Ken.W

No, the space left over will have been taken up by solar farms

"Low carbon power now accounts for 50% of UK electricity" Yeah, that's great news, with 'renewables' largely from solar and wind... It's now winter and peak load comes after dark, and there's little wind at present, oh, hang on a minute, why's the light going dim? Interesting to note, from the graph in linked article, the largest increase has been in (carbon) Gas production, virtually directing replicating the fall in coal oh, hang on a minute, what was coal composed of? Also interesting to note, from the same graph, what increase there was in 'clean' energy was largely from nuclear, with that from 'renewables' being negligible. Reminds me much like the famous quote; "there's lies, d*mned lies, and statistics"

The matter of Guard / DOO doesn't seem to have anything to do with it, it's the 'importance' of the working. It tends to be trains traveling ecs to form a booked service from another location (as opposed to local depot / station or out of service workings) that run as Class 3. For example, the morning ecs workings to Berwick and Sunderland to form Kings X services both run as Class 3s, and although both have a Guard and convey Catering Crew from Newcastle the portion from Heaton CS to Newcastle (DOO) is also Class 3. All other Heaton / Newcastle ecs are 5s. The evening return working from Sunderland to Heaton, with Guard and Catering Crew to Newcastle, runs as a Class 5 throughout. On Friday evenings, to balance a KX - N'cle that's extended to Edinburgh, there's an ecs that returns from Edinburgh to Heaton which runs as a Class 5. It departs 35 min. after the last passenger service, and still has to go into Newcastle station to change ends to go to the depot. I understand this one's upgraded to Class 1 next month. This has happened before as well, the present 04:45 Newcastle - Kings X was originally an ecs working from Heaton to York to form the 06:00 York - KX (which it still is)

Which as they'll then re-join the EU they still won't be allowed to do

I didn't manage to see this working today, but looking it up, as expected following yesterdays events, the train was in fact worked by 91110 in place of 91111. 91111 now appears to be on the 09:00 Edinburgh - KX. It was good to see that following the failure involving 91111 yesterday, efforts were made to at least get 91110 in the correct place to take over. PS In above post 'BoB' is my affectionate nickname for 91110 ... Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Also, the RAIB's 'request' for interim risk mitigation measures be introduced before re-opening, such as restricting speed on approach to the curve, pending completion of their full investigation and assessment of possible permanent safeguards. Looking for cause and safeguards rather than blame, in the best tradition of the former HMRI

Similar, though at Morpeth it was an approx 50% reduction in speed rather than the proportionally more severe 75% in this case. Though it was actually Morpeth which led to the introduction of warning boards for severe speed restrictions, which has been subject to much discussion relating to this incident. The first, in 1969, was Northbound, where the speed into the curve was an immediate 50% reduction, and the subsequent HMRI report led to the introduction of warning boards with an AWS warning for severe reductions in speed on high speed lines, including here. The two subsequent accidents here, in the 80s / 90s? were Southbound, which differs in that, although the speed again halves, due to curvature of the line this occurs in stages over the preceding 3 miles, the immediate reduction on entering the curve being by 20 mph, thus did not qualify for warning boards as recommended following the northbound accident. This was subsequently changed, plus now of coarse, both directions are also protected by TPWS

Or perhaps this has occurred the other way round, with Air Safety Investigations learning from how rail investigations have traditionally been conducted by HMRI, predecessors to the present HSE and RAIB, since around 1840. Their reports seek to establish cause rather than blame, and recommendations to avoid recurrence have led to many (most) of the safety systems that have been adopted. Tom Rolt's 'Red for Danger' is recommended reading on this subject. Edit; omitted ref to RAIB added

Looks as though The Reserves will be called out for this working tomorrow, For the Fallen has, fallen down today. Was observed standing at Newcastle early afternoon on a failed KX - Edinburgh, 1E06, which had been terminated at Darlington due to activating the 'Gotcha' wheel flats detection at Sessay. Set had then been worked forward at reduced speed. It's return working, 1E17, 13:30 E'bgh - KX was also seen to be canceled. Late afternoon it was seen on it's way to Edinburgh ecs, presumably still at reduced speed, looped for service trains to pass, and presumably on it's way to the Craigentinny wheel lathe. Don't know if 'For the Fallen' is itself affected by flats, or if it's just on the coaches, but this still leaves it in the wrong place for tomorrow as 1Y14's set comes from Heaton. However, 'BoB', which was working 1E22, 16:00 E'bgh - KX, was later seen terminated at Newcastle following a set swap with the 1N21 KX - N'cle terminating service which then goes to Heaton. This means that 'BoB' is now at Heaton tonight, available for 1Y14 tomorrrow......

That reminds me, as well as the working methods I posted above, the trains were sometimes made up and dispatched on the Friday, and stabled overnight in loops or sidings nearer the worksite ready to start on the Saturday. They were as I mentioned invariably unfitted, so wouldn't get to the site in a hurry

An interesting subject not generally well covered. I did turns as secondman on p-way trains in late 70s / early 80s in the NE area. Although later than the period being discussed, stock was still that from the late 50s / early 60s, so workings were probably little changed... For a track renewal on a double line, trains would be formed for working either from the line actually being relayed, or from the adjacent line. On the line being relayed trains were formed of; Bogie track panel wagons, Sturgeon, Salmon etc, equal number of loaded and empty; 4 wheel hopper discharge ballast wagons, Dogfish, Catfish, Trout; Shark ballast plough Working from the adjacent line, TJTL - the Twin Jib Tracklayer (crane); A 4 wheel well flat, coveying an excavator (or earlier, bulldozer with bucket shovel), and timbers for unloading it; Spoil wagons, Grampus, or for earlier period ex goods wagons; Side-tip ballast wagons, Mermaid Depending on size of the job, they could be split into more than one train to each line. They invariably worked as unfitted, so a guards brake, which could include the previously mentioned engineers brake, or a shark, often one each end as reversals of direction were common to return from site. In the 50s / 60s riding accommodation would be provided as discussed, by the 70s this had been replaced by the Leyland pway vans. The TJTL would usually have it's own riding / mess / tool van with it still (ex GW toads a favorite for this). Locos were usually the local goods engines, very little if any of this operated at weekends, this was pre the 24/7 era!!! An e-copy of signalbox opening hours I came across a while ago actually shows most freight lines routinely closed midday Saturday till Monday morning. A summary of the working method would explain the train formations; The TJTL starts by removing the old track panels onto the empty track wagons; The excavator / bulldozers unloaded and digs out the old ballast, loading into the spoil wagons standing on adjacent line; The side tipping Mermaids are then brought alongside to tip ballast to form the track bed, which bulldozer levels; TJTL then starts unloading the new track panels and placing in position on the new track bed; Then, the ballast hoppers are brought in to ballast the relayed track, with the Shark plough used to spread the ballast. Finally, after the trains are withdrawn, the Tamping machines go in, independently, to finish off. Once the trains on the adjacent line were finished and withdrawn, Pilotman's (single line) working would often be brought in to run trains on the adjacent line while ballasting / tamping was finished off

This reminds me of a freightliner turn before the ECML north of Newcastle was 'cleared' for 8'6" containers - with rather tragic consequences at Penmanshiel. A freightliner from Glasgow was routed via Carlisle to Newcastle, it'd come into Kingmoor yard with a pair of 86 / 87 electrics, which then came off to be replaced by a single 45 ... half the power of one of the electrics, to lift it up the bank from Carlisle on the N & C It's not just on freight that problem with electric loco's evident either, take the class 91 (please, someone, do! ), 6000 hp and 80 tonnes adhesion's fine on a dry rail... 125 climbing Stoke bank! ... BUT, the *******s will slip if a cloud comes over! Wet rail and sands not working and lucky if you're doing 80 up the bank It's just down to remembering basic maths... te / a = ws (tractive effort over adhesion equals wheelslip)

From VTEC's Amazine magazine; For the Fallen On the 17 November, our iconic locomotive will be taking part in a very special service to London. We have teamed up with The Fusiliers across the East Coast Route to raise money for the Royal British Legion. Starting at Berwick Station at 6.00, For the Fallen will be met by a Guard of Honour at each calling point, and greeted in London by a drum corps. The Fusiliers, veterans and community ambassadors will also be at all calling stations and on board collecting for the charity. It’s one not to be missed, so if you can, please join us! Take plenty of pictures and share them on Twitter and Yammer using the hashtag #forthefallen. For the Fallen Stopping Pattern Berwick 6.00 Newcastle 6.55 Durham 7.08 Darlington 7.31 York 8.02 Retford 8.36 King’s Cross 10.02 Please note For the Fallen will be running in reverse formation for the day.

A combination of the two. Reducing the traffic loadings to reduce stress on the structure, as well as concern over the consequences of one of the cast iron columns being hit, the installation of the crash barriers to guard against this necessitated it being also made one-way, as the carriageway was quite narrow to start with, with busses having to slow to a crawl to pass.

Just seen this sorry... No. this doesn't really limit operating flexibility, as it's a case of anything heavier being restricted in use of the bridge, rather than actually banned, as Russ said earlier special permission's required for their use, which means in practice it's just limited to when operationally necessary, in order to reduce loadings on the bridge. In fact, the new VTEC Sunderland trains are all booked via the High Level (inc the ecs workings)

Ooops Well, having said that, my first sight of one just after 1 this afternoon, and it was Southbound at Darlington. Was also acting as a thunderbird, on the front (DVT) end of the train, and with a dead 91 on the rear. The 90 was a DB red/grey one

Don't know sorry, all it says is that they are. Hadn't thought of that, but I suspect you're probably right though, as they're cleared everywhere else the 91s are. Specific route clearance is required, as demonstrated by the recent incident of FS nearly being banned from a railtour it was booked on over the new Borders Railway for not having the correct paperwork. So could simply be the case that as they're rare on the EC and diverting one via Cambridge's unlikely, there hasn't been seen to be a need to do the paperwork for them over the new flyover.

Any such diversions would be diesel hauled, but the notice regarding Class 90 use specifically states they're prohibited from Hitchin Flyover and must use the flat junction. This is perhaps of more interest than the slim chance of EC actually diverting one that way, they'd more likely use an HST as happened the other Sunday when a GN had an altercation with some cows on Stilton Fen

From last Friday VTEC are hiring a Class 90 from DBC until further notice to supplement the Class 91s. Due to the lower speed, it will normally be used only on Kings X - Newark or Leeds services, though is cleared for all EC routes as the 91s (except, apparently they're prohibited from Hitchin Flyover, and in event of any Cambridge diversion must use the flat junction). It's additionally restricted though by only Kings X drivers having been trained to operate them, which means it won't get beyond Newcastle, and is unlikely to venture that far on the few remaining Newcastle terminators as it would require the return working to also be a Kings X driver. The loco used will only be one of a pool of four which have been fitted with DRA