on the platform was earwigging, and sent word to somebody on the train.

 

So loco detached, and two hours sitting in Hellifield loop until salvation appeared in the shape of 37 516 (most of his 47s being top and tail on the 1Z23 in Scotland), and thanks to a spirited run, a path through Leeds, and no water stops, we only arrived at Scarborough about 30 minutes late, from a 2 hour 20 minute late start from Hellifield. Well done to Network Rail who cobbled together a path for us for the return run (which couldn't have been easy between York and Skipton) with a later departure giving us longer at destination, and a return run beind former royal train loco 47 798 which WCRC scrounged (again) from the NRM, and brought back the whole train, plus the 37 DIT. A right time arival back in Carnforth was the result.

 

We all know that steam specials are fraught with mechanical problems, but in this case, the loco was known to have been a problem only a couple of days previously, which begs the question of why was it used? Admittedly, there is a massive shortage of working steam locos at present, but if the diesel substitution had been done instead of the doubtful loco at the outset, passengers would have been unhappy, but much less so than being stuck in a loop with more info coming from phone calls/internet than from the train staff. One lady knew the location and identity of the loco as her son called her - and her information was more up to date than that of the train manager, who had already given us incorrect information about the departure time of the diesel, and whose only update was that it was between Carnforth and Hellifield.

 

NOT, in my opinion, WCRC's best effort.

[Pannier Tank]

We all know that steam specials are fraught with mechanical problems, but in this case, the loco was known to have been a problem only a couple of days previously, which begs the question of why was it used?

NOT, in my opinion, WCRC's best effort.

 

I am sure WCRC would not have used 46115 if they thought it was going to fail; unfortunately these things happen. Better luck next time.

[Tom Bayford]

These things happen though if it passed is FTR is can run but issues occur out on the road.

[45156]

Just to add that much of what I've posted here was based on what was being said on train, as I was not aware that 46115 had run warm on Wednesday until a fellow passenger enlightened me - one of my main points in the post was that much of the info that we were getting was via fellow passengers, who were getting the info from sources (presumably) outside the TOC, rather than the train stewards, who were (again presumably) getting their information from the TOC. Admittedly, they had also the problem of finding a driver, and a loco, and also of getting a path on a route with a very long block section (about 20 miles with no intermediate boxes), and getting the pathings and timings altered for a faster run with no water stops, and they and Network Rail did a remarkable job in sorting out pathing and times to make sure that the punters got some of what they had paid for - ie time in York and Scarborough.

[edward66]

As someone "in the know" that day I can tell you that within minutes of S.G. being declared a failure one of the footplate crew was in a taxi back to Carnforth to get the 37 cranked up and on its way a.s.a.p.. Pathway negotiations on the phone with good cooperation from York[?] control resulted in paths for both directions pretty quickly. The lady who organised the trip and who is a senior staff member at WCRC was devastated and felt terrible until we were under way again thanks to her efforts on the phone. I call it a good recovery from a bad situation. Perhaps with the 20/20 vision of hindsight it would have been prudent to have had the 37 attached to the rear of the train but after the previous hot box incident the loco had quite a long test run which did not show any problem so when it did recur it was not expected.

 

On the plus side we did get an extra hour in Scarborough and the weather was beautiful!

 

Edward

[The Stationmaster]

As someone "in the know" that day I can tell you that within minutes of S.G. being declared a failure one of the footplate crew was in a taxi back to Carnforth to get the 37 cranked up and on its way a.s.a.p.. Pathway negotiations on the phone with good cooperation from York[?] control resulted in paths for both directions pretty quickly. The lady who organised the trip and who is a senior staff member at WCRC was devastated and felt terrible until we were under way again thanks to her efforts on the phone. I call it a good recovery from a bad situation. Perhaps with the 20/20 vision of hindsight it would have been prudent to have had the 37 attached to the rear of the train but after the previous hot box incident the loco had quite a long test run which did not show any problem so when it did recur it was not expected.

 

On the plus side we did get an extra hour in Scarborough and the weather was beautiful!

 

Edward

I think this post shows the difference between the output of the rumour mill and what can actually be going on but can't necessarily be revealed at the time or has to be covered by fairly neutral statements about what is going to happen but in such circumstances can never give anything like accurate times. Having been in just such a 'been there and done that' situation with steam specials in the past I don't think it was necessarily unreasonable to use 46115 on the train - after all a warm axlebox is exactly that, and quite a way from a hot box (although it always pays to carry some castor oil on such jobs ).

 

And yes, 20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing - and has been for years.