MILEPOST 26¼ - July 2005
The Journal of The Railway Performance Society
Honorary President: Peter Semmens MA CChem FRSC MBCS MCIT Commitee: CHAIRMAN Nigel Smedley 40 Ferrers Way, Darley Abbey, Derby DE22 2BA. e-mail: [email protected] SECRETARY Frank Collins 10 Collett Way, Frome, Somerset, BA11 2XR e-mail: [email protected] Tel: 01373 466408 TREASURER Peter Smith 28 Downsview Ave, Storrington, West Sussex RH20 4PS (and Membership) e-mail: [email protected] EDITOR David Ashley 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW e-mail: [email protected], Tel 01895 675178 Meetings Co-ordinator Martin Barrett 112 Langley Drive, Norton, Malton, N Yorks YO17 9AB [email protected] Distance Chart Editor John Bull 37 Heathfield Road, Basingstoke, Hants RG22 4PA e-mail;[email protected] Fastest Times Editor David Sage 93 Salisbury Road, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 7JR e-mail: [email protected] tel; 01202 249717 Committee Members:- Archivist & Librarian Lee Allsopp 2 Gainsborough, North Lake, Bracknell RG12 7WL e-mail: [email protected] tel; 01344 648644 Sales & Distribution Bruce Nathan 7 Salamanca, Crowthorne, Berks, RG45 6AP e-mail [email protected], tel 01344 776656 Technical Officer David Hobbs Publicity Vacancy Non-committee officials:- Topical points Martin Robertson 23 Brownside Rd, Cambuslang, Glasgow, G72 0NL e-mail: [email protected] Directors of RPS Rail Performance Consultants Ltd.:- Frank Collins (chairman), Martin Barrett (secretary), Nigel Smedley.
CONTENTS Page Notices 77 Compare and Contrast – New trains on MML David Ashley 87 Chiltern Flyers David Adams 93 Fastest Times Update Martin Robertson 104 A Wonderful Service K Phillips and R Townsin 112 Steam in the North West Sandy Smeaton 117 Driving Techniques and Recovery Alan Varley 121 Whose Timekeeping is Best – Part 2 Michael Hedges 127 Harrogate Fasts 2003/4 Ian Umpleby 134 Class 31: All Puff ‘n Wind Steve Griffin 137 Letters 142 News Alert 111,141,143
Enclosures (where subscribed): Cd-roms, AGM Minutes, Train Timing Guide
Copyright The Railway Performance Society Ltd, registered in England & Wales No. 04488089
The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the RPS, the Editors or any of their advisers. Whilst efforts are made to ensure accuracy, the Editor his advisers and the RPS accept no responsibility for any loss or damage arising from any inaccuracies howsoever caused. Readers are asked to note that the RPS encourages contributions from all members, and articles may appear that are interesting in content, but occasionally may not be to the standard of the rest of the publication. Material sent to the Editors, whether commissioned or freely submitted is provided entirely at the contributors own risk; neither the Editor nor the RPS can be held responsible for any loss or damage howsoever caused. Published by The Railway Performance Society Limited, 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW Printed by Prontaprint Harrow, 7 Central Parade, Station Rd., Harrow, Middx, HA1 2TW.
Milepost 26¼ - 74 - July 2005 Foreword from the Chairman
Thanks to those members who attended May’s AGM in Derby, it is appreciated.
As far as the Committee composition is concerned, I am able to report on three changes that have taken effect. Firstly, after 22 years of unbroken Committee service with 18 years as Chairman, Chris Taylor our Vice Chairman has decided to hang up his Committee boots. Our thanks go out to Chris for his immense contribution to the RPS over the years. As a token of thanks the RPS Committee decided in June to award Chris with life membership of the RPS – a very rare and distinguished honour which Chris has now happily accepted.
The other two changes cover movements into the Committee. I am pleased to announce that two distinguished members have agreed to be co-opted into the Committee. Martin Barrett returns to the Committee fold as Meetings Officer taking over from Chris Taylor whilst David Hobbs makes his Committee debut as Technical Officer following in the footsteps of the late Martin Tasker. Both are very welcome and I’m sure Martin and David will make good contributions to the RPS cause.
Changing the subject completely, a couple of recent incidents probably mean a revisitation of that thorny subject area of train recording standards is overdue. I do this with some hesitation but nevertheless the time is right once again. The forthcoming Train Recorders Guide, naturally, covers far more in the way of detail.
Firstly, why do we need standards at all?, why can’t people just be free to do whatever they like? It’s down to credibility. The RPS seeks to be seen as THE body of authority in UK train recording. Much progress has been made in recent years via the Society’s consulting arm RRPCL, whether we are there yet is the subject of a separate debate. This whole process depends on credibility and in particular credibility in our published material. The devil’s in the detail but it is the simple things that feed this process such as the figures in a published log adding up – do the point to point averages back up the quoted speeds. If they don’t there is something wrong with the log – it’s as simple as that. Along the same lines, quoted speeds on present day runs should corroborate. For example, if the speed passing Rugby is quoted as 75mph then it is perfectly legitimate for someone to ask the recorder to demonstrate why he quoted 75 instead of 76 or 74. The answer could be a 12 second dead timing over the appropriate quarter mile or GPS download. This applies to GPS or stopwatch recordings equally. As we know both are capable of producing wrong information if treated simply at face value.
In 2005 we are very fortunate with the tools available to help us, I fully appreciate this was not the case in the past. So, rather than trying to cater for what has already happened let us unpick present day practice. The methodology on board the train makes all the difference, the more information noted the better the end log (output). So, here are a few recommended do’s and don’ts.
Do • Use a GPS receiver. • Use a stopwatch alongside the GPS. • Record passing milepost times to 0.1 second accuracy. • Be clear exactly where timing points are taken. • Record braking.
Don’t • Record times using your wristwatch.
Milepost 26¼ - 75 - July 2005 • Attempt to calculate speeds on the hoof and miss lots of other data whilst doing it. • Use a mechanical stopwatch. • Just record passing milepost times either side of a timing point. • Interpolate timing point times from passing milepost times. • Guess times at timing points if missed.
UK Train Timing Accuracy Unit Level of Accuracy Speed 1 mph Time (passing milepost) 0.1 s Time (timing point) 0.5 s Distance 1 chain/ 0.01 decimal
Overseas Train Timing Accuracy Unit Level of Accuracy Speed 1 kph Time (passing kilopost) 0.1 s Time (timing point) 0.5 s Distance 0.01km
.
Hopefully, this will whet sufficient appetites for the forthcoming Train Recorder’s Guide. The Society belief is that this is all common sense practice but like anything else something may have been missed and if so we should be adult enough to engage in a proper debate about it. This indeed is one of the very purposes of the RPS. If the end result benefits the Society and removes those horrible unfulfilled moments of having the perfect run but unable to do anything with it then we all gain.
Here’s to the future.
Nigel Smedley Chairman
Milepost 26¼ - 76 - July 2005
SOCIETY NOTICES
PUBLICATION OF MILEPOST
Milepost is published in April, July, October, and January. If you have not received your copy by the end of the month of publication it may have gone astray. Requests for replacements of missing or defective copies should be directed please to BRUCE NATHAN and not to the Editor.
REPRESENTING THE SOCIETY
The RPS is always keen to be represented at special media-type occasions. However, we do ask that anyone wishing to do this should do so with the express agreement of the Committee. Should the opportunity arise for any member or in exceptional circumstances, friend of a member, to do this please can contact be made with the Secretary (either by telephone or e-mail) setting out the circumstances of the occasion. Please give us at least one week in advance of the occasion.
SUBMITTING ARTICLES
Submissions may be sent as attachments to an email or by post as documents on a CD or diskette or as a printed document. If sending a diskette or CD, please enclose a hard copy of the article; this helps if file(s) are unreadable for any reason.
Please send all submissions to the editor whose contact details are in the inside front cover of Milepost. The editor will normally acknowledge email submissions within a few days, and always within 3 weeks. If sending by post and you wish to have a receipt, please enclose an SAE for reply. If you wish any material/CD/diskette to be returned, please clearly state this.
Milepost 23 ¾ gave detailed guidelines for submissions. The editor is happy to supply these, on request by email or by post. Please note that page margins are critical: one inch or 2.54cm top, bottom, left and right.
FASTEST TIMES
Please send all contributions to David Sage at the address on the inside cover.
This is with the following exceptions:- John Heaton for Voyagers, 180s, Pendolinos and 222s. Bill Long for DB material.
Please, where practicable, also copy claims and logs to Lee Allsopp for the Society archive, and to Martin Robertson for material for his Fastest Times articles.
Following recent changes Fastest Times has been uploaded onto the Society web-site and there is now no need for electronic distribution in July and January. It is hoped to keep this as up to date as possible.
HISTORIC FASTEST TIMES
Hopefully the 2005 issue will be distributed with the October 2005 Milepost, to
Milepost 26¼ - 77 - July 2005 those members who have subscribed to it. The steam section will mainly feature former GWR main lines, starting with Paddington to Wolverhampton, Bristol and South Wales. The lines to the far west will appear in a later issue. First draft versions for these GWR sections are now on line at the web address below. If you can beat any of these times, or if you have any contributions of diesel loco-hauled records, please try to send these by 1 August 2005 to Bevan Price, 24 Walmesley Road, Eccleston, St. Helens, Lancs., WA10 5JT, or by e-mail to [email protected]
The on-line Historical FT index is at: www.bevanprice.freeuk.com/rps45581hft.htm.
Bevan Price
SALES ITEMS Back Numbers: Certain back issues of Milepost, from Milepost 6 onwards, can be supplied at a price of £2.50 each including postage. Supplies are extremely limited and once sold they will not be reprinted. Details of issues available will be supplied on request. Milepost is available in the British Library; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; the University Library, Cambridge; The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh; The Library of Trinity College, Dublin, the National Library of Wales, the National Railway Museum and the Railway Studies Library at Newton Abbot Library. Where a requested edition is out of print the member will be provided with a letter of authority from the Society (as copyright holder) to enable a complete copy to be taken from any of the Library copies. Indices for volumes 7 to 21 are available and will be supplied free of charge on receipt of an A5 size stamped addressed envelope. UK Mileage Supplement: £20.00 in two binders. The complete collection of RPS mileage charts compiled to date. Individual new and revised charts are issued with Milepost when available. Sets of the Charts are made up individually to order, but every effort is made to supply within the normal 28 day delivery allowance. Overseas Distance Supplement (Section 1: France): £10.00 in binder. The complete collection of RPS charts on SNCF lines compiled to date. Individual new and revised charts are distributed occasionally with Milepost to those members who have paid a small supplementary membership fee. Historical Fastest Times 2004 Edition: £2.00. All orders please to Bruce Nathan. All prices include postage. Please enclose the correct remittance with your order and allow 28 days for delivery. BUSINESS CARDS
The Railway Performance Society www.railperf.org.uk Are you interested in train performance? If so, you should join the Railway Performance Society. We offer a quarterly journal 'Milepost' with articles on modern and historic traction, steam, diesel and electric, British and overseas. We issue Distance Charts (UK and EU) for many routes and supplements of fastest times. Regular meetings are held to discuss train timing matters. The Society maintains an extensive electronic archive of performance logs dating from the 1890s to the present day. For further details please contact Peter Smith, 28 Downsview Avenue, Storrington, West Sussex, RH20 4PS, visit our web site or email [email protected]
Milepost 26¼ - 78 - July 2005 We have a supply of Business Cards, worded as above, which are useful to give to people who show an interest in train-timing, particularly on rail tours, to encourage them to join the Society. If any member would like a supply of these cards, please apply to Bruce Nathan
MEETINGS NEXT MEETING DATES
THURSDAY 20TH OCTOBER SATURDAY 29TH OCTOBER SATURDAY 3rd 2005 2005 DECEMBER Bristol London Crewe See Meeting Reports Discussion with Martin Talk by Gordon Pettitt: High Barrett (provisional) Speed Passenger Railways - A World Wide Review
The Society now has a digital projector and if any member would like to give a short presentation at a society meeting using this projector (or not using it if they like), or if anyone has any topics for discussion at meetings please contact the vice-chairman. Perhaps you would like to tell a meeting about your best run of the year (or any year).
DIRECTIONS TO THE VENUES
LONDON – LAMBS PUBLIC HOUSE, Lambs Conduit Street, London WC1. From Russell Square Piccadilly Line station turn right, then turn first right into Grenville Street then first left into Guilford Street (Great Ormond Street Hospital on right), turn first right into Guilford Place (by the fountain and underground Gents toilet) and it is on the left - walking time about 5 minutes. OR. From King’s Cross station cross Euston Rd and turn left towards Grays Inn Road, where you turn right, and walk southwards down Grays Inn Rd to the junction with Guildford Street, where you turn right. Turn left at Guildford Place, and Lamb's is on the left. (About 10mins walk from King's Cross) We will use the Empire Theatre Bar / Dining Room upstairs DERBY – THE BRUNSWICK – From Derby Station, turn right and follow the road for about 200 yards. The Brunswick is on the left just before the road bends to the left. – walking time about 4 minutes We use one of the upstairs rooms. BRISTOL - at THE GWRSA CLUB, is on the right hand side of Bristol Temple Meads station approach road heading away from the station about 150 metres. It is reached by steps from the approach road. The GWRSA Club does not open until 1730, so we can meet at the main entrance at Temple Meads station at 1700 in order to be escorted through a side entrance. After 1730 please use the normal entrance. Due to licensing laws the manager of the GWRSA Club needs the names of members attending, if you could let John Heaton know at least 2 weeks before the date on 01626 865526 or [email protected] (those who attended previously do not need to let John Heaton know) . CREWE – THE CREWE ARMS HOTEL Come out of the railway station and turn right, cross the road, the hotel is 50 metres on the left hand side.
FREE SOCIETY MEETINGS It was announced at the 2002 AGM that future society meetings will be free of charge to Members attending; i.e. no contribution will be asked towards the hire of rooms. The committee wishes to encourage Members to come along to meetings, talk to other train timers and share information and experiences of traction performance.
Milepost 26¼ - 79 - July 2005
MEETING REPORT
BRISTOL MEETING – 23rd June 2005
A record attendance of 12 was recorded for the June Bristol Meeting despite the absence of two stalwarts who offered apologies while away on holiday. The meeting welcomed Keith Farr and David Adams (attending their first RPS events), Keith Hollin, (his second, and first as a full member), David Swash and Richard Woodley (their second meetings), Mileage Chart Editor David Sage (first Bristol meeting) and Alan Varley (having travelled from Nice for, admittedly not exclusively, his first Bristol meeting). It was pleasant to see Peter Darke restored to health after serious illness as well as regulars Peter Davies, Chris Napper and Paul Walker.
The meeting followed its usual format of members introducing a topic of their choice, followed by a brief discussion. These included a GNER HST on a summer Saturday train to Paignton via Westbury, high speed LSW emu runs, allocation of recovery time on ECML, the new crossover at Birmingham International, some splendid GWR Grange runs and an ambitious steam railtour in France.
If you want to come along to future Bristol meetings, please do so. Feel free to bring some material along, but there is no obligation of course. Meetings last from 17.00 to 19.30 but it is normal to drop in and out as convenient.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday October 20th at the GWRSA club situated down some steps from the right hand side of the Temple Meads approach road, as one leaves the station.
Because the GWRSA club normally opens at 17.30 we meet up on the concourse of Temple Meads station at 17.00 to be let in early as a group. Technically I need to know who is coming for licensing purposes so if you could give me prior advice, please do so as shown below.
John Heaton 57 West Cliff Park Drive Dawlish Devon EX7 9ER Tel/Fax 01626 865526 [email protected]
QUESTIONNAIRE COMPETITION
As explained in Milepost 25¾, members who fully completed their questionnaire and returned it before 1st March, were eligible for inclusion in a draw, with a prize of a one year membership subscription refund.
The winner, drawn at the RPS AGM in Derby, was Paul Walker from Stroud, who has been refunded his 2005 subscription.
We congratulate Paul on his success.
Milepost 26¼ - 80 - July 2005 VOYAGER / ADELANTE / CHALLENGER / PENDOLINO RECORDS. Many thanks to those who responded to my request for records achieved by the above classes. As stated in Milepost 23¾ it is the intention to track the development of records by these classes. The file will be passed to David sage for publication as circumstances allow.
At this stage I simply need a line of entry, preferably by e-mail or post, to showing Unit no/s. Vehicles/Recorder/Section*/From/To/Date and time.
* as per FT booklet. e.g. Paddington to Reading would be gw1, Euston-Coventry wc2. Any recognisable abbreviation is fine.
In order to save David a lot of work in processing records for these classes until standards are set, please send your contributions for these classes to - John Heaton, 57 West Cliff Park Drive, Dawlish, Devon, EX7 9ER or [email protected]
MARTIN TASKER MEMORIAL LIBRARY
As promised last month the collection of books donated to the Society by Ken Barlow’s family has now been sorted through. The list below contains all the books in the Society Library, we now have a total of 111 books. We also have 4 records with steam in action in the Library as well! In future this section will again only list additions to the library.
TITLE AUTHOR The Deltics – A Symposium (various) London's Termini A A Jackson Stanier 4-6-0s at Work A J Powell Stanier Pacifics at Work A J Powell The Stratford Upon Avon and Midland Junction Railway A Jordan British Rail Rule Book 1983 BR Bradshaw's April 1910 Railway Guide Bradshaw Four Main Lines C Hamilton Ellis The London Brighton and South Coast Railway C Hamilton Ellis The Midland Railway C Hamilton Ellis The North British Railway C Hamilton Ellis Locomotive Practice and Performance in the Twentieth C J Allen Century The Great Eastern Railway C J Allen The Gresley Pacifics of the LNER C J Allen The North Eastern Railway C J Allen Titled Trains Of Great Britain C J Allen The Bulleid Pacifics of the Southern Railway C J Allen & S C Townroe British Railways Maps and Gazetteer 1830 - 1981 C J Wignall C Rous Marten (edited by C British Locomotive Practice and performance: 1902 - 1908 Fryer) Mile by Mile: Rail Mileages of Britain and Ireland D Maxey Type 5 freight Diesels D N Clough BR Motive Power Performance D N Clough & M Beckett Tales of the Glasgow and South Western Railway Davie L Smith Hobson's Choice Dennis Hobson Locomotive & Train Working in the Latter Part of the 19th E L Ahrons (6 Books) Century, Volumes 1 to 6 The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway In The Twentieth Century Eric Mason
Milepost 26¼ - 81 - July 2005 F W Houghton & W Hubert The Story of the Settle - Carlisle Line Foster Fiennes On Rails G F Fiennes I Tried To Run A Railway G F Fiennes British Rail After Beeching G Freeman Allen British Railways Today and Tomorrow G Freeman Allen Miles and Chains – 1 – Eastern G Hurst Miles and Chains – 3 – Scottish G Hurst Southern Electric G T Moody The Highland Railway H A Vallance Footplate Days On The Southern H Norman British Rail - Main Line Gradient Profiles Ian Allan British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer - 5th Ian Allan Edition Pre-Grouping Railway Junction Diagrams 1914 Ian Allan Sectional Maps Of British Railways - 1967 Ian Allan Sectional Maps of British Railways - 3rd Edition Ian Allan Sectional Maps Of The British Railways - 1948 Ian Allan Continental Railway Handbooks - France J B Snell The West Highland Railway J Thomas A Footplateman Remembers the Southern Jim Rowe Diesels - A Driver's Reminiscences L C Jacks Red For Danger L T C Rolt Diesel Enthusiasts Pocket Guide – Parts 1 to 10 Michael Oakley (10 Books) How I Became An Engine Driver N McKillop Engineman Elite N McKillop Britain's New Railway O S Nock Britain's Railways at War O S Nock British Locomotives From the Footplate O S Nock British Railways In Action O S Nock Four Thousand Miles on the Footplate O S Nock Historic Railway Disasters O S Nock LNER Steam O S Nock Locomotive Practice and Performance O S Nock Premier Line - The Story of London & North Western O S Nock Locomotives Railway Race To The North O S Nock Scottish Railways O S Nock Southern Steam O S Nock Speed Records on Britain’s Railways O S Nock The Caledonian Railway O S Nock The Great Northern Railway O S Nock The Great Western Railway- An Appreciation O S Nock The Gresley Pacifics: Omnibus Edition O S Nock The Highland Railway O S Nock The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway O S Nock The Locomotives of Sir Nigel Gresley O S Nock The London & South Western Railway O S Nock The Premier Line O S Nock The South Eastern and Chatham Railway O S Nock Two Miles A Minute O S Nock Bill Hoole - Engineman Extraordinary P W B Semmens Speed on the East Coast Main Line P W B Semmens
Milepost 26¼ - 82 - July 2005 P W B Semmens and A. J. How Steam Locomotives Really Work Goldfinch On and Off the Rails Peter Rayner British Rail Track Diagrams – 1 – ScotRail – May 1987 Quail British Rail Track Diagrams – 2 – Eastern & Anglia Regions – Quail March 1988 British Rail Track Diagrams – 3 – Western Region – March Quail 1989 British Rail Track Diagrams – 4 – London Midland Region – Quail Oct 1990 British Rail Track Diagrams – 5 – England, South and London Quail Underground – Oct 1994 Steam In The Blood R H N Hardy Locomotive Performance: A Footplate Survey R I Nelson Class 47 Data File Part 5A D1631 - D1659 R P Levett & P M Jaques Locomotives of the LNER Part 9A - Classes L1 to N19 RCTS Gradients of the British Main Line Railways RPC Rail Atlas of Britain – 1977 S K Baker Rail Atlas of Britain and Ireland - 4th Edition (1984) S K Baker Rail Atlas of Britain and Ireland - 6th Edition(1990) S K Baker Rail Atlas of Britain and Ireland - 8th Edition(1996) S K Baker Switzerland Rail Map SBB Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe - 1981 Thomas Cook French Railways Of Today Vivian Rowe Locomotives Of The Southern Region of British Railways W G Tilling Settle - Carlisle Railway - A Centenary Edition W R Mitchell
Records Engines From Derby & Crewe The World of Steam Trains in Spain Whistling Through Dixie
The books are available for borrowing by contacting me by letter, phone or E-Mail. The borrower will be responsible for postage in both directions. It will be possible in many cases for arrangements to be made to pass books on at Society Meetings to avoid postage costs in one direction at least. The standard borrowing period will be three weeks although this can be negotiable. Abuse of this may result in the loss of Library Privileges!!
The Society will be happy to receive donations to the Library. Items should be related to Railway Performance (no Magazine Collections please). Again please contact me regarding this. New items received into the Library will be notified in updates published in Milepost.
Lee Allsopp
RPS ARCHIVES – CD DISTRIBUTION
Milepost 26¼ - 83 - July 2005 RPS Members who have registered to receive the RPS Archive CDs will receive 2 CDs with this issue of Milepost as follows:
(i) The first CD of a series containing the RPS Archive. This is a vast amount of material collected over the life of the Society from submissions by members
(ii) A CD containing a number of small collections held or made available to the society as follows:-
a) G F Bloxam – A collection of log material from the South Western Main Line in the late 1950s. b) R E Charlewood – A collection of runs on the Birmingham Euston line in the 1930s attributed to R E Charlewood. c) A J Middlemiss – Written up logs from the 1950s to the 1990s covering most of the country including a significant amount of steam timings. d) S C Nash – Southern runs from the 1950s e) Peter Proud – A series of notebooks from the 1930s lent to us by the RCTS. Mainly contain timings of his commuter journeys from Broxbourne to Liverpool Street and back each day, but also some timings further afield. f) Richard Knight – A current RPS member who donated his notebooks to the Society in 2004, containing recordings with steam diesel and electric from the late 1950s to the present day.
To keep the cost to the Society down (and the overhead of CD copying), the CDs will only be issued to those who ‘register’ for the updates. It’s not too late to register. To do so please contact Lee Allsopp by letter, phone or E-Mail to register for the CDs.
Lee Allsopp
NEED MATERIAL FOR ARTICLES?
Do you feel that you could write an article for Milepost if only you had access to material to do so? Just want some information to satisfy an idle curiosity? Even if you don’t have access to the Society Archives and database on CD, you can still get information and logs for that article or whatever by contacting me direct by either E-Mail, phone or letter. Just ask me the question and I’ll see what we can come up with!
Lee Allsopp
PROVISION OF CURRENT MATERIAL FOR RPS ARCHIVE
With many members now being connected by Broadband, we are now in a position where we can receive contributions via E-Mail of current material from as many members as wish to contribute. A member could record a log one day and send it to me immediately for inclusion in the database and archive. Would any members who may wish to participate in this please contact me by E-Mail for further details.
I can accept material in a number of formats, Word, Excel, Acrobat pdf files and scanned images of hand written material (eg notebooks). For scanned images we find that scanning at 150dpi gives perfectly acceptable results, while producing files of a reasonable size (200- 400KB)
Lee Allsopp
Milepost 26¼ - 84 - July 2005 MASS TIMING DAY LIVERPOOL ST – COLCHESTER 18th June 2005
The 2006 RPS Mass Timing Day was held between Liverpool Street and Colchester on 18th June. 11 members took part and covered a total of 35 trains in each direction. On what turned out to be hottest day of the year so far, a few problems were encountered with the railway infrastructure, resulting in a number of delays and re-diagramming of recorders to trains to ensure that we covered the maximum number of trains without duplication or having recorders hanging around! The results are currently being collected and analysed, a full report written by Martin Barrett will appear with a later issue of Milepost
Lee Allsopp
UK Distance Chart News
There is no release with this issue of Milepost, to allow more time to review the routes ready for the next release planned for October. The next Distance Chart News is likely to be quite busy as I have been supplied survey details of the mileposts out of Euston detailing the differences between actual and posted distances. There are also a couple of station openings and I have speeds for the route to Stoke to review. But keep the news items coming in, as there is still space left.
Does our publised list of charts exclude your favourite route; well it may be one of the many draft charts I have. If you are prepared to review the route against what you know, then drop me a line and I will send what I have. If it is not one of the current draft charts then I will add it to the list of requests.
John Bull
RPS Committee
Summary of Committee meeting – 11th June 2005
Committee Posts;- • David Hobbs co-opted to the Committee to act as Technical Adviser • Martin Barrett welcomed back to the Committee to act as Meetings Co-ordinator • Chris Taylor granted Honorary Life Membership of the Society
Communication;- • Some members still feel that they would like to know more about what is happening • Society News will in future be published on the web site, and more use will be made of email notifications • Summaries will be published in Milepost for the benefit of the 30% of the membership who do not appear to have web-access
Members Survey • Response to this was overwhelming • Overall conclusion from the responses was that the vast majority were largely content with the current mix of articles etc in the magazine • There was also substantial support for not making any changes to the current content of Fastest Times
Mass Timing Days
Milepost 26¼ - 85 - July 2005 • 2005 Day seems to attracting the normal level of support • Agreed it would be better if the articles derived from a MTD could be published as one. Agreed therefore that the 2005 MTD Article would be published as a special supplement to the magazine, possibly in Jan 2006; the balance of the 2004 Article will be published as a single supplement in October 2005
Meetings • Agreed that general ‘Milepost Discussion’ meetings no longer attract a worthwhile level of support • Future meetings therefore will place the emphasis on Speakers and themed discussions
Membership and Finance • We expect to break even in the current year. Milepost production costs will rise if MTD articles appear as supplements • We now have 163 members. 3 new members were approved at the meeting • Agreed that at the next AGM we should look to change the Articles of Association so that members have to have been a member for at least one full membership year before being able to participate in any distribution on any winding up of the Society
Fastest Times • Electronic distribution of updates to be dispensed with • Instead updates will be loaded direct to the new web-site once that is up and running • The Annual printed supplement will be restricted to 72 pages as this is the practical maximum for the printer to handle. • Principles agreed;- o The printed version should be kept manageable and currently relevant o All accumulated data should be retained and made accessible o Full version to be accessible on the Web
Archives;- • 3 more members collections currently being scanned • several members are currently sending updates also • would like to encourage more members to send current updates • Use of the RPS archive material is permitted ONLY for the private purposes of the viewer, and cannot be used for publication or reproduction in any form without permission from the Society
Charts;- • UK charts will be available on line with the new web system as they are now • Hoping also to upload the SNCF charts • Irish Charts are in the course of preparation
SEARCHING FOR A SIGNAL
At a recent committee meeting it was suggested that the signal acquisition problem associated with Voyagers, Pendolinos and Desiro units may be unique to Garmin GPS products. This seems unlikely, but would any member with other manufacturers’ products please confirm whether they have problems in acquiring GPS signals in these units.
Milepost 26¼ - 86 - July 2005 Compare and Contrast .. The introduction of new trains on the MML
David Ashley
There’s more than one way to skin a cat … Whilst some train operators will use a bearded CEO to appear through a cloud of dry ice, complete with fanfare, to promote their new trains, this doesn’t seem to be the Midland Main Line style. Neither did they introduce an over- ambitious timetable that collapsed into shambolic chaos after its first week, to be replaced by a service that was arguably worse than the one it replaced.
The Meridien trains were introduced with little fanfare – they let the improvements, compared with the class 170’s which they replaced - speak for themselves; the bedding down period appears to have been trouble free and relatively short; and only about nine months after their introduction have they accelerated the timetable.
Comparisons
A comparison with Virgin’s Voyagers is inevitable. The MML version seems less claustrophobic, possibly because there are fewer airline-style seats and more tables. Less space is taken up with “the shop”; the MML version being little more than a serving hatch. The ½ coach of First Class in mid-train also creates a more-spacious feel, and most of the time it seems to be de-classified. One area where there is no improvement compared with Virgin’s product, is in luggage space, which is just as inadequate as on Voyagers. Whilst I was expecting the four-car trains to be fully loaded this did not seem to be the case. This may be due to the fact that the initial journeys were during the easter-2005 weekend and the following Saturday.
The purpose of these initial journeys was to compare the performance of the new rolling stock with the old. Looking at the down direction, and using the method used in the article in Milepost 25, we start with the public timetable time of 83½ mins from St. Pancras for the class 170 (assuming dwell times of 1½ mins) this compares with my estimate of a “standard time” of 80.6mins. This seems a bit tight, and could help to explain why MML punctuality was so poor during the “Rio” era: the HSTs were losing time due to their well-documented problems and the 170’s were unable to recoup time lost caused by the knock-on effects because there was so little recovery. The only way to add recovery to the 170 schedule would involve deceleration of the following HST to ensure the 170 arrives in Leicester before the following HST arrives, or skipping a station stop. This would probably have been preferable, in the circumstances, to the operators but unacceptable to the travelling public.
Once again, the new rolling stock is specified in excess of requirements – opportunities for speeds over 100mph north of Bedford are limited, and speeds above 110mph are unknown. But where these units blossom is in their acceleration capabilities. As can be seen, over the 99 miles to Leicester they save 7.5mins over the 170’s they replace. Looking at the sample speed graphs, the 222’s seem to shadow the and HSTs’ and 170’s up to about 60mph but then continue on the same acceleration curve up to line speed, whereas the 170’s acceleration seems to tail off, particularly against the grade. (The speed comparison may be affected by the differing methods used - the HST and 170 curve was produced from GPS data downloaded at 5sec/.1mile intervals, and the 222’s from milepost pass times).
Milepost 26¼ - 87 - July 2005 KETTERING-M HARBOROUGH
100 S 222 HST 170 P 80 E E 60 D 40
20
0 72.00 74.00 76.00 78.00 80.00 82.00 MP
170 222 PTT Std Std Max Std PTT Rec time Rec 170 Power spd Location 222 222 222 St Pancras-Luton Apt 22.5 0.6 23.1 -1.1 -1.1 -0.7 20.3 20.5 -0.2 Luton Airport-Bedford 14.5 0.4 14.9 -0.8 -0.8 13.3 14.5 -1.2 Bedford-Wellingb’rough 12.5 -0.3 12.2 -1.4 -0.3 0.0 10.5 10.5 0.0 Wellingboro-Kettering 6.5 0.2 6.7 -0.8 5.8 6.5 -0.7 Kettering-Mkt Harboro 9.5 0.6 10.1 -1.5 8.6 8.5 0.1 Mkt Harboroh-Leicester 18.0 -4.4 13.6 -1.2 12.4 17.0 -4.6
83.5 -2.9 80.6 -6.8 -2.2 -0.7 71.0 77.5 -6.5 0 Leicester-Mkt Harboro 13.5 0.1 13.6 -0.9 0.0 12.7 12.5 0.2 Mkt Harboro-Kettering 9.5 0.4 9.9 -1.5 0.0 8.4 8.5 -0.1 Kettering-Wellingboro 6.5 0.3 6.8 -1.2 0.0 5.6 5.5 0.1 Wellingboro-Bedford 15.5 -2.0 13.5 -1.5 -0.6 11.4 13.5 -2.1 Bedford-Luton Airport 16.5 -0.2 16.3 -1.1 -0.8 14.4 14.5 -0.1 Luton Apt-St Pancras 27.5 -4.6 22.9 -1.1 -0.7 -0.5 20.5 27.0 -6.5
89.0 -6.1 83.0 -7.3 -2.2 -0.5 73.0 81.5 -8.5
There is limited scope for time savings due to the speed capabilities of the 222’s, (100 to 110mph) contributing just 2.2mins savings (south of Wellingborough only). All these factors contribute over 9mins of savings between St Pancras and Leicester which together with the shortened journey starting from the new St Pancras station give a total benefit of 9.6mns. Of this, 6.5mins is used as recoveries – which seem somewhat generous. But there is still 6min acceleration in the June 2005 timetable over the 170 ptt.
In the up direction, the constraints for limited 170 recovery were less apparent, because the HST schedules were less demanding (77mins up compared with 69mins down) which meant that 6mins recovery were available to the 170’s. The savings generated by switching to 222’s are similar to those in the down direction. This results in an 8.5min recovery in the new schedule, and an acceleration of 7.5mins in public times.
Milepost 26¼ - 88 - July 2005 Run No. 1 2 3 Date/day 14-May-05 20-Sep-03 Sat 02-Apr-05 Train 0930 St Pancras-Derby 0750 Luton-Matlock 0830 St Pancras-Derby Motive Power 43086/43184 170102 222022 Load (tons) 2+8 3 4 Weather Bright Sunny Bright Rec/Pos/GPS? D Ashley 9/10 Y D Ashley 1/3 Y D Ashley 2/4 N
Miles M C location m s mph m s mph m s mph
0.00 49 70 BEDFORD 0 00 2L 0 00 17L 0 00 T 3.08 52 76 Oakley 3 27 85/101/80sigs 3 29 76 2 55 100/113 9.88 59 60 Sharnbrook 8 03 90 8 04 90 6 40 112 12.75 62 50 Irchester 9 42 111 9 55 97 8 13 111 15.19 65 05 Wellingborough 12 05 12 13 10 26 0.00 65 05 Wellingborough 0 00 0 00 0 00 3.11 68 14 Finedon 3 26 90/100 3 32 81/93 2 56 100 5.64 70 56 Kettering S J 4 58 96 5 20 90 4 27 94 6.95 72 01 Kettering 6 29 6 42 5 51 0.00 72 01 Kettering 0 00 0 00 0 00 1.99 74 00 Kettering N J 2 45 73 2 47 62 2 11 81 3.54 75 44 Glendon 3 59 86 4 15 74 3 11 100/98 6.08 78 07 Desborough 5 37 95/103 6 12 80 4 44 101 8.49 80 40 Braybrook 7 06 101 7 45 97 6 10 102 10.98 82 79 Market Harboro 9 30 10 10 8 37 0.00 82 79 Market Harboro 0 00 0 00 0 00 /101 3.51 86 40 E Langton 3 34 94 3 37 84 3 04 100 5.95 88 75 Kibworth 5 06 99/101 5 22 87 4 31 101/102 8.55 91 43 Great Glen 6 39 98/101 7 02 97 6 04 99/101 13.01 96 00 Wigston S J 9 32 82/90 10 00 79/82 8 52 80/93 16.10 99 07 LEICESTER 13 23 1E 13 37 13L 12 20 4E
New timetable
A new timetable for the MML stopping service was introduced in June 2005, and was somewhat unusual, in not being in the normal symmetrical format. In the down direction the trains are reversed with the xx00 going to Derby and xx30 to Nottingham. Both go directly, without being leapfrogged at Leicester. This means that there is, effectively, only one train an hour to Derby and Nottingham, as the stopping train arrives at its destination within 10 minutes of the following HST.
In the down direction the Derby train leaves at xx35 (rather than xx20) and goes directly to St. Pancras, whilst the Nottingham train departs at xx52 (as before) and waits 18 minutes to allow an HST to pass at Leicester before departing south. The result of this is that trains complete a circuit half an hour quicker than in the previous timetable. All semi-fasts in the standard pattern stop at Bedford. As explained earlier, there are 6-7mins acceleration St Pancras to Leicester in the new timetable.
Sample logs
The initial run from St Pancras to Bedford is considered elsewhere in the magazine. From Bedford, it can be seen that the improved acceleration produces at least 30secs savings, compared with the HST and 170, to each first passing point
Milepost 26¼ - 89 - July 2005 TABLE Run No. 4 5 Date/day S 13-01-01 M 28-03-05 Train 1520 Derby-St Pancras 1220 Derby-St Pancras Motive Power 170109 222016 Load (tons) 2 4 Weather Bright Rec/Pos/GPS? D Ashley 2/2 Y D Ashley 2/4 N
Miles M C location m s mph ave m s Mph ave
0.00 99 07 LEICESTER 0 00 T 0 00 16L 3.09 96 00 Wigston S J 4 20 39 42.8 3 39 79 50.8 7.55 91 43 Great Glen 9 19 70 53.7 6 36 99 90.8 10.15 88 75 Kibworth 11 21 85 76.7 8 09 101/99 100.6 12.59 86 40 E Langton 12 54 98 94.4 9 37 100 99.7 16.10 82 79 Market Harboro 15 48 72.7 12 45 67.3 0.00 82 79 Market Harboro 0 00 0 00 2.49 80 40 Braybrook 3 08 63 47.6 2 28 86 60.5 4.90 78 07 Desborough 5 18 75 66.8 4 00 98/100 94.4 7.44 75 44 Glendon 7 00 100 89.6 5 32 99 99.3 8.99 74 00 Kettering N J 7 57 97 97.9 6 29 96 97.9 10.98 72 01 Kettering 9 52 62.2 8 37 55.9 0.00 72 01 Kettering 0 00 0 00 1.31 70 56 Kettering S J 1 50 68 43.0 1 33 82/100 50.8 3.84 68 14 Finedon 3 38 91 84.2 3 06 99 97.7 6.95 65 05 Wellingborough 6 21 68.7 5 47 69.6 0.00 65 05 Wellingborough 0 00 0 00 2.44 62 50 Irchester 2 44 71 53.5 2 22 92 61.8 5.31 59 60 Sharnbrook 5 05 75 73.4 4 06 101/112 99.5 12.11 52 76 Oakley 9 25 97 94.2 7 51 108 108.8 15.19 49 70 BEDFORD 13 21 1L 46.9 11 30 7L 50.5 following a station stop. Whilst 170’s could be expected to be travelling at 70mph within 3 miles of restart, 222’s will be up to line speed. Whilst run 2 recovered 4mins of its late departure by Leicester, run 3 achieved the same saving but waited time for four minutes at intermediate stations. The effect of gradients was apparent to the 170’s but irrelevant to the 222.
In the up direction the situation is similar. Run 4 was adversely affected by signals, possibly due to the HST in front. Run 5 shows the time recovery possibilities with the earlier timetable, when trains are running late - a 16min late departure from Leicester turned into a 7min late arrival at Bedford. In fact the train probably left Derby about 30mins late.
Could do better?
Once again, we can see that there are modest gains on the timetable, and a net travelling time of 70-72mins for 99 miles with the 222, inclusive of five stops is certainly an improvement, compared with the 80.6mins of the 170. But when one considers the improved power/weight ratio, up from 9.4 to 15 (or 59%), then one ponders why the average speed increases by only 14%. This led me to analyse what has happened on the line over the last 40 years by comparing the Peaks, HST’s and 222’s.
Milepost 26¼ - 90 - July 2005 Run No. 6 7 Date/day S 01-Jun-68 S 06-Dec-03 Train 1555 St Pancras-Nottingham 1025 St Pancras-Sheffield Motive Power D144 43159 Load (tons) 5 chs 2+8 Rec/GPS? D Ashley N D Ashley Y
Miles M C location m s mph ave m s mph ave
0 05 ST PANCRAS 0 00 0 00 1.48 1 43 Kenitsh Town 3 25 61 25.9 3 53 60 22.8 3.85 3 73 West Hampstead 5 38 66 64.3 5 51 75 72.5 5.04 5 08 Cricklewood 6 36 76 73.7 6 44 82 80.7 6.94 7 00 Hendon 8 02 79 79.5 8 07 90/60tsr 82.4 9.29 9 28 Mill Hill 9 46 82 81.3 10 25 70 61.3 12.39 12 36 Elstree 11 58 85 84.5 12 48 92 78.0 15.15 15 17 Radlett 13 54 88/90/78 85.7 14 30 100 97.5 19.84 19 72 St Albans 17 10 80 86.1 17 10 91/107 105.5 24.58 24 51 Harpenden 20 36 85 82.8 20 00 105 100.3 29.18 29 19 Luton Airport 22 44 99 101.0 30.19 30 20 Luton 24 33 84 85.3 23 23 93 93.5 32.71 32 62 Leagrave 26 21 88 84.2 24 55 101/114 98.8 35.63 35 55 Sundon 26 31 113 109.2 37.19 37 20 Harlington 29 25 90 87.6 27 21 112 112.5 40.14 40 16 Flitwick 31 25 88 88.5 28 57 110/105 110.6 41.69 41 60 Ampthill 32 28 89/92 88.6 43.69 43 60 Millbrook 30 59 113 104.8 46.09 46 12 H Conquest 32 16 111 112.2 49.81 49 70 BEDFORD 38 03 87/90 87.3 34 17 106 110.8 52.89 52 76 Oakley 36 00 109/114 107.5 56.63 56 55 Sharnbrook 42 35 87 90.2 59.69 59 60 Sharnbrook Smt 82 39 47 104 107.8 62.56 62 50 Irchester 46 51 90 83.5 41 20 112 111.3 65.00 65 05 Wellingborough 48 41 65 79.8 43 08 67 81.3 68.11 68 14 Finedon 51 08 86/90 76.2 45 23 94 83.0 70.64 70 56 Kettering S J 52 50 84 89.1 47 00 94 93.7 71.95 72 01 Kettering 53 46 84 84.4 47 50 90 94.5 73.94 74 00 Kettering N J 55 12 83 83.2 49 09 92 90.6 75.49 75 44 Glendon 50 08 97 94.6 78.03 78 07 Desborough 58 07 85/90 84.1 51 42 98 97.2 80.44 80 40 Braybrook 53 08 102 101.0 82.93 82 79 Market Harboro 61 41 58 82.4 54 57 61 82.2 86.44 86 40 E Langton 64 30 84 74.8 57 31 96 82.1 88.88 88 75 Kibworth 66 34 64sigs 70.8 59 02 98/100/41 96.4 91.48 91 43 Great Glen /85 61 13 53tsr/94 71.5 95.94 96 00 Wigston S J 71 48 48/70 81.0 64 40 82/89 77.6 99.03 99 07 LEICESTER 88 07 sig st10m 11.4 68 28 48.8 We start with a Peak log from 1968, which was unusual in that the train consisted of only five coaches. In spite of this the power/weight ratio, at 7.6, was considerably worse than an HST’s 10.7. This is probably due to the locomotive weight of 140 tons which these days would be called morbidly obese. The only way the HST ratio could be achieved, would be to double head the train – which would be environmentally
Milepost 26¼ - 91 - July 2005 Comparison of Performance: St Pancras-Leicester Peak Peak Normal Light HST 222
HP 2500 2500 4500 3000 Weight 480 330 420 200 Power weight 5.2 7.6 10.7 15.0
Time 75 62.5 61.6 Max speed loco 90 125 125 Max speed line 90 105 105 Av speed 79.2 95.04 96.43
% Av speed compared with max speed loco 88 76.03 77.14 % av speed against line speed 0.88 0.91 0.92 %improvement in power weight 41.43 40.00
% Improvement in time 16.67 1.44 % improvement in max speed loco 38.89 0.00 % improvement in max line speed 16.67 0.00 % improvement in av speed 20.00 1.46 disastrous: 280 tons of locomotive hauling 175tons of coaching stock! But even so, glimpses of impressive acceleration can be seen, particularly away from Wellingborough and Market Harborough. Unfortunately, signals approaching Leicester hampered progress, but a net time of 75mins seems possible. This represents average speed of 79mph and equates to 88% of the maximum speed of the loco and the line at that time. Tsr’s adversely affected the HST in north London and to the south of Leicester, on what is now a 100/110mph railway, and now a 62.5min net time seems realistic. This represents a 20% increase in average speed over the lightweight Peak load, but with a 40% increase in power/weight ratio. A theoretical time for a 222 to Leicester is 61.6 mins, or 1.5% better than the HST. This is achieved with another 40% increase in power/weight ratio. These figures, and those shown in the accompanying table, seem to suggest that there is plenty of surplus additional power available, which has not been utilised because line speeds have not been increased in proportion to the increased power. One gets the impression that the 222s comprise 3,000 temperamental and extremely cosseted thoroughbred horses, whilst the Peaks comprised 2,500 workhorses. It would be interesting to compare the fuel consumption of the two classes, but no doubt this is commercially sensitive. Finally, if one assumes that the Peaks lasted 20 years, and worked at 88% of line speeds, then HST’s only use 60% of their potential power and a work at 76% of line speeds, they should last 33 years. Projecting forward in a similar, and totally unscientific fashion, the 222 should last 45 years. I’m sure there are a number of factors that will affect these scenarios, but the most likely is that the 222 software will become obsolete within 10 years and unsupportable within 15!
A southbound Meridien arrives at Bedford
Milepost 26¼ - 92 - July 2005 Chiltern Flyers
David Adams
As both a resident and a commuter on the former GWR Paddington – Birmingham line for most of my life I have witnessed enormous changes. Kings, Castles & Stars were the express loco’s of my early youth but steam was nearing the end when I first took to train timing in 1962. I then became familiar with the performance standards set by class 52’s and 47’s hauling 10-15 coach trains over this 90 mph route to which I became rather attached. However, the electrification of the Euston – Coventry section of the WCML in 1966 was the start of a gradual rundown which saw trains shrink to 8 coach semi-fasts the following year and singling of the line between Princes Risborough and Aynho in 1969. By 1973 class 115 DMU’s had taken over the majority of Bicester line services which now ran from Marylebone to Banbury and subsequent downgrading reduced the line speed to 70 mph. This seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for this once major route to the capital. However, the line was given a new lease of life in the 90’s when Chiltern Railways started operating services from Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, albeit with 75 mph class 165’s.
In 1998 the introduction of 100 mph class 168’s and the re-doubling of the section between Princes Risborough and Aynho, mostly with a 100 mph PSR was a very welcome initiative. Also upgrading between Banbury and Tyseley has seen 95-100 mph sections introduced primarily for the benefit of Voyagers but of course 168’s can also take advantage. New signalling between Banbury and Leamington has also reduced headways though this has only a limited benefit on the down as all trains either stop or slow down to 40/20 mph at Leamington Spa which can cause a bunching effect approaching the latter.
To experience a lengthy spell of three figure running the options are fairly limited as the majority of services call at all major stations including Haddenham & Thame Parkway through which the line speed is 100 mph in both directions. On the down line (I will cover the up line in due course) Monday – Friday services leave Marylebone at 15.53, 17.57 and 18.50 running first stop Bicester North in 52, 49 & 50 minutes respectively while the 14.32 and the 17.00 run first stop Banbury in 66 & 63 minutes respectively. The 17.00 Clubman service is the most attractive proposition as the timing is reasonably tight and, if the 16.35 Marylebone – Bicester is not running behind schedule, the full 100 mph maximum can be experienced from north of Ilmer until slowing for Bicester North where there is a 75 mph PSR . After the 1 in 200 rise to Ardley 100 mph is briefly possible by Souldern Viaduct No.1 before slowing for Aynho Junction. If the train has stopped at Bicester North a maximum of 96 mph is the best that can be expected at the latter. North of Banbury the 1¼ miles 75 mph PSR at Knightcote, a section that has a very long history of unstable embankments, curbs the 90 mph running normally attained by Claydon but 95 mph is now possible after this to just short of Whitnash over-bridge. After stops at Warwick and Warwick Parkway a short burst of speed above 90 mph can be made between Rowington and slowing for Dorridge. Solihull is the final stop before Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill where some trains now continue to Kidderminster.
Unfortunately there are some less positive points relating to the section from Marylebone to Princes Risborough. 40-60 mph PSR’s restrain running over the first 11½ miles to Northolt where the original line from Paddington is joined. However, speed is still restricted to 75 mph maximum from that point until after Princes Risborough. In addition the through lines at Beaconsfield were lifted in the 70’s and a reduction to 40 mph is now necessary to pass through the platforms. High Wycombe now has a 50 mph PSR and both West Wycombe and Princes Risborough a 60 mph PSR. I often reflect that 90 mph was the permitted maximum
Milepost 26¼ - 93 - July 2005 from Park Royal to just short of High Wycombe going back to steam days and was frequently attained at Denham and Tylers Green by class 47’s on the down (for much lengthier sections on the up by 47’s and briefly at Denham by steam!). Today’s running by comparison is certainly a frustrating experience.
The 19 class 168’s were delivered in batches and actually consist of three variants. The first batch, 168001-168005, were introduced in 1998 as three car sets and have since had a fourth car added. These were followed by 168106-168113 in 2000. 168106 & 168107 have been strengthened to four car sets, the remainder are still operating as three car. This latter series are identical to a class 170, the main visual difference from the original class 168 build being the styling of the driving ends. In 2003/4 a further batch numbered 168214-168219 were delivered. 168214/8/9 are operating as three car sets, 168215/6/7 as two car sets. All sets are fitted with the same engines, transmission and bogies and can work in multiple with each other as well as with the earlier 75 mph class 165’s, a maximum speed which also has to apply when one is coupled to a class 168.
Although Chiltern Railways usually ranks high in the list of best performing TOC’s, its class 168 fleet has been less than reliable. A survey published in the railway press earlier in 2004 showed these units to have serious reliability problems and this has been born out by my own observations. Units running with a dead power car were seen with alarming regularity at one time. I was on Leamington Spa station one evening in 2003 when a 168/1 arrived with the 17.00 from Marylebone. The driver stopped opposite me and I immediately became aware of an eerie silence under the front car. “A bit quiet this end isn’t it?” I wryly smiled. “This is the third ?*!*!*?* unit to fail on me today” was the reply. Many of the runs I timed in the first part of 2004 suffered either from total loss of an engine or one that was just idling and not transmitting power to the rail, the first series of 168/0’s appearing to be particularly vulnerable. I find a similar continuing trait with Virgin Voyagers. The recently-introduced 168/2’s, however, show a marked reliability improvement to date. Hopefully this long standing problem has at last been conquered. My most recent runs with both 168/1’s and 168/2’s were generally far superior to most runs that I timed over the last 2-3 years.
Tables 1 & 2 show four runs on the 17.00 to Kidderminster: Heavily patronised by the business fraternity, one is surrounded by laptops and mobile phone conversations. Gone are the days when office work was confined to the place of employment. Seats are at a premium in this busy mobile “office” by departure time. The train is normally formed by 5 cars, a 2 car 168/2 which is standing at the buffer stops when a 3 car 168 arrives at 16.25 with the 14.10 from Snow Hill. The two units couple and the train is attended by a cleaner before boarding commences at about 16.40. Often a 6 car set would be more appropriate but this requires the rear vehicle to be locked out after Snow Hill due to short platforms.
The performance of the 17.00 train is heavily reliant on the punctuality of several other Chiltern services. The previous departure from Marylebone is the 16.57 to Aylesbury which leaves little margin for the 17.00 to make a right time departure and an unchecked run to Neasden. The next hurdle is the 16.46 from Marylebone which terminates at Gerrards Cross at 17.17 and crosses to the up siding. I suspect that a slight fall in speed at Denham on several runs on the 17.00 has been due to sighting adverse signals in the distance. After this the 16.39 from Marylebone terminating at High Wycombe at 17.23 comes into play and finally the 16.35 from Marylebone terminating at Bicester North at 17.43 and then crossing to the up. It is the latter which can ruin high speed progress after Princes Risborough. It will be seen from the logs in tables 1 & 2 that all these services, which are normally worked by 75 mph class 165 units, had an effect on the running of the 17.00 on 3 out of the 4 runs at some point. It is not until Aynho Junction that other operators’ services may have an impact on timekeeping. All trains between Marylebone and Banbury are driver only operated.
Run 1 was the only one to achieve a right time arrival at Banbury despite a dead stand of
Milepost 26¼ - 94 - July 2005 just under a minute north of High Wycombe which was probably due to signal failure. Once clear of Princes Risborough the 12.96 miles from Ilmer to Blackthorn were run at an average of 98.6 mph. The net time to Banbury of 60¾ minutes shows just how little margin for out of course delays is included in the schedule to that point.
TABLE 1 - MARYLEBONE-BANBURY Train: 1700 Ex Marylebone Run 1 Run 2 Date Th 22-Apr-04 Tu 29-Jun-04 168003/168215 168108/168215, Unit/load 4+2,250/265 3+2,206/220 Position 1/6 1/5 Av Av DIST Act Act Spd Spd Act Act Spd Spd 0.00 MARYLEBONE 0.00 0.00 1.93 Canfield Place 3.11 49/47.5* 36.4 3.28 48 3.68 Willesden Green 5.21 50/54.5 48.5 5.53 41/51 5.10 Neasdon South Jnc. 7.01 40* 51.1 7.42 38* 6.46 Wembley Stadium 8.44 54/59 47.5 9.32 53 8.73 Sudbury Hill 11.11 58/40* 55.6 11.55 56 Sigs. 15*/39/20* 11.48 Northolt Jnc. 14.07 50 56.2 18.06 25 TSR 20* 13.34 West Ruislip 15.54 73/75 62.6 21.33 53/75 16.10 Denham 18.07 73/72 74.1 23.59 74 Sigs. 28* 18.71 Gerrards Cross 20.15 75 73.4 27.22 50 21.43 Seer Green 22.26 73.5 74.7 30.08 65/69 23.00 Beaconsfield 24.10 39* 54.3 31.48 41* 25.48 Tylers Green 26.45 74.5 57.6 33.42 74 Sigs. 27.84 HIGH WYCOMBE 28.50 35* 68.0 37.06 Service disruption 0.00 0.00 Additional stop 29.21 Sig.0* 30.02 Stop 2.14 West Wycombe 32.59 61 3.07 58 41.2 4.96 Saunderton 35.27 72/75/58* 68.6 5.46 65/70/52* 63.8 8.14 PRINCES RISBOROUGH 38.25 63* 64.3 8.50 60 62.2 10.80 Ilmer 40.32 93/101 75.4 10.55 89/101 76.6 13.95 HADDENHAM & THAME 42.26 98/101 99.5 12.49 100/99 99.5 17.39 Ashendon Jnc. 44.32 100/96 98.3 14.54 100/98 99.1 21.00 Brill & L. 46.45 99 97.7 17.05 101 99.2 23.76 Blackthorn 48.25 100 99.4 18.44 98/101 100.4 26.84 BICESTER N. 50.29 75* 89.4 20.45 75* 91.6 30.61 Ardley 53.15 83 79.8 23.39 81 78.0 33.90 Souldern No 1 Sth 55.29 99 91.1 25.53 98 88.4 35.85 Aynho Jnc. 57.39 40* 54.0 27.58 40* 56.2 37.41 Kings Sutton 59.24 65 53.5 29.45 63 52.5 38.72 Astrop Sdg. 60.29 78/82 72.6 30.54 72/78 68.3 40.90 BANBURY 62.43 58.7 33.04 60.4
Run 2 was delayed due to the class 165’s working both the 16.25 to Aylesbury and the 16.39 to High Wycombe becoming failures immediately on departure resulting in the cancellation of
Milepost 26¼ - 95 - July 2005 both trains. The 17.00 made an additional stop at High Wycombe to cover for the cancellation of the 16.39 as well as suffering checks from the late departing 16.46 local to Gerrards Cross. The subsequent run from High Wycombe to Banbury was made in 33m 04s at 74.2 mph start to stop with a 99.5 mph average from Ilmer to Blackthorn, a slightly better performance than D1001 on 9 coaches which I timed in 1963 making a start to stop time of 35m 38s with an 86 mph maximum. These units were the worst performers of the four runs which can be seen by the slower acceleration to Saunderton and after Aynho Junction. TABLE 2. MARYLEBONE – BANBURY
Train 1700 Marylebone Run 3 Run 4 Date Tu 07-Sep-04 We 15-Sep-04 168219/168215 3+2, Unit/load/e/f 206/220 168218/168217, 3+2 206.220 Position 1/5 1/5 Dist Act Act Spd Av spd Act Act Spd Av Spd 0.00 MARYLEBONE 0.00 0.00 1.93 Canfield Place 3.32 49 32.8 3.12 47 36.2 Sigs . 3.68 Willesden Green 5.37 51/56 50.4 5.37 40*/57 43.4 5.10 Neasdon South Jnc. 7.17 40* 51.1 7.18 40* 50.6 6.46 Wembley Stadium 8.59 59/55 48.0 8.54 60/58 51.0 8.73 Sudbury Hill 11.23 58/62 56.7 11.12 59/62/50* 59.2 11.48 Northolt Jnc. 14.24 48* 54.7 14.06 52 56.9 13.34 West Ruislip 16.18 71/74 58.7 15.50 74/76 64.4 16.10 Denham 18.33 68/75 73.6 18.02 74/72 75.3 18.71 Gerrards Cross 20.44 74/71 71.7 20.11 74 72.8 21.43 Seer Green 22.59 72/73 72.5 22.21 76 75.3 23.00 Beaconsfield 24.44 36* 53.8 24.10 40* 51.9 25.48 Tylers Green 27.17 77 58.4 26.36 76 61.2 27.84 HIGH WYCOMBE 29.24 50*/47* 66.9 28.41 50* 68.0 29.98 West Wycombe 31.54 61 51.4 31.04 63 53.9 32.80 Saunderton 34.20 74/75 69.5 33.25 74/75 72.0 35.98 PRINCES RISBOROUGH 37.13 60* 66.2 36.17 61* 66.6 Sigs. 20* 38.64 Ilmer 40.31 79 48.4 38.23 92/102/99 76.0 41.79 HADDENHAM & THAME 42.33 99/101 93.0 40.16 100/98 100.4 Sigs. 45.23 Ashendon Jnc. 45.20 20*/10* 74.2 42.21 99 99.1 48.84 Brill & L. 50.02 79 46.1 44.31 101 100.0 51.60 Blackthorn 51.49 98/100 92.9 46.10 100/101 100.4 54.68 BICESTER N. 53.53 74* 89.4 48.12 74* 90.9 58.45 Ardley 56.47 82 78.0 51.00 86 80.8 61.74 Souldern No 1 Sth 58.55 101 92.5 53.07 100 93.3 56.11 Sig. 0* 57.42 Stop Sigs. 63.69 Aynho Jnc. 61.01 40*/38* 55.7 58.30 30/34* 65.25 Kings Sutton 62.52 63 50.6 60.47 54 Sigs. 51* 66.56 Astrop Sdg. 63.59 75/83 70.4 62.18 56/71 68.74 BANBURY 66.24 54.1 64.53
Run 3 suffered signals at both Princes Risborough and Ashendon from the late running 16.39 but still managed to hit the 100 mph mark briefly after both Haddenham and
Milepost 26¼ - 96 - July 2005 Blackthorn as well as on Souldern Viaduct south. Time lost was only just over 3 minutes overall.
Run 4 averaged 99.9 mph from Ilmer to Blackthorn. We were all set to make a record time of 60¼ minutes to Banbury but the signaller stopped us at Aynho Junction and gave a 66/5 on a Freightliner off the Oxford line precedence. This move got the Freightliner nowhere as it was standing at Warwick Milverton waiting a path over the single line to Coventry when we departed Leamington Spa at 18.23. A Voyager leaves Coventry for Leamington Spa at 18.24!
North of Banbury 168’s cannot attain a legal 100 mph on the down due to the stopping pattern. However the Banbury to Leamington section can produce some lively running as table 3 shows.
Run 1 shows a Thames Trains (now FGW Link) class 166 for comparison, the latter having a permitted maximum of 90 mph. This unit made the fastest start but was slower after Banbury Junction than the 168/2’s in run 3. The 166 also had to observe an 80 mph PSR near Harbury tunnel which has since been raised to 95 mph.
Run 2 shows 168002 running on ¾ power, the effects of which can be seen from the poor performance which was very similar to that of a class 47 on 8 coaches. 13 days later I noted this 168 with a dead power car yet again.
Run 3 was unusually formed by two 3 car 168/2’s which made an excellent run passing Fosse Road in 12m 27s. Trespassers were the cause of the signal stop near Whitnash which ruined a possible best 168 time of 15¾ minutes.
TABLE 3 BANBURY – LEAMINGTON SPA Date Mo 28-Jul-03 We 08-Sep-04 Th 16-Sep-04 Unit 166218 168002 168219/168218 Load e/f 3,119/123 4,169/175 3+2,250/265 Position 1/3 1/4 1/6 One engine out
Dist Act Speed Act Speed Act Speed Miles m s mph m s mph m s Mph 0.00 BANBURY 0.00 0.00 8L 2L 1.08 Banbury Jnc. 1.40 54 1.57 50 1.45 56 3.69 Cropredy 4.02 75 4.33 70 4.05 81 6.14 Claydon 5.39 85/90 6.22 80 5.40 92/95 8.77 Fenny Compton 7.23 89 8.13 92 7.23 90 9.83 MP 96 8.08 74*/89 8.58 74*/73* 8.06 82*/77* 13.71 Southam Rd & H. 11.02 85*/79* 11.58 88 10.45 96/90 16.10 Fosse Road 12.56 88/91 13.40 95 12.27 93 18.56 Whitnash 14.33 83* 15.07 90 14.06 50* 14.43 Sig.0*/30 18.37 Stop 19.90 LEAMINGTON SPA 16.15 16.57 21.51
Milepost 26¼ - 97 - July 2005 Train 1435 Reading 1700 Marylebone Date Th 16-Oct-03 Tu 21-Sep-04 Unit 220014, 4, 186/190 168106/216 3+2, 206/220 Position 2/4 2/5
Dist Act Act Spd Avg Spd Act Act Spd Avg Spd 0.00 BANBURY 0.00 0.00 1.08 Banbury Jnc. 1.26 70/92 45.2 1.49 57 35.7 3.83 Cropredy 3.21 90/92 86.1 4.12 78 69.2 6.14 Claydon 4.52 91 91.4 5.50 90/92/87 84.9 8.77 Fenny Compton 6.36 92 91.7 7.35 92 90.1 9.83 MP 96 7.20 75*/98 86.7 8.21 76*/74* 83.0 13.71 Southam Road & H. 10.06 96 82.2 11.08 94/97 83.6 16.33 Fosse Road 11.43 96 96.2 12.47 95/96 95.3 18.56 Whitnash 13.09 91 93.3 14.13 90 93.3 19.90 LEAMINGTON SPA 14.56 45.1 16.09 41.2
Run 4 shows for comparison purposes my fastest start to stop run with a Voyager which had the advantage over the first six miles by gaining a minute on a good 168 performance.
Run 5 was also an excellent performance making my fastest 168 time over this section to date.
Another run on the 17.00, which I have not detailed, comprised of a 75 mph 3 car 165 with the 2 car 168/2. Of course, time was lost throughout and Banbury to Leamington Spa took an uninspiring 18m 40s with the very briefest of 75 mph running.
The final down line section of interest is from Warwick Parkway to Dorridge which of course includes a start right at the foot of Hatton bank. The 100 mph line speed north of Hatton cannot be attained before the Dorridge stop due to the slightly rising gradient.
Table 4 shows details of mainly better runs on this section.
TABLE 4 WARWICK PARKWAY – DORRIDGE Run 1 2 3 Train ex Marylebone 1557 1700 1432 Date We 08-Sep-04 Th 16-Sep-04 We 22-Oct-03 Unit 168002 168219/168218 168109 Load e/f 4, 169/175 6,250/265 3, 125/135 Position 1/4 (1 engine out) 1/6 1/3 Dist Act Act Spd Act Act Spd Act Act Spd Miles m s mph m s mph m s mph 0 WARWICK PARKWAY 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.69 Budbrook 1.40 40 1.25 44.5 1.27 46 2.19 MP 111½ 3.30 54 3.05 60.5 3.05 62 2.86 Hatton 4.12 63 3.43 68.5 3.41 70 4.91 Rowington 6.18 83 5.38 91/92 5.35 93 7.09 Lapworth 7.33 82 6.46 90 6.42 94/0* Sig 9.64 DORRIDGE 10.17 8.58 12.44 Stop
Milepost 26¼ - 98 - July 2005 Run 4 5 6 Train ex Marylebone 1700 1700 1700 Date Tu 07-Sep-04 We 15-Sep-04 Tu 21-Sep-04 Unit 168219.168215 168218/168217 168106/168216 Load e/f 3+2, 206/220 3+2, 206/220 3+2,206/220 Position 1/5 1/5 2/5 Dist Act Act Spd Act Act Spd Act Act Spd Miles m s mph m s mph m s mph 0.00 WARWICK PARKWAY 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.69 Budbrook 1.26 44 1.26 44 1.29 44.5 2.19 MP 111½ 3.07 60 3.07 60 3.09 60 2.86 Hatton 3.45 67.5 3.45 68 3.47 68 5.37 Rowington 5.41 91 5.40 91 5.43 90 7.10 Lapworth 6.49 92/94 6.47 95/97 6.50 95/96 Sigs. 5*/30
9.64 DORRIDGE 10.58 (7 LATE) 9.05 9.06
Run 1 is the continuation of the underpowered 168002 in table 3 which can be seen to have a distinct disadvantage losing nearly a minute to Lapworth.
Run 2 is the continuation of run 3 in table 3 which made an RPS fastest start to stop time of 8m 58s for a 168 over this section.
Run 3 is the very best 168 performance I have experienced to date with Hatton bank summit passed at 62 mph. The slight advantage over run 2 is apparent but a signal stop before Dorridge put paid to any overall record.
Runs 4 & 5 were identical to Hatton and only 2 seconds apart passing Lapworth. Speed before the Dorridge stop was allowed to rise to 97 mph on run 5, my highest recorded at this point by a 168.
Run 6 is the continuation of run 5 in table 3. This driver was just a little slower opening out to full power on starting. Otherwise the running was almost identical to the previous four runs. Over the 6.41 miles from Budbrook to Lapworth runs 2, 5 & 6 all took 5m 21s. This shows a remarkable consistency, not only in unit performance, but also in driver confidence and ability, which was certainly not a trend that I experienced prior to the 2004.
It is possible to regain 3-4 minutes between Banbury and Solihull but a right time arrival at Snow Hill is certainly easily achieved as no less than 11 minutes are allowed from Moor Street to Snow Hill due to pathing problems. All other Chiltern services terminating at Snow Hill are still allowed a lavish minimum of 7 - 8 minutes for this 2 minute journey.
Turning now to the up line there is certainly less scope for experiencing lengthy spells of fast running in this direction. The only Monday – Friday service to run non-stop from Banbury to Marylebone is the 05.39 from Snow Hill which is allowed no less than 73 minutes, 10 minutes more than the down 17.00. Any record times are unlikely as this train arrives at Marylebone 4 minutes behind a service from Aylesbury via Princes Risborough. Four later trains from Snow Hill run non-stop from Bicester North but again in much slower times than the down services.
However there is one off pattern service, the 16.50 from Snow Hill, which runs non-stop from Moor Street to Warwick, omitting the usual stops at Solihull, Dorridge and Warwick Parkway. Again a decent run is dependant on the punctuality of preceding services, namely Central.
Milepost 26¼ - 99 - July 2005 TABLE 5 – BIRMINGHAM SNOW HILL - BANBURY Run 1 2 Date Fr 14-May-04 Mo 24-May-04 Unit/load/e/f/ position 168110, 3,125/130, 3/3 168004, 4,169/175, 4/4 Engine idling - 4th car
Dist Act Speed Act Speed Miles m s mph m s Mph 0.00 BIRMINGHAM S H 0.00 20* 0.00 20* 0.50 BIRMINGHAM M ST 2.14 1.58 0.00 0.00 30* 0.00 30* 0.77 Bordesley 1.45 35/50 1.49 35 Sigs. 1.75 Small Heath 3.01 35*/52 2.56 59 2.80 Tyseley 4.25 31*/17* 4.21 29*/17* 3.77 Acocks Green 6.33 52 6.28 38 Sigs . 4.74 Olton 7.32 68 7.58 42*/10*/34 Sigs. 20* Sigs . 10* 6.58 SOLIHULL 10.48 23 12.27 20/34 16.00 Sig. 0* 18.31 Stop 7.98 Widney Manor 12.29 68 19.27 38/44 Sigs. 17* 9.92 DORRIDGE 14.00 76 22.24 57 12.46 Lapworth 15.45 96 24.30 84 14.19 Rowington 16.48 100 25.39 94 16.70 Hatton 18.31 81*/89 27.23 80* 18.87 Budbrook 20.01 84 28.55 91 Sigs. * Sigs. * 20.85 WARWICK 22.09 31.07 0.00 0.00 0.00 Sigs 50 1.01 MP 107 1.51 35*/42 1.49 57 1.94 LEAMINGTON SPA 3.42 3.33 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.34 Whitnash 2.03 61 2.19 54 3.58 Fosse Road 3.56 77 4.25 68 6.16 Southam Road 5.50 82/96 6.36 72/82 8.83 MP 97¼ 7.38 75*/74* 8.39 76*/74* 11.10 Fenny Compton 9.28 77 10.32 74 13.76 Claydon 11.19 89/91 12.31 84/92 16.18 Cropredy 12.52 88/89 14.04 90 Sigs. 18.65 Banbury Jnc. 14.55 63* 15.57 78* 19.90 BANBURY 16.58 17.35
Trains services from Snow Hill at 16.35 to Dorridge and 16.45 to Shirley. The former can often be responsible for signal checks between Olton and Dorridge and the latter for checks between Small Heath and Tyseley. There is also a 16.33 Voyager from New Street which should pass Tyseley at 16.42, just 2 minutes before the 16.35 Snow Hill departs Tyseley and crosses from up relief to up main to follow it. However the xx.33 Voyagers from New Street are not renowned for their timekeeping and the
Milepost 26¼ - 100 - July 2005 16.33 sometimes follows the 16.50 Chiltern from Tyseley to Aynho Junction. However if the 16.33 is just a couple of minutes down it reacts on the 16.35, 16.45 and 16.50 from Snow Hill, such is the fragility of the timetabling arrangements in this area.
TABLE 6 – BIRMINGHAM SNOW HILL - BANBURY Train: 1650 Snow Hill Run 3 Run 4 Date We 14-Jul-04 Th 16-Sep-04 Unit/Load/e/f/pos 168219, 3,125/130, 3/3 168111, 3,125/135,3/3
Dist Act Speed Act Speed Miles m s mph m s mph 0.00 BIRMINGHAM S H 0.00 20* 0.00 20* 0.50 BIRMINGHAM M ST 1.51 2.01 0.00 0.00 32* 0.00 30* 0.77 Bordesley 1.38 40/60 1.44 38/55 Sigs. 1.75 Small Heath 2.41 59 2.53 40*/15* 2.80 Tyseley 3.53 33*/20* 5.30 32/18* 3.77 Acocks Green 5.40 51.5 7.30 52 4.74 Olton 6.38 67 8.28 71.5 6.58 SOLIHULL 8.08 79/80 9.56 83 Sigs. 7.98 Widney Manor 9.14 61*/30* 10.55 90/100 9.92 DORRIDGE 12.02 64 12.07 98/96 12.46 Lapworth 14.00 92/101 13.41 100 14.19 Rowington 15.04 99 14.43 100 16.70 Hatton 16.41 83* 16.24 84* 18.87 Budbrook 18.14 91 17.54 90 20.85 WARWICK 20.13 20.18 0.00 0.00 0.00 Sigs. 49 1.01 MP 107 1.48 48*/39* 1.39 55 1.94 LEAMINGTON SPA 3.40 3.33 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.34 Whitnash 2.08 61 2.04 61.5 3.58 Fosse Road 4.02 77 3.55 78 6.16 Southam Road 5.55 83/90 5.46 86/94 8.83 MP 97¼ 7.46 67* 7.31 75*/72* 11.10 Fenny Compton 9.41 76 9.25 76 13.76 Claydon 11.34 88/92 11.17 90/88 16.18 Cropredy 13.07 90/86/89 12.50 90 18.65 Banbury Jnc. 15.03 75* 14.46 77* 19.90 BANBURY 16.38 16.25
I have therefore confined examples of running on the up line to four runs in tables 5 & 6 on the 16.50 from Snow Hill as far as Banbury.
Run 1 suffered checks from both the 16.35 and 16.45 and progress did not speed up until Dorridge with 100 mph being briefly attained at Rowington. Departure from Warwick was just a minute late. A sound run was made from Leamington Spa to Banbury taking 3 minutes less than booked despite signals approaching the latter.
Milepost 26¼ - 101 - July 2005
Run 2 was with a 168/0, so it came as no surprise to me that there was an engine idling resulting in an inferior performance. Departure from Warwick was 10 minutes late due to checks in the Solihull area but despite the low power 2.5 minutes were gained on to Banbury.
Run 3 was checked approaching Bentley Heath crossing but still produced my best start to stop time of 20m 13s, 18m 15s minutes net. A reasonable run was also made to Banbury despite speed being allowed to drop to 67 mph before Fenny Compton.
Run 4 only had a slight check before Tyseley. Once clear of the crossover to up main 168111 enjoyed a rare completely unchecked run to Warwick with speed reaching 90 mph by Widney Manor. An average of 98.1 mph was made from the latter to Rowington and the 12+ miles from Solihull to Budbrook produced an average of 92.6 mph, my fastest 168 run over this section. Over cautious braking prevented a record time to Warwick. This was also the best performance south of Leamington Spa notably outperforming the 168/2 on run 3. Despite another slow approach we stopped in Banbury in 16m 25s.
Hopefully the reliability problems will continue to diminish but the prospects of any future improvements in both speed and frequency are severely hampered by several issues. These include low line speeds south of Princes Risborough, limited platform capacity at Marylebone (an issue that is being addressed with planned additional platforms) and the inability of Network Rail to signal the re-built platforms at Moor Street and connect them to the main line for another 2-3 years. The fleet of 75 mph class 165’s also has its limitations and their continued use through to Birmingham on a few diagrammed turns as well as occasionally deputising for a non available class 168 is not ideal on a 90-100 mph railway. Nevertheless, the current loadings of the Clubman services throughout the day suggest that Chiltern Railways has won a significant amount of both business and leisure traffic from Virgin Trains. It remains to be seen whether these passengers are faithfully resigned to taking the Chiltern “Hundreds” or if they will eventually tilt towards Virgin Pendolino’s
POSTSCRIPT
Since writing this article, and as briefly mentioned by the editor in Milepost 25¾, with effect from the December 2004 timetable change Chiltern Railways introduced a number of service improvements. The new timetable commencing 12th June 2005 includes some minor timing adjustments and a few additional calling points.
As far as Mondays to Fridays is concerned a half hourly service now runs between Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill. Alternate trains mostly run non-stop south of Bicester North which has reduced the overall running time without any increase in line speeds. Indeed the recently announced “Evergreen II” project will only improve the line speed at Beaconsfield where it will be raised from 40 to 75 mph saving about one minute in running for trains not stopping there. Additional signals will improve line capacity by reducing headways, especially north of Princes Risborough. The 17.00 from Marylebone (“The Office” – now there’s a trendy title for a named train!) still runs as a 5 car first stop Banbury, but in 65 minutes against the previous 63. In the up direction the best time from Bicester North is 55 minutes. Others are allowed up to 59 minutes which appears to be due to pathing difficulties approaching Marylebone. From 12th June there is only one non-stop service from Banbury to Marylebone at 06.25 which takes 70 minutes. The previous 16.50 from Snow Hill, now 16.52, stops at Warwick Parkway but still omits stops at Solihull and Dorridge. The PSR at West Wycombe is 75 mph, not 60 mph as I erroneously quoted.
Weekend travel has been blighted by Network Rail Saturday and Sunday possessions in the name of “Major Track Improvement Work” between Birmingham and Leamington Spa from
Milepost 26¼ - 102 - July 2005 2nd April to 11th June resulting in bustitution to Banbury in some instances. Surprising since there was a lengthy period of weekend inconvenience just 3-4 years ago when the track received a major upgrade for the benefit of Voyagers! One would have hoped that re-railing the section through Solihull down platform, where clamps have been holding the 90 mph rail together since the last upgrade, was high on the agenda. They were still in place on 28th May! I shall be interested to note just what “improvements” have been achieved as a result of this latest marathon possession.
All Marylebone/Birmingham trains are timed for 100 mph class 168’s. Those making more intermediate stops also serve either Hatton or Lapworth, sometimes both, consequently eliminating daytime off peak Central Trains services south of Dorridge. There is certainly more variety in the Chiltern stopping patterns than hitherto which will no doubt help to swell the RPS fastest times entries. The 10.50 from Marylebone is regularly a 2 car set while most other off peak services are either 3 or 4 car sets. 6 new intermediate class 168 power cars have recently been ordered and delivery is expected to be completed by March 2006. The option is to either strengthen the three 2 car sets and three 3 car sets (168214-219) or alternatively strengthen six 3 car sets (from 168108 -113 and 168214/8/9).
Chiltern Railways has also taken over the direct service between London and Stratford upon Avon from First GW Link. The peak hour through services to and from Marylebone are class 168’s but the off peak trains are diagrammed for 75 mph class 165 operation.
However, the new timetable dictates intensive diagramming of class 168’s which appeared to start taking its toll on availability in March. Since then 75 mph class 165’s, which are certainly lacking in passenger comforts compared to the excellent 168 interiors, have been used to cover for non-available class 168’s on a regular basis with up to three being seen in one day and I suspect more on occasions. The 17.21 Marylebone has regularly been formed by a 3 car 168 and a 2 car 165. Some of the 4 car 168/0’s have also been running as 3 car sets at various times as well as 3 car 165035 running with two cars.
On Saturday 12th March I was not amused when 4 car 168106 was taken off its diagram on arrival at Marylebone and swapped with 2 car 165018 off an incoming Harrow on the Hill special engineering shuttle to form the 15.50 to Snow Hill while 168003 languished trapped on the stop block in the holding sidings by a number of 165’s. After suffering a noisy, draughty and uncomfortable ride with lack lustre driving (average speed over the 13 mile 100 mph section from Ilmer to Blackthorn was an uninspiring 72.3 mph and 3 minutes were lost to Bicester North) I decided to alight at Banbury, join the next Voyager and wait at Leamington Spa for the following 16.20 from Marylebone. Imagine my “delight” when 165038 appeared but at least that driver actually attained and held speed at 75 mph.
It therefore appears that all is still not well with the 168’s despite there being no sign of engine problems on any of the 45 journeys I made on them between February and April this year when I sampled the entire fleet of 19 sets. I shall watch developments with interest during the coming months but suspect that class 168 availability will only significantly improve when the 6 new vehicles on order actually enter traffic. Longer term developments include additional rolling stock, if and when Chiltern Trains take over some of Central Trains’ routes, and there is also the possibility that class 185’s may eventually be introduced on the Marylebone/ Birmingham fast services. Is it really too much to hope for that an “Evergreen III” project will emerge to increase line speeds south of Princes Risborough allowing further reductions in overall journey times? Hopefully the “GWR” way from Birmingham to London is set for a continuing revival.
Milepost 26¼ - 103 - July 2005 FASTEST TIMES UPDATE
Martin Robertson
Welcome to another Fastest Times Update with contributions from John Heaton, our editor David Ashley, John Rishton and David Adams. They have all been busy on the southern end of the Wcml, where with a reduction in the number of tsr’s in operation the Pendolino’s are beginning to show their true capabilities. There are also examples of Class 222 running on the Midland Main Line and Class 180’s on the Berkshire and Hants line.
We start with a run recorded by David Adams on what is possibly the flagship service of the West Midlands peak morning timetable, the 7 45 from Birmingham to Euston. Departure from Birmingham International was two minutes late on a relatively easy 73 minute schedule to Euston. The time was made by an unchecked run into Euston where arrival was five minutes early. David estimates the net time as being approximately 62½ minutes which gives scope for improvement in the overall time.
Table 2 has a recording by John Rishton between Rugby and Watford Jn. The section was devoid of tsr’s unless there was one in operation outside Rugby which John did not notice. The overall time of 35m 49s gives an average of 109mph which is possibly one of the fastest stop to start averages achieved to date, but John reckons there is scope for further improvement. His comments are:- A slow start from Rugby, perhaps the potential of the train was not being fully exploited? Was it the driver or were some traction motors deficient? We entered Kilsby Tunnel 4 minutes 33 seconds from rest, over 30 seconds slower than my best to date. Not much chance of a new record time here I thought. Another unusual feature was that after skilfully observing the Weedon restriction the subsequent restrictions at Bletchley and Linslade were both over braked for. Yet Northchurch was again dismissed with skill. Probably sensing an on time arrival at Watford, trains in front permitting, no attempt was made to regain line speed after Bourne End.
The run concluded with excellent braking for Watford. We left the tunnel without braking, one steady application then brought us to a smooth stand about a coach length short of the platform signal. It may have been a poor start, but it was an unchecked run with a superb finish. My money is on a very experienced driver mastering an under-performing unit.
Table 3 has sections of four runs recorded by David Ashley in February. Run 1 on the 16 05 Euston-Manchester service set the current Fastest Time to Milton Keynes. There was one minor tsr at Hatch End but the time to Willesden Jn seems very slow which may allow an improvement. Compare it with Run2 where almost ten miles were covered in a similar time to passing Willesden Jn in Run 1. Run 2 on the 11 18 Euston-Liverpool service earlier in the day had the incentive of an 11 minute late start to recoup. An unchecked run produced, I think, a rather disappointing 101mph average, despite what appears to be a good start and entry into Nuneaton.
Run 3 has the current Milton Keynes to Euston Fastest Time with good running up to the 125mph limit but again a relatively slow time in from Willesden Jn. Finally Run 4 details the current Nuneaton to Watford Jn Fastest Time. However five checks throughout the course of the journey should allow an improvement on the time.
Table 4 details the running of Class 222 units on the Midland Line. David Adams had an excellent southbound run on the 8 06 from Barnsley, on which 22 minutes of a 39 minute late departure were recovered despite of signal stops on either side of
Milepost 26¼ - 104 - July 2005 TABLE 1 Bedford. The TRAIN/DATE 0745 Birmingham-Euston (1R13) Th 21-Apr-05 Loughborough to UNIT/LOAD E/F 390022, 462/485 8/9 Wellinborough and RECORDER David Adams Luton to St Pancras sections are included. Miles Location m s mph ave (2 The earlier Derby to 0.00 Birmingham I’nal dep 0.00 LATE) Long Eaton and Long 0.72 MP 104 1.16 66½ 34.1 Eaton to 1.92 Hampton in Arden 2.10 96/100 80.0 Loughborough 5.22 Berkswell 4.11 98 98.2 sections were 7.13 Tile Hill 5.21 99/101 98.2 excellent only 9 and 2 9.20 Canley 6.35 99 100.7 seconds outside the 10.71 COVENTRY 7.39 82* 84.9 current Fastest Times. 11.91 Humber Road Jnc. 8.28 94 88.2 David did not 14.04 Brandon Ballast Pit 9.45 101/98 99.6 comment on the 15.62 Brandon 10.42 101 99.8 drivers performance 20.69 MP 84 14.40 38* Sigs. 76.7 but did note that one 22.21 RUGBY 16.37 68/75*/9 0 46.8 power car was not 24.41 Hillmorton 18.21 88* 75.8 working following the arrival at St Pancras. 26.55 Kilsby Tunnel North 19.55 78* TSR 82.0 There is therefore the 27.91 Kilsby Tunnel South 20.57 82 79.0 possibility of slightly 29.46 Welton 21.59 103/106 90.0 faster accelerations 32.71 Whilton Marina 23.58 83* TSR 98.3 away from each 34.92 Weedon Jnc. 25.18 117 100.8 station stop. 37.40 Heyford 26.31 125/123 122.3 - David Ashley has also 40.17 Banbury Lane 27.53 125 124.2 ¦ been visiting the line 41.86 Blisworth 28.42 123 124.1 ¦ with two northbound 44.90 Roade 30.12 123 123.2 122.6 Fastest Times 47.98 Hanslope Jnc. 31.42 123/121 123.2 ¦ between St Pancras 49.88 Castlethorpe 32.38 123 122.1 ¦ and Bedford. Running 52.32 Wolverton 33.49 124 123.7 - up to the line limits but 54.91 MILTON KEYNES 35.07 115* Sigs. 119.5 David’s comments are 58.08 Bletchley 36.51 102* Sigs. 109.7 that the main saving in 60.23 Stoke Hammond 37.57 117/58* TSR 117.2 time over the HST’s is achieved by the faster 64.57 Leighton Buzzard 41.21 97 76.9 acceleration of the 68.62 Cheddington 43.34 118 109.6 Class 222 units. 70.75 Tring Cutting 44.36 125/120 123.7 - 73.03 Tring 45.44 121 120.7 ¦ Northchurch Tunnel Table 5 has to 75.58 Nth 46.59 123 122.4 ¦ examples of the Class 76.82 Berkhamsted 47.35 124 124.0 123 180 Adelante Units on 78.42 Bourne End 48.21 125/120 125.2 ¦ the Berksire and 80.23 Hemel Hempstead 49.14 123 122.9 ¦ Hants line. The first 81.65 Apsley 49.55 125 124.7 - run is again recorded by David Adams and 83.78 Kings Langley 50.59 112*/101 * TSR 119.8 achieved four 85.23 Watford Tunnel North 51.48 110* 106.5 consecutive Fastest 87.31 WATFORD JNC. 52.56 110* 110.1 Times between 88.73 Bushey 53.43 108> 108.8 Pewsey and Theale. 90.02 Carpenders Park 54.23 121 116.1 - These seemed to 91.46 Hatch End 55.05 125 123.4 ¦ have been achieved 93.35 Harrow & W 56.00 123 123.7 122.9 by braking by the 95.31 South Kenton 56.58 121 121.7 - driver. 96.73 Wembley 57.43 110* 113.6
Milepost 26¼ - 105 - July 2005 David’s comments are:- The 180 log (I
99.21 Willesden Jnc. 59.16 86* 98.1 have only shown 101.73 Kilburn High Road 61.05 79* 83.2 details from 103.67 Camden 63.23 40* 50.6 Westbury includes 4 104.68 EUSTON (P 4) 66.03 5 early 22.7 consecutive FT's due to a very rare display (almost as rare as a Voyager with all Table 2 engines running!) of Date Wednesday 6th October 2004 confident braking Train 05.10 Lancaster – London Euston which was judged to Loco, load hp/ton 390040, 9/469/507 13.7hp/ton perfection at every Recorder, position, weather J Rishton, 1/9 no wind stop. The most Miles mm:cc Location WTT mm:ss Av. Av. Mph Mph impressive statistic from was the 75.6 mph Rugby 0.00 82 39 Rugby 0 00:00 r/t 0.00 average start to stop 0 speed over the 8.29 4.32 78 13 Kilsby Tunnel north 04:34 57 56.75 miles from Thatcham 7.23 75 20 Welton 06:06 114 71.11 to Theale. The 12.70 69 63 Weedon Junction 9 08:48 122 86.59 slightly slower 14.91 67 46 Heyford 09:53 122 90.52 approach necessary 17.95 64 43 Banbury Lane 11:23 122 94.61 at Newbury still 19.63 62 68 Blisworth 12:12 123 96.54 resulted in a start to 25.76 56 58 Hanslope Junction 15 15:12 123 101.68 stop average of 72 30.10 52 33 Wolverton 17:17 125 104.50 mph from Hungerford 32.68 59 66 Milton Keynes Central 18 18:32 124 105.80 and from Pewsey to 35.86 46 52 Bletchley 20 20:16 110 106.16 the latter the average 40.26 42 20 Chelmscote 22:30 118 107.36 was 75.0 mph. The short 3.5 mile hop 42.35 40 13 Leighton Buzzard 23:39 109 107.44 from Newbury to 44.18 38 26 Grove Lane o/b 24:35 118 107.83 Thatcham produced 45.28 37 19 Ledburn new Junction 24 25:07 124 108.17 an average of 53.8 46.40 36 09 Cheddington 25:40 122 108.47 mph. For a 50.81 31 56 Tring 27 27:47 125 109.73 comparison with 54.60 27 73 Berkhamsted 29:42 119 110.30 other short hops my 56.20 26 25 Bourne End 30 30:33 113 110.38 fastest run with a 58.01 24 40 Hemel Hempstead 31:28 118 110.61 class 323, which has 59.42 23 07 Apsley 32:11 118 110.78 faster acceleration, 61.56 20 76 Kings Langley 33:16 119 111.03 over the 3.34 miles 65.07 17 35 Watford Junction 36 35:49 83 109.01 from Berkswell to Hampton in Arden
(mostly 1 in 300
down) produced a
start to stop average
of 58.7 mph.
Run 2 has another Adelante record running west from Westbury, recorded by John Heaton. John’s comments and notes relating to the current Mileage Chart are included:- Thought I would submit this one as an all comers record. Almost legal, just 1mph over on two occasions, but probably just enough to clip the 2 seconds off the hst record. The braking of the Adelante had been poor from Reading to Pewsey but matters picked up beyond with three 180 records, including this one, and two others only 12 sec out when added together.
Milepost 26¼ - 106 - July 2005
TABLE 3 Run No. 1 2 3 4 Date/day Wed 16-Feb-05 Wed 16-Feb-05 Fri 11-Feb-05 Thu 17-Feb-05 Train 16 05 Euston-Manchester 1118 Euston-Liverpool 08 06 Wol'on-Euston 13 15 Liv'l-Euston Motive Power 390 026 390013 390 006 390 023 Load (tons) 9,458/475 9, 458/475 9, 458/485 9,458/475 Weather Sunny cold Sunny cold Cloudy Cloudy,cold Rec/Pos/GPS? D Ashley 7/9 N D Ashley 7/9 N D Ashley 1/9 N D Ashley 3/9 N m s mph m s mph m s mph Run1 0.00 0 04 EUSTON 0 00 P14 – 30 51 5E Time 2.95 3 00 3 4 30 76/83 26 20 80 5.48 5 42 Willesden J 6 17 80 24 38 93 7.95 8 00 Wembley C 7 46 110 23 02 109 11.34 11 31 Harrow 9 36 110 21 20 120 13.23 13 22 Hatch End 10 45 93tsr 20 24 120/124 15.95 16 00 Bushey 12 28 98 19 01 113 17.38 17 34 WATFORD J 13 15 109 18 15 110 47 17 1E 20.93 20 78 King's Langley 15 10 117 16 20 121 44 08 124 23.04 23 07 Apsley 16 14 123 15 19 124/125 43 07 124/125 24.45 24 40 Hemel Hempstead 16 56 120 14 38 125 42 25 120 27.86 27 73 Berkhamsted 18 37 122 13 01 126/127 40 33 81tsr 31.65 31 56 Tring 20 29 122/124 11 12 116 38 20 120 36.06 36 09 Cheddington 22 42 114 8 30 83tsr/107 36 10 122/124 40.11 40 13 L Buzzard 24 46 121 6 22 115 34 03 110 42.20 42 20 42.25 25 48 122 5 14 112/108 32 55 107 46.60 46 52 Bletchley 27 57 123 2 57 103/124 30 27 104 49.78 49 66 MILTON KEYNES 30 29 Run 2 0 00 Run 3 49.78 49 66 MILTON KEYNES 0 00 11 Late 28 39 119 52.36 52 33 Wolverton 2 33 88 27 11 103tsr 54.70 54 60 Castlethorpe 3 50 122/106 25 52 103tsr/1 08 56.45 56 40 Hanslope J 4 45 110 25 00 124 59.76 59 65 Roade 6 25 122 23 22 108 62.80 62 68 Blisworth 7 54 124 21 03 64tsr 64.49 64 43 Banbury Lane 8 43 124/90 20 02 123 66.95 67 00 67 10 08 94/120 18 50 123 69.74 69 63 Weedon 11 33 115/80 17 28 110 75.20 75 20 Welton 15 02 109/111 14 19 127/82ts r 78.11 78 13 Kilsby Tnnl N 16 37 110 12 47 108 80.25 80 24 Hilmorton 17 43 118 11 34 93 82.45 82 40 RUGBY 19 17 74 9 53 60sigs 87.95 88 00 Brinklow 22 45 124 6 10 116 89.45 89 40 89.5 23 29 122/124 5 25 125/112 91.31 91 29 Shilton 24 23 123/122 4 31 124 93.45 93 40 Bulkington 25 26 125 3 26 112 97.00 97 04 NUNEATON 27 58 Run 2 0 00 Run 4
Milepost 26¼ - 107 - July 2005 TABLE 4 1 2 3 Date Sat 12-03-05 Sat 22-Jan-05 Sat 22-Jan-05 Train 0806 Barnsley 1020 Derby 1030 St P-Derby Unit 222011 - one engine out 222012 222016 Load, e/f position 4,193/205, 3/4 D Adams 4, 186/200, 2/4 D Ashley 4, 186/200 2/4 D Ashley Miles m c M.S. MPH M.S. MPH 0.00 111 46 LOUGHBOROUGH 0.00 RUN 1 1.56 110 00 MP 110 1.49 83 2.96 108 59 Barrow upon S 2.42 99* 4.97 106 60 Sileby 3.50 111 7.80 103 60 Syston 5.21 112 9.56 102 00 MP 102 6.18 111 12.50 99 07 LEICESTER 9.09 0.00 Plat 3 0.00 (24L) 2.09 97 00 MP 97 2.56 80*/79* 3.06 96 03 Wigston N. Jnc. 3.40 80* 3.64 95 36 Wigston Magna 4.05 87/100/96 7.55 91 42 Great Glen 6.35 97 9.41 89 54 Kibworth North 7.45 94/106 12.59 86 40 East Langton 9.37 100 16.15 82 75 MARKET HARBOROUG 12.37 4.44 78 42 Desborough Nort 3.41 94 7.94 75 00 Glendon North Jn 5.49 101 10.94 73 00 KETTERING 8.35 2.65 70 28 Burton Latimer 2.26 100/103 3.82 68 14 Finedon 3.08 98/101 6.94 66 06 WELLINGBOROUGH 5.41 0.00 49 70 BEDFORD 0 00 RUN 2 3.73 46 12 Houghton Conquest 4 05 99 6.13 43 60 Milbrook 5 26 109/102 9.68 40 16 Flitwick 7 30 109 12.63 37 20 Harlington 9 07 109 14 19 35 55 Sundon 9 58 110 17.10 32 62 Leagrave 11 34 110 19.63 30 20 LUTON 13 02 76 20.65 29 17 LUTON AIRPORT PKWY 14 20 0.00 0.00 (22L) 19 31 RUN 3 1.95 27 20 Chiltern Green 2.22 85 17 31 102 4.59 24 51 Harpenden 4.03 103/111 16.09 103/106 6.21 23 00 Milepost 5.14 109 15.14 109 9.31 19 72 ST ALBANS 6.43 99*/110 13 26 96 11.96 18 20 Napsbury 107 12 27 102 14.00 15 17 Radlett 9.25 110/108 10 48 112 16.78 12 36 Elstree & B 10.55 112/100* 9 17 101 19.88 9 28 Mill Hill 12.41 112 7 34 110/111 22.23 7 00 Hendon 14.00 105*/109 6 17 104 24.15 5 08 Cricklewood 15.05 96* 5 10 102 25.31 3 73 West Hampstead 15.54 82* 4 16 79 27.69 1 43 Kentish Town 17.47 66* 2 28 69 29.07 0 15 ST PANCRAS 20.44 (17L) 0 00
Milepost 26¼ - 108 - July 2005 TABLE 5 Run 1 2 Date We 09-Mar-05 20-May-05 Train 1156 Exeter-Paddgton 1635 Paddington-Exeter Unit 180104 180103 Load e/f 5, 260/270 5, 260 Recorder/position D Adams 1/5 J Heaton
Miles Location M.S. MPH Miles M C Location Sch M S MPH
0.00 PEWSEY 0.00 0.00 109 63 Westbury d 0.00 0 00 (2.5L) 2.70 Wootton Rivers 2.44 97/101 2.41 111 16 Fairwood Jn 2.50 2 29 39 5.09 Savernake 4.18 83* 4.71 114 40 Clink Road Jn 5.50 5 10 93/100 6.60 Grafton Curve 5.27 68* 6.69 116 53 Blatchbridge J 6.50 6 24 99/100 8.78 Bedwyn 7.05 101 9.14 121 09 Witham 9 06 90/89 9.93 Little Bedwyn 7.46 99 12.67 122 52 Brewham 10 08 90/85 13.67 HUNGERFORD 10.56 16.14 126 09 Bruton 12 27 97/101 0.00 0.00 90/89* 19.57 129 44 Castle Cary a 15.00 15 16 3.13 Kintbury 2.49 91 5.53 Hamstead 4.13 111 8.50 NEWBURY 7.05 0.00 0.00 0.69 Newbury Racecourse 1.14 60 2.57 MP 50½ 2.41 93 3.50 THATCHAM 3.54 0.00 0.00 96 2.82 Midgham 2.43 95* 4.76 Aldermaston 3.53 100 6.09 Ufton Crossing 4.41 98 8.29 THEALE 6.35
Table 6 Run 1 Run 2 Loco 390049 390 035 Load* 9/458/470 9/458/475 Train 18.35 Euston to Man 'ter. 07 05 Euston-Manchester Date 25-May-05 Th 17.02.05 Weather Fine Cloudy, cold Rec/Pos/gps J. Heaton D Ashley 7/9 N M. Chns Dec. Mls Timing Point Sch. Min. Sec. Average Min. Sec. mph 0 04 0.00 Euston d. 0 0 00 T Pfm 12 2 33 2.36 South Hampstead 3 48 37.3 3 55 3.64 Queens Park 4 50 74.0 5 20 5.20 West London Jct. 6 5 56 85.2 8 04 8.00 Wembley Central 7½ 7 38 98.8 9 34 9.38 South Kenton 8 20 117.9 11 31 11.34 Harrow and W. 9½ 9 14 130.8 14 57 14.66 Carpenders Park 10 56 117.4 17 34 17.38 Watford Jct. 13 12 22 113.5 0 00 1L 20 76 20.90 King's Langley 14 14 113.3 3 12 109 23 07 23.04 Apsley 15 18 120.2 4 17 120 24 39 24.44 Hemel Hempstead 15 57 129.2 4 59 123/118
Milepost 26¼ - 109 - July 2005 M. Chns Dec. Mls Timing Point Sch. Min. Sec. Average Min. Sec. mph 26 25 26.26 Bourne End 16 50 124.0 27 73 27.86 Berkhamsted 17 35 128.0 6 41 125 31 56 31.65 Tring 20 19 23 126.3 8 31 124 36 09 36.06 Cheddington 21 29 126.1 10 43 109 37 24 37.25 Ledburn Jct. 22½ 22 04 122.1 40 13 40.11 Leighton Buzzard 23 29 121.2 12 49 120 46 52 46.60 Bletchley 27 26 35 125.6 16 01 121 49 66 49.78 Milton Keynes C. 28½ 28 14 115.5 17 33 124 52 33 52.36 Wolverton 29 28 125.9 18 50 121/123 52 78 52.93 52 76 52.93 56 58 56.70 Hanslope Jct. 31½ 31 37 121.0 21 00 90tsr 62 68 62.83 Blisworth 34 33 125.3 24 06 123 64 43 64.51 Banbury Lane 35 23 121.5 24 56 122 68 32 68.38 Stowe Hill TNP 37 22 116.8 96tsr/116 76 64 76.78 Kilsby TSP [3] 41 50 112.8 78tsr/111 78 13 78.14 Kilsby TNP 42 35 109.0 33 06 109 80 24 80.28 Hillmorton 43 43 113.2 34 15 119 82 40 82.48 Rugby 49 45 23 79.2 35 55 63/50 sigs <1> 88 00 87.97 Brinklow 41 05 106sigs 91 29 91.34 Shilton 42 59 111sigs 93 45 93.54 Bulkington 44 03 121 97 04 97.03 Nuneaton 59 53 36 106.2 45 52 99 99 36 99.43 Hartshill S. 55 00 102.9 47 21 109/113 102 23 102.26 Atherstone 56 32 111.0 49 02 78tsr 106 39 106.46 Polesworth 58 41 117.2 51 45 114/122 110 00 109.98 Tamworth 65½ 60 32 113.9 53 33 103/122 113 41 113.49 Hademore 62 21 116.0 55 24 121/96 116 20 116.23 Lichfield Trent V. 68½ 63 50 110.7 56 57 98 121 51 121.61 Armitage Jct. 71 66 36 116.8 59 15 122 124 21 124.24 Rugeley [2] 68 01 111.2 61 15 108 127 09 127.09 Colwich 76½ 70 07 81.4 63 36 40* 38 59 35 20 130.58 Hixon [1] 73 14 s'g 67.1 66 47 96 31 53 134.17 Sandon 68 45 122 27 08 138.73 Stone 85 78 56 s'g 85.8 71 17 75 23 76 141.88 Wedgwood 81 22 s'g 77.7 110 19 77 145.86 Stoke a. 90 86 13 49.3 77 14 * Vehicles/tare/gross tonnes WTT times applied until 11/12/04 but believed to be accurate at time of run
I note that the mileage chart I have seems to state that East Somerset Jct to Brewham westbound is 100mph whereas it is 90mph from MP121 to 125m 42c (except for an 85mph limit for non-HSTs from 125m 10c to 125m 42c). In the up direction 90mph applies from 125m 42c to MP 123m 40c as implied in the chart (although it does not mention the 125m 42c marker board), The only change necessary to the current chart is the alteration of 100mph to 90mph westbound only at Brewham, although matters would be clearer if MP 121 90/100, 121m 10c 85/90 HST differential) and 125m 42c markers were to be added on re- issue. As it stands, or with only Brewham westbound altered, one would miss the fact that the westbound climb to Brewham is limited to 90mph. The Adelante observed the 85mph limit on this run as it is not an HST!
Milepost 26¼ - 110 - July 2005
Finally Table 6 details a recent Euston to Stoke Fastest Time recorded by John Heaton and a Watford Jn to Stoke offering from David Ashley. John did not record any speeds but the averages suggest that speeds were up to and slightly above the 125mph limit in places. The run was unchecked until after Colwich, taking almost 3 minutes longer over the final 18 miles than David’s time. There is therefore scope for improvement and possibly also a tightening of the WTT schedule which John notes as being that which applied until mid December 2004. The respective comments from John and David were:- Timed the attached the other night, Had forgotten my reading glasses so minimal times taken. Typical to get such a good run, c 5E. Net 84min? and (Run 2)the run was affected by 5 tsrs between Watford Junction and Stoke, and suffered signal checks between Rugby and Nuneaton, until a Freightliner could be diverted to the slow line, but in spite of this, and slow acceleration following the Atherstone tsr, a punctual arrival was achieved at Stoke.
My thanks to the two John’s and David’s for their offerings. As always new Fastest Times are gratefully received by any form of communication, as without them this article would not feature in Milepost. Records away from the principal main lines are particularly welcome.
NEWS ALERT: CHILTERN ROVER (http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/)
Members interested in retracing David Adams’ steps on the Chiltern Line, may be interested in a new Chiltern Rover ticket. It costs £39 for any three days in seven, is valid on all Chiltern Trains but is not valid before 0915 on Mondays to Fridays (except 0854 from Marylebone to Stratford upon Avon). Strangely, it is can only be purchased at Marylebone. It is also valid on Stagecoach buses in Warwickshire.
Gerrard’s Cross - and Tesco’s not very happy either
The tunnel collapse at Gerrards Cross may cost Tesco or its contractor (or insurer) millions in compensation to Chiltern caused by the disruption and diversion of its services. It may be wise to postpone journeys until the line is restored and trains are running normally.
Milepost 26¼ - 111 - July 2005 "A WONDERFUL SERVICE" ?
K.R. Phillips and R. Townsin.
In a Railway Magazine in the spring of 1957 a review of the summer schedules of British Railways appeared by the author 'Mercury', this being the pseudonym used by Cecil J. Allen. Allen's article mainly praised the accelerations and additional trains that were to be introduced on the 17th June on the St. Pancras main line. He wrote ...
"Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield are all given a wonderful service once again, and the whole is indeed a Midland renaissance which gives the keenest pleasure to all those whose memories go back to the Midland Railway in its heyday".
Equally ecstatic was his comment that ...
"The collection of Midland Division runs is really most remarkable, and even more astonishing than the timings of some of the longer runs are those between certain towns at no great distance apart".
The trains that many recorders noted were in the main the longer non-stop runs, St. Pancras to Kettering, Leicester and Nottingham. Also on the Down line a great favourite was 'The Palatine', which stopped at Luton and Wellingborough. Other short sections on the Down line were noted in magazine articles, and included Luton to Bedford, Kettering to Leicester and Leicester to Trent. The Up main line mainly featured logs recorded on the Leicester to London non-stops. Curiously, there were virtually no details printed of performances by the Class 5s, Jubilees, Royal Scots and Britannias on trains that had intermediate stops between Derby and St. Pancras.
Table 1. Most of these trains were allowed one Date 29th July 1959 minute to stop and two minutes to start. Engine: Britannia 70021 Morning Star The one minute stopping time was Load Coaches/Tons: 9/313/335 adequate but the two minutes to start from Recorder: R. Townsin. Kettering, Wellingborough and Bedford Miles Sch m s were not. Many of these short distance 0.0 Derby 0 - runs made very little allowance for signal 2.1 Spondon 5.10 56 checks and permanent way checks, this is 6.9 Sawley 74 perhaps why there was a dearth of these 9.2 Trent Junc 11.18 56 logs in the magazines of the late 1950s 12.1 Kegworth 14.08 65 and early 1960s. Out of course checks 14.1 Hathern 15 15.50 74 were far too common during the last years 16.9 Loughborough 18 18.08 73 of steam on the Midland main line.
19.6 Barrow on Soar 20.20 72
24.7 Syston 24.33 75/78 29.4 Leicester 31 29.07 -
Milepost 26¼ - 112 - July 2005 On rare occasions it was possible to note an unchecked run, or one where the check was not very severe, but in general on many of these short distance runs any hindrance to speed costing more than a minute would result in the non-observance of the schedule.
The Britannia 70021 when built was allocated to the Western Region, which accounts for the name 'Morning Star', this name was carried for over 40 years by Star Class No. 4004, one of Churchwood's revolutionary 4-6-0s, until it was withdrawn from service in 1948.
70021 was noted on 'The Palatine', this train in the public Passenger Timetable was allowed 32 minutes from Derby to Leicester, the Working Timetable allocated it one minute less at 31 minutes, which was reasonable, but not over generous for the 29.4 miles.
The gradients from Derby to Sawley were favourable and averaged about 1-600, but from Sawley to Leicester the gradient was either level or 1-500 against. There was also a service slack to 60 mph at Trent Junction and another to 15 mph over the final 400 yards before the Leicester stop.
'The Palatine' departed Derby one minute late, touched 74 mph at Sawley and observed the Trent restriction, although only 56 mph at this point 70021 averaged over 70 mph from Trent to Syston, and attained 78 mph on the level section after that station, arriving in Leicester one minute early.
'Morning Star' was one of six Britannias at Trafford Park, Manchester, at this period. Also, at this motive power depot were Class 7P rebuilt Patriot 4-6-0 45530 and Royal Scot 46122.
At the southern end of the Midland Division Kentish Town M.P.D. had four more Royal Scots. These 12 engines were supposedly replacements for the 6P Jubilees between St. Pancras and Manchester Central so it was surprising to find the Kentish Town Jubilee 45585 'Hyderabad' on the 8.55 a.m. from Manchester Central to London on the 25th May 1959. When C.J. Allen reviewed the 1957 timetable this train was non-stop between Leicester and St. Pancras, in 1959 a further stop was inserted at Wellingborough.
The train was on a 'Special Limit' schedule and a Jubilee was allowed to haul 350 tons tare, the faster 'XL' schedules being limited to 300 tons tare. The 8.55 a.m. usually had a heavy restaurant car in its make up which was why it was allocated extra time beyond milepost 59¾ though the sectional times for 'Special Limit' and 'XL' were identical between Leicester and Wellingborough.
The time of 38 minutes for the 34.1 miles from Leicester to Wellingborough might not appear very onerous but in 1959 it was not all that generous bearing in mind that the service slacks over this section were 40 mph at Wigston North, 50 mph through Market Harborough and 70 mph from Kettering North to milepost 70, a distance of 2½ miles. Uphill gradients included the majority of the distance from Wigston to Kibworth North, which included a 1-161 over the final mile before the signal box, and the 4½ miles of 1-133 between Market Harborough and Desborough North.
Milepost 26¼ - 113 - July 2005 The train was 13 minutes late Table 2. leaving Leicester and Date: 29th May 1959 encountered a signal check to Engine: Jubilee 45585 Hyderabad 30 mph before Wigston North. Load Coaches/Tons: 9/312/335 After a maximum of 73 mph at Recorder: K.R. Phillips East Langton the 50 mph Miles Sch m .s speed restriction at Market 0.0 Leicester 0 0.00 - Harborough was exceeded by 7 sigs 30 mph, where the train was over 3.7 Wigston 7.18 42 14 minutes late. Nearly a
7.6 Great Glen 12.08 55 minute was regained to
9.4 Kibworth North 14.08 53 Kettering, and a fast finish
12.8 East Langton 17.18 73 between there and
16.2 Market 19 20.22 57 Wellingborough recovered Harborough another minute. The time of 20.7 Desborough 25.39 46 only 5 minutes 58 seconds for North 24.5 Glendon South 29.22 71 the last 7 miles, pass to stop,
27.1 Kettering 31 31.31 74 was unusually fast, the maximum of 80 mph after 30.9 Finedon 34.28 78/80 Finedon was also notable. 34.1 Wellingborough 38 37.29 -
This train was allowed 67 minutes for the 65 miles from Wellingborough to St. Pancras, 'Hyderabad's' net time over this section was 62 minutes. The actual time was 70 minutes 12 seconds because four well spaced checks hindered progress. The 8.55 a.m. from Manchester arrived 16 minutes late in London. Driver Snell and Fireman Ross of Kentish Town were the crew.
Twelve days after this run 45585 was taken out of traffic for attention at Crewe Works. Its mileage since the previous repair at Crewe was 81,300, and an estimate of the mileage run at the date of the run can be found in Table 7.
Another Kentish Town Jubilee was noted on the 12.00 mid-day Bradford to St. Pancras express in July 1957.
Table 3. Driver Hitchins of Kentish Town depot Date: 29th July 1957 was in charge of 45557 New Engine: Jubilee 45557 New Brunswick Brunswick, which had emerged from Load Crewe Works after a 'Heavy General' Coaches/Tons: 9,301/320 repair on the 11th January 1957. In Recorder: T. Pearson. just over 6½ months the engine had Miles Sch m s Speed accumulated nearly 42,000 miles to its 0.0 Kettering 0 0.00 - credit and had averaged 207 miles for 3.8 Finedon 5.32 62 every day since January. 7.0 Wellingborough 8 8.30 68/71 9.3 Irchester 10.30 68 The train departed Kettering on time, 12.2 Milepost 59¾ 14 13.25 54 attained 71 mph before Welling- 15.4 Sharnbrook 16.12 80/84 borough, then averaged 64 mph from 19.0 Oakley 19 18.56 74/76 there to milepost 59¾, with a minimum 22.2 Bedford 23 22.22 - speed of 54 mph after nearly three miles of 1-120 against on Irchester
bank. A maximum speed of 84 mph was recorded at milepost 55 and even time from the
Milepost 26¼ - 114 - July 2005 Kettering start was attained by Oakley, 19 miles in 18 minutes 56 seconds, a gain of four seconds on the schedule. Even with 54 mph at milepost 59¾ and 84 mph maximum down Sharnbrook bank 45557 lost time between the summit and Oakley, but the St. Pancras bound train arrived early in Bedford on this 'XL' schedule.
Table 4. The Class 5 44861 was at the head of the 8.20 Engine: Class 5 44861 a.m. Nottingham to St. Pancras, this was a Load Coaches/Tons: 9/283/305 semi-fast train, but from Kettering it was given Recorder: N.E. Rimes. a 'Special Limit' schedule and was due in Miles Sch m s Speed London nine minutes before the 7.25 a.m. 0.0 Wellingborough 0 0.00 - from Manchester. 44861 was built in January 2.3 Irchester 4.16 47 1945 and until November 1964 was allocated 5.2 Milepost 59¾ 8 8.10 43 to Nottingham Midland M.P.D. 8.4 Sharnbrook 11.01 81/89 12.0 Oakley 14 13.35 78 At Wellingborough the Nottingham crew were sigs 30 relieved by Kentish Town men. The average speed demanded by the timetable of just over 15.2 Bedford 18 17.58 -
50 mph from Wellingborough to Bedford might not appear very demanding but the time of eight minutes from Wellingborough to milepost 59¾ left little scope for time recovery, and neither did the six minutes from there to Oakley.
The Class 5 lost time on the initial 5.2 miles, even though the speed of 43 mph was reasonably good, the maximum speed of 89 mph at milepost 55 was notable for any engine on nine coaches starting from Wellingborough let alone a 5MT, and but for the signal check before Bedford there would have been a gain of a minute on the not very generous time from Wellingborough. The engine averaged over 84 mph from Sharnbrook to Oakley, this included water troughs, it is obvious that the 75 mph restriction laid down in the Sectional Appendix at this point was ignored.
The starts of 45557 from Kettering and 44861 from Wellingborough were allowed two minutes. If the log of 45585 on the Manchester to St. Pancras train is examined it will be noted that the time taken from Kettering to Finedon is under three minutes, 45557 starting from Kettering was over 5½ minutes. Due to the higher speed of Hyderabad at Finedon it is probable that the train from Kettering should have had three minutes allowed to start from the Northamptonshire town.
Driver Hitchins with 45557 covered the 8.4 miles from Wellingborough to Sharnbrook Station in 7 minutes 42 seconds, 44861 starting from Wellingborough took 11 minutes. Again, the two minute starting allowance was not adequate.
On the 11th April 1958 73030 departed Bedford 3 minutes late, the crew were Driver Handy and Fireman Lees of Kentish Town depot.
The 22 minutes allowed from Bedford to passing Luton was rarely observed, but the B.R. Class 5 took only 20 minutes 25 seconds for the 19.6 miles. The minimum speed of 63 mph at milepost 34 would have been considered excellent for an express passing Bedford in the high 70s or even 80 mph. To start from the County town and surmount the lengthy 1 – 200 uphill gradients at this speed was work of the highest order. On to Hendon the speeds were rather more mundane but another 1½ minutes was regained and the train was on time. A permanent way slack to 32 mph was encountered at West Hampstead, a rapid recovery followed and 73030 with its 9 coach train arrived in St. Pancras 44 seconds early. The actual time of 48 minutes 16 seconds and 47½ minutes net from Bedford to London were not
Milepost 26¼ - 115 - July 2005 without merit.
Table 5. It will be noted that the four logs detailed between Derby and Bedford Date: 11th April 1958 had only two slight signal checks Engine BR Class 5 73030 between them. This gives a misleading Load Coaches/Tons: 9/281/300 impression of conditions on the St. Recorder: K.R. Phillips Pancras line between 1957 and 1961. Miles Sch m s speed The final two logs probably give a more 0.0 Bedford 0 0 00 - accurate impression of conditions on 3.2 Wilshamstead 5 02 58 the ex Midland main line during this 4.8 Milepost 45 8 6 39 60 period regarding permanent way and 8.0 Ampthill 9 54 58/65 signal checks. 12.5 Harlington 14 14 08 64/63 17.0 Leagrave 18 14 68 In the summer 1957 Working Timetable 19.6 Luton 22 20 25 73/68 four 30 minute schedules appeared 22.5 Chiltern Green 22 52 73 from Luton to St. Pancras for the 30.2 25.2 Harpenden 25 07 70/68 miles, at an average of 60.4 mph start 29.9 St. Albans 32 29 08 75/77 to stop. The first timed passing point 34.6 Radlett 32 51 74 was Hendon at 23.3 miles from Luton in 37.4 Elstree 35 20 62 21 minutes, a ‘council of perfection’ that 40.5 Mill Hill 38 00 74 was rarely observed, which was understandable considering only one 42.9 Hendon 43 39 58 73 minute was allowed these ‘XL’ pws 32 scheduled trains to depart from Luton. 45.9 West Hampstead 43 11 - 48.3 Kentish Town 49 45 52 60 45607 was from Millhouses, Sheffield 49.8 St. Pancras 52 48 16 - M.P.D. and worked by Leicester men. It was at the head of the 8.30 a.m. from Table 6. Sheffield to St. Pancras, and was nearly seven minutes late leaving Luton due to Date: 10th July 1958 signal checks and a stand between Engine: B.R. Class 5 45607 Fiji Leicester and Wellingborough. A fast Load Coaches/Tons: 9/300/320 start was made from Luton and with Recorder: B. Howell speeds of 70 mph at Harpenden and 85 Miles Sch m s speed mph at milepost 17 even time was 0.0 Luton 0 0 00 - attained by Radlett, 15.0 miles in 14 2.9 Chiltern Green 4 45 61 minutes 40 seconds. The rest was an 5.6 Harpenden 7 13 70 anticlimax, a relaying slack at Elstree to 10.3 St. Albans 11 10 74/85 26 mph and a signal check after Kentish 15.0 Radlett 14 40 83 Town to 30 mph caused the 8.30 a.m. pws 26 to be nearly 10 minutes late in London. 17.8 Elstree 17 48 - The net time from Luton was probably 20.9 Mill Hill 21 12 67 under 29 minutes. Allowing for 45607's 23.3 Hendon 21 23 16 73 checks between Leicester and London, 26.3 West Hampstead 26 07 60 also for stopping and starting at Luton, 28.7 Kentish Town 27 28 35 58 the net time for the 99.1 miles from sigs 30 Leicester to St. Pancras was about 89 30.2 St. Pancras 30 31 46 - minutes !
Milepost 26¼ - 116 - July 2005 By the summer of 1961, main line diesels had in the main replaced the steam engine on these 'wonderful' services and it was possible to discern if C.J. Allen's pre-timetable enthusiasm had been justified. In general the verdict might be yes, especially by regular recorders of locomotive performance, who, even if the train they were recording was not punctual, would be satisfied with a net time less than the schedule.
Table 7. Depot Highest Ann Total Known Engine Est. Mileage At Run Miles Mileage at Date Withdrawn Since Shops Date 1950s w/e at Run Date. 45585 Kentish Town 61,418 1,329,579 27.2.61 9. 5.64 79,370 29. 5.59 45557 Kentish Town 67,614 1,579,793 31.12.60 19. 9 64 41,250 29. 7.57 45607 Millhouses 56,500 1,370,839 12, 8,60 1.12.62 37,400 10. 7.58 Detail supplied by R. Townsin.
Steam in the North West 1967 1L27 SO 11.55 London Euston to Carlisle Sandy Smeaton
The germ for this short article came from a chance discussion with a colleague which veered onto that final orgy of steam over the Westmoreland Fells in the summer of 1967. Another look at the few good runs I timed that summer lead to the surprising discovery that a run with 44876 on the SO 11.55 Euston-Carlisle qualified for the Members’ Fastest Times, Historical Edition. I timed this train on three occasions that summer and using my own logs, supplemented with information from various sources, have presented its performance below.
1L27 ran on Saturdays from 17th June to 26th August. It was steam hauled from Crewe and divided at Oxenholme. The front portion went on to Carlisle and the rear coaches went down the branch to Windermere. The heaviest load appeared to be 11 coaches from Crewe with 6 to Carlisle and 5 to Windermere. The public times from Crewe to Carlisle are given below. The timing was Limited Load according to the WTT.
Schedule from PTT LOCATION Arrive Depart Aver. Speed (m/h) Crewe 13.58 14.07 - Warrington ? 14.37 51 BQ Wigan NW 14.55 15.05 42 Preston 15.29 15.33 38 Lancaster 15.55 15.57 57 Oxenholme 16.20 16.27 50 Penrith 17.13 17.15 36 Carlisle 17.39 - 45
Milepost 26¼ - 117 - July 2005 On the first two weeks of operation, Black 5’s, 44934 and 45089 worked through to Carlisle, the former on time. On the third week of operation, 70016 ‘Ariel’ worked 5 coaches into Carlisle, the sole occasion a Britannia was noted. Nothing of its performance is known.
On 8th July, 45297 with a load of 11 coaches, was delayed at Crewe by a power failure and left 14 late. Signal checks and pw slacks then contributed to a 33 minute late arrival at Wigan. The engine was watered and the 12.05 ex Euston overtook. Nothing greater than 55 was achieved down to Preston, where, after a crew change, departure was 32 late. Another check at Oubeck caused a further loss of 7 minutes to Lancaster. At Carnforth the train was looped where 45297 finally succumbed with a hot box. 44899 came off the shed to re-start 77 late. At Oxenholme 45001 was waiting to work the Windermere portion. There are two reports of the continuation from Oxenholme which were recorded only to the nearest minute. As I’ve no means of verifying their accuracy both sets of times are given. Departure from Oxenholme was 87/88 late, with a 6 coach load. There was a slack at Grayrigg. Tebay to Shap Summit was climbed in 7½ minutes, and Shap station down to Penrith took 10 minutes. The arrival at Carlisle was 74/73 late, a recovery of 13 or 15 minutes. A 92 maximum was claimed by an anonymous enthusiast with a stopwatch. Apparently the driver had said at Oxenholme that he was ‘going for the ton’ down from Shap. The alarming approach to Platform 1 and a stop at its extreme north end is evidence of the exploit. The gain on schedule from Oxenholme to Carlisle was an excellent performance by 44899 and it is great pity that a detailed log has not come to light. It is possible that 45297’s consistent time loss shows that it was being nursed from the start.
The following week, 44680, left Preston at 16.38, 65 late, and dropped another 10m 25s to Lancaster having suffered checks after Brock. Oxenholme was left 88 late with a load of only 4 coaches. This time there was no spirited recovery. The run down from Penrith is shown in Run 1 and was a poor show with a maximum of only 64 after Southwaite.
On 22nd July, 44876 with 6 coaches (Run 2), was 27½ late away from Oxenholme but recovered 14¾ minutes by Carlisle. Grayrigg was climbed in the low 40’s and from a maximum of 68 in the Lune Gorge, the minimum on Shap was an excellent 45. The downhill sections were run fairly fast. The result was a 9¼ minute gain in running time to Penrith and 6¼ minutes to Carlisle. Overall, 14¾ minutes were regained from Oxenholme. This would appear to be a similar performance to that of 44899. The time of 36 mins 47secs from Oxenholme to Penrith is faster than the current historical record for this section.
On 29th July, 44680 was in slightly better fettle. Loaded to 11 coaches, it took 29m 59s from Preston to Lancaster, a loss of 8 minutes on schedule. 44680 just managed 60 at Galgate, showing just what a struggle it must have been. Oxenholme was left 15 late, but 4 minutes were recovered by Carlisle.
On 5th August, 45227 left Crewe 15 late due to congestion at the north end of the station. A further 35 minutes were lost to Oxenholme, the cause not being reported.
The following week however, 44682 gave an astonishing performance, albeit with only 5 coaches. The lateness at Oxenholme was 22½ minutes, providing some incentive to the crew. The ‘Black 5’ accelerated uphill to 54 just before Lambrigg, speed falling only to a minimum of 51 before Grayrigg. The maximum speed in the Lune Gorge before the start of the climb of Shap was 69 and fell to 44½ at Scout Green and 37½ at the Summit. 44682 had passed Tebay in 15m 11s from the Oxenholme
Milepost 26¼ - 118 - July 2005
Run No: 1 2 3 Train: 1L27 S.O. 11.55 London Euston-Carlisle Date: Sat 15.7.67 Sat 22.7.67 Sat 12.8.67 Loco: 44680 5MT 4-6-0 44876 5MT 4-6-0 44682 5MT 4-6-0 Load (tons tare/gross): 4/122/125 6/186/190 5/158/162 Crew: ~ Johnson & Green, Green & ? Crew MPD: ~ Upperby Preston Weather: Dry Warm and dry Dry, then downpour near Southwaite Recorder/Method: A.Smeaton/Speeds:Stopwatch and rail joints Position: 2/5 2/7 2/6
M Ch LOCATION Sch Mn Sc Speeds Mn Sc Speeds Mn Sc Speeds 19 11 OXENHOLME 0 0 00 27½L ~/43 0 00 22½L ~/54 24 20 Lambrigg Box 8 51 42 7 27 53 25 37 Mosedale Hall Xg 10 33 41½ ~ ~ ~ 26 22 Grayrigg Box [4] 11 43 45½ 9 44 51min 28 6 Low Gill Box 13 43 58/68 11 28 65/64/69 32 10 TEBAY 22 17 33 64 15 11 64 35 12 Scout Green 20 36 48 18 25 44½ 37 55 Shap Summit Box 32 23 53 45min 22 21 37½min/60 39 58 SHAP 26 00 69 24 51 pws 22 41 34 Harrison's Siding 27 27 71/67½ ~ ~ ~ 42 76 Thrimby Grange 28 48 67 30 03 64 46 77 Clifton Box 32 19 68 33 45 68 47 78 Eden Valley Jn 33 12 70 34 38 65 51 20 PENRITH 46 0 00 89L~/60½ 36 47 20L 38 13 15L 56 2 Plumpton 6 6 34 52/58 6 06 72/71 5 33 77½/77 58 31 Calthwaite 9 08 55½/50 7 55 78½/81 7 21 81 62 1 Southwaite Box 12 56 62/64 10 40 65½/70½/66½ 10 07 63 64 15 Wreay [5] 15 05 59/pws 20 12 32 71/77 12 30 59/64 67 61 Carlisle No.13 19 00 ~ 15 36 56 16 05 21 69 8 CARLISLE 24 22 17 87L 17 48 12¾L 19 17 9½L
[ ] Denotes recovery time
start, 2m 22s faster than 44876, and was 1m 32s quicker than 44876 to the Summit. Unfortunately a pws between Shap and Harrison’s Siding hindered progress and the time won back by Penrith was 7¾ minutes. Had it not been for the pws this might have been nearer 10 minutes. The run down to Carlisle was vigorous and faster than 44876’s to Southwaite, but an easing past Wreay, probably due to the downpour, and a very slow finish produced a gain of only 4¾ minutes on schedule, when it could have been nearer 7. From Oxenholme 13 minutes had been regained on schedule.
Milepost 26¼ - 119 - July 2005 1L27 - SUMMARY OF LOCOMOTIVE WORKINGS Date Loco Shed Remarks 17/6 44934 Newton Right time at Penrith Heath 24/6 45089 Crewe South ¶ 1/7 70016 Kingmoor 8/7 45297 Crewe South Failed at Carnforth; 44899 Kingmoor Oxenholme 87L; Carlisle 74L ¶ 15/7 44680 Crewe South Departed Oxenholme 88L., Carlisle 87L 22/7 44876 Oxley Carlisle 12¾L 29/7 44680 Crewe South Departed Oxenholme 15L., Carlisle 12L 5/8 45227 Lostock Hall Departed Crewe 15L, arrived Oxenholme 50L. ¶ 12/8 44682 Stoke Carlisle 9¼L 19/8 ? 26/8 44993 Kingmoor Carlisle 8L
¶ Source:- Railway Observer
No information for the penultimate day of operation has been unearthed.
On the last day, 26th August, 44993 with 5 on, left Penrith 15 late and arrived at Carlisle 8 late. The initial start was fast but the engine was eased after Southwaite, despite blowing off furiously.
It can be seen that the performance ranged from desperate to brilliant and sometimes on the same day! This was perhaps untypical of steam operation in 1967, most of which was pedestrian, to be polite. However, despite the three known excellent runs from Oxenholme to Carlisle, the arrival at Oxenholme was invariably late, and on two occasions excessively so. The schedule was not consistent, with some relatively easy stretches, but 22 minutes only for Preston to Lancaster and 23 on to Oxenholme was very tight for a Class 5 loaded to eleven coaches. It was after Oxenholme, with the lighter load and a total of 9 minutes recovery time, that time was clawed back. Nevertheless it is to the credit of some of the crews that they made the effort.
This article has grown continually since its first version, as the more people I spoke to, the more information came to light. If there are any other surviving detailed logs of 1L27 it would be satisfying to complete the picture.
Thanks to Douglas Hume, Steve Leyland, Bevan Price, and WAC Smith for digging out their old notes and to our editor for his patience. The RCTS Observer was also a useful reference.
It has been pointed out that the speeds in Ken Phillips article entitled “The Unexpected” have become misaligned during printing. In Table 2 on Page 42 of Milepost 26, the speed of 50mph at Camden should be at Willesden, and all subsequent speeds should be moved down a row
Milepost 26¼ - 120 - July 2005 A Recorder’s Guide to the SNCF Driving techniques and recovery time
Alan Varley
Not a new subject – but one that remains highly topical, and which still reflects interesting differences between the UK and France. For France has certainly gone further in eliminating or reducing the significance of a number of factors that traditionally made the driver’s life difficult – and the recorder’s experience interesting. With some very rare exceptions on non- electrified lines the power/weight ratios of French trains are now very high, so gradients become almost irrelevant; at the same time there has been a gradual trend towards simplification of speed profiles. Few lines in France present the combined complexity of speed and gradient changes that can be found between, for example, Edinburgh and Aberdeen or Exeter and Penzance. Consequently the importance of interaction between the driver and the road has been reduced, putting the emphasis on interaction between the driver and the schedule. And since a majority of runs recorded in France will not involve sufficient delay to absorb all the recovery time available drivers have a certain amount of latitude as to how they use up the extra time – though scheduling practices and driver training combine to ensure that the option ‘full speed to the next stop and wait time in the station’ is virtually never used! This article will therefore look at some runs in two very different contexts that illustrate these points. First, though, a brief review of SNCF timetabling practices seems relevant. Like most other railways, SNCF uses basic running times calculated by computer and then adds extra time to allow for out-of-course delays. Basic times in France have traditionally been very demanding, supposing smart accelerations, perfect cruising speed and optimum braking. This remains true with one important modification: the SNCF computer seems to be programmed to take the most pessimistic view of line voltage on electrified lines, and perhaps of adhesion conditions. So in practice times from start to line speed are generous, as are some uphill recoveries from slacks, while constant-speed sections require a perfect speedometer for timekeeping, and scheduled approaches to stops are often impossibly tight. On classical infrastructure virtually all trains, including TGVs, have recovery time at a theoretical rate of 4½ minutes per 100 kms (on LGVs recovery is a proportion, 5 to 7% of basic running times). Of these 4½ minutes 2½ are supposed to take care of normal engineering work (large-scale engineering work such as relaying or tunnel relining will be covered by additional margins). That leaves 2 minutes to cover imprecision in running, minor traction problems, etc. – in fact, to compensate for the over-demanding character of the basic times. Normally recovery time is spread out equally along a run, but the timetabler can choose to group margins or add extra time as required for pathing purposes, etc. How does this work out in practice? An interesting example is provided by the 200 km/h trains between Strasbourg and Mulhouse. I covered this line in Milepost 13¼, thirteen years ago, when the TER 200 services between Basel and Strasbourg had just been introduced, and in my recent article on short start-stop runs I included a very fast sprint between Colmar and Sélestat. But a visit to the area earlier this year by Frank Collins provides some interesting up-to date material; I am very grateful to him for his logs and comments In their early days these trains were mostly 5-coach formations and the service was relatively sparse; later the Lyon-Strasbourgs – made up at first of 6 vehicles, sometimes more – were also allowed to run at 200 km/h on this stretch. Now the TER 200 timetable is organized on an hourly, almost clockface, basis and standard load is six vehicles, while the Lyon trains regularly load to ten; their timing load is in fact 500 tonnes. Despite the attempt to approximate a regular-interval service timings of individual trains are quite variable, and
Milepost 26¼ - 121 - July 2005 Table 1
Run 1 1747 Basel-Strasbourg, W 27/04/05, BB 26168, 6/260/275/375, F Collins, 4/7, GPS Yes
Run 2 0859 Lyon-Strasbourg, F 29/04/05, BB 26165, 10/415/435/560, F Collins, 5/11, GPS No
Run 3 1652 Basel-Nancy, F 29/04/05, BB 26163, 7/300/315/420, F Collins, 5/8, GPS No
PK Dist m s Km/h m s Km/h 108.32 00.00 Mulhouse Run 1 2 ½ late Run 3 105.13 03.19 Mulhouse Dornach 3 29½ 133 3 55½ 142 104.00 04.32 Mulhouse Musees 3 57 159 4 22½ 156 102.47 05.85 Lutterbach 4 29½ 179 4 55 182 101.00 07.32 PK 4 58 192 5 24 190 98.80 09.52 Richwiller 5 39½ 197/199 6 04½ 196 95.43 12.89 Wittelsheim 6 41½ 190 7 06½ 196 94.24 14.08 Staffelfelden 7 05 181 7 28 196 90.93 17.39 Bollwiller 10 8 59 8 28½ 198 00.00 11 10 00 89.00 01.93 PK 1 48 125 87.32 03.61 Raedersheim 2 35 139 9 34½ 197 86.00 04.93 PK 3 06½ 159 84.07 06.86 Merxheim 3 45½ 177 10 34 198 82.00 08.93 PK 4 30 161 11 12 197 78.80 12.13 Rouffach 7 6 45 12 10½ 196 00.00 8 7 33 77.00 01.80 PK 1 49½ 124 75.00 03.80 PK 2 38 166 13 20 197 72.46 06.34 Herrlisheim 3 29 197/200 14 06½ 197 69.95 08.85 Eguisheim 4 15½ 185 14 52½ 196 68.00 10.80 PK 4 56½ 160 15 30 184 65.82 12.98 Colmar 8 6 27 18 17 03 00.00 Run 2 RT 19 19 08 64.00 01.82 PK 1 57 118 1 43 133 62.00 03.82 PK 2 48 158 2 30 174 59.31 06.51 Bennwihr 3 42½ 191 3 21½ 198 58.00 07.82 PK 4 06½ 200 3 45½ 197 56.09 09.73 Ostheim 4 41 200 4 20½ 197 52.79 13.03 Ribeauville 5 42 198 5 21 198 48.46 17.36 St Hippolyte 7 10½ 162 6 40 197 46.00 19.82 PK 8 12 125 7 26 190 43.22 22.60 Selestat 11 10 57 11 9 03 00.00 12 12 44 12 10 30 42.00 01.22 PK 1 30 104 1 23 103 40.00 03.22 PK 2 26½ 149 2 15½ 162 38.00 05.22 PK 3 12½ 160 2 57½ 176 36.29 06.93 Ebersheim 3 49½ 170 3 31½ 184 34.00 09.22 PK 4 36 192 4 14½ 197 31.95 11.27 Kogenheim 5 14 202 4 52 197 26.69 16.53 Benfeld 6 49 200 6 27½ 198 22.85 20.37 Matzenheim 7 58½ 198 7 37 200 19.77 23.45 Erstein 8 54 198 8 33½ 198 15.31 27.91 Limmersheim 10 15 199 9 55½ 198 11.83 32.39 Fegersheim 11 18½ 194 10 59 197 08.57 34.65 Geispolsheim 12 23 156 11 58½ 198 05.00 38.22 PK 13 12½ 133 02.60 40.62 Bif. Montagne Verte 15 11 /sigs 14 20½ 01.00 42.22 PK 16 54 /sigs v sev 16 08 Sig stop 00.00 43.22 Strasbourg 20 19 49 19 22 02
Milepost 26¼ - 122 - July 2005 with two stops, at Colmar and Sélestat, overall times over the 106 km from Mulhouse to Strasbourg and vice-versa vary between 51 and 56 minutes (with some dated timings that are even faster and slower). Basic timings appear to be 16½ or 17 each way between Strasbourg and Sélestat, a fairly generous 9/9½ to Colmar, and 17 from Mulhouse to Colmar, slightly – and impossibly – faster the other way. With one-minute station stops this adds up to a basic 45 minutes, or 50 with the standard margin. All regular trains therefore have more than this standard allowance. Tables 1 and 2 present some northbound runs over this stretch. Run 1 is interesting as it makes some unusual intermediate stops; increasing the interest for the recorder as it is of course the accelerations that are the main feature of these runs with their power/weight ratio of around 20 hp/tonne. The driver had a slightly late start to make up but probably 4 minutes recovery spread over the first three sections. Performance was duly maintained at a fraction below maximum; the time to Lutterbach was in line with standard bookings but as explained above these can be generous at the start, cf. run 4 in Table 2, and easing for the less familiar stop at Bollwiller was quite early. The same was true at Rouffach, after a start from Bolwiller that is hampered by a neutral section. The Rouffach start was good but not quite up to the 200 km/h in 200 seconds figure that can be considered as a yardstick for these trains; then power was apparently shut off as soon as line speed was reached and with a brisk final stop the train was a comfortable 30 seconds early in Colmar. Run 3 alongside had one coach more so the start and accelerations were slightly slower but with time to recover the driver ran at virtually full speed and made a standard stop in Colmar, for a scratch time that gained a minute. Run 4 in Table 2 goes back to the period of 5-coach loads, though on this Friday evening one more would have been amply justified. The interest of the run lies in the time out to Lutterbach, showing that as expected the base times can be substantially bettered here. This run was subject to the 100 km/h slack over the old potash mines at Raedersheim that has since been lifted, and to a TSR, so no time was regained, but net time was 16 55 in the then conditions, 16 15 without the Bolwiller slowing. Runs 2, 3 and 5 illustrate widely divergent driving techniques over the short Colmar- Sélestat sprint. Run 2 had a slow 11 minute schedule and a RT start; with its heavier load it accelerated more slowly than the TER 200 trains but maintained full line speed over 3 or 4 kms before making a very restrained approach and using up all the time available. Run 3, also with a slightly heavier-than-standard load, was nevertheless close to the 200/200 standard and with good speeds the driver made another scratch time. Run 5 made an intermediate time but through a blistering start that was however eased just before full speed was reached; a coasting approach was followed by a more normal stop.
250
200
Run 5 150 Run 2 Run 3 100 Run A
50
0 0 5 10 15 20 25
Milepost 26¼ - 123 - July 2005 Table 2
Run 4 1655 Basel-Nancy, F 23/10/98, BB 26224, 5/215/235/325, A Varley, 4/6, GPS No
Run 5 0859 Lyon-Strasbourg, F 29/04/05, BB 26165, 10/415/435/560, F Collins, 5/11, GPS No
Run 6 0910 Lyon-Strasbourg, F 23/10/98, BB 26155, 6/247/260/350, A Varley, 2/7, GPS No
Run 7 1239 Lyon-Strasbourg, F 26/12/01, BB 26148, 10/412/450, A Varley, 7/11, GPS No
PK Dist m s Km/h m S Km/h 108.32 00.00 Mulhouse Run 4 4 late Run 7 4 late 105.13 03.19 Mulhouse Dornach 3 11 142 Via Mulhouse Nord 104.00 04.32 Mulhouse Musees 3 39 159 102.47 05.85 Lutterbach 4 07 195/197 10 41½ 95 101.00 07.32 PK 4 34 189 11 35½ 140 98.80 09.52 Richwiller 5 15 195 12 30½ 157 95.43 12.89 Wittelsheim 6 18 195 13 39 189 94.24 14.08 Staffelfelden 6 41½ 185 14 01 193 90.93 17.39 Bollwiller 7 47½ 164 15 01½ 191 87.32 21.00 Raedersheim 9 11 157 16 10 193 84.07 24.25 Merxheim 10 18½ 194 17 09 194 82.00 26.32 PK 11 05 */90TSR 78.80 29.52 Rouffach 13 02 98 TSR 18 50 193 75.00 33.32 PK 15 14½ 124 20 00 194 72.46 35.86 Herrlisheim 16 11 188 20 48 193 69.95 38.37 Eguisheim 16 58½ 180 21 33½ 194 68.00 40.32 PK 17 39 160 65.82 42.50 Colmar 19 19 10 22 51½ 193 00.00 Run 5 64.00 01.82 PK 1 28½ 141 62.00 03.82 PK 2 11½ 178 24 02½ 194 59.31 06.51 Bennwihr 3 04 190/195 24 52½ 193 58.00 07.82 PK 3 28 194 56.09 09.73 Ostheim 4 05 182 25 53 194/193 52.79 13.03 Ribeauville 5 13½ 164 26 54½ 194/193 48.46 17.36 St Hippolyte 6 55 147 28 15½ 194 46.00 19.82 PK 7 57 139 43.22 22.60 Selestat 11 9 55 29 53 193 00.00 Run 6 42.00 01.22 PK 1 06 119 40.00 03.22 PK 1 56½ 163 30 53 193/189 38.00 05.22 PK 2 38 180/177 36.29 06.93 Ebersheim 3 10½ 187 32 03 191 34.00 09.22 PK 3 54 199/198 31.95 11.27 Kogenheim 4 31 199 33 24 193 26.69 16.53 Benfeld 6 06½ 198/200 35 03 194/193 22.85 20.37 Matzenheim 7 16 199/200 36 14½ 194/193 19.77 23.45 Erstein 8 11½ 199 37 12 191 15.31 27.91 Limmersheim 9 32½ 197/200 38 35½ 194/191 11.83 32.39 Fegersheim 10 35 199/197 39 41 193 08.57 34.65 Geispolsheim 11 34½ 199 40 42 * 05.00 38.22 PK 12 49½ 132* 02.60 40.62 Bif. Montagne Verte 13 59 119/125 43 10½ 110 01.00 42.22 PK 15 00 58/30 00.00 43.22 Strasbourg 20 17 19 51 47 08
A speed/distance graph makes the different strategies very clear; these three runs are compared here, along with run A, the one I published in January that made a time of 8m 32s from Colmar to Sélestat. Compared with run 3 the latter gained on acceleration
Milepost 26¼ - 124 - July 2005 thanks to its lighter load, and also braked slightly later. It is interesting to note that the four runs were very close together in speed terms at PK 5 8, 8 km from the start, while 10 km further on there was a spread of 50 km/h, increasing to almost 80 during braking. Finally from Sélestat run 2 continued in the same style with an acceleration that was excellent in view of the load and continued to a full 200 or more; a normal stop from Fegersheim would have produced a 19-minute time for a RT arrival. Run 3 gained 20 seconds on the acceleration and maintained that advance until it too was checked approaching Strasbourg. Run 6 in Table 2 is the continuation of my fast Colmar-Sélestat run; the start was not as fast as that from Colmar as there is a neutral section approaching Ebersheim, but with an average of 198.8 km/h over 24 km and a fast approach to Strasbourg 2½ minutes were regained. It is interesting to note, though, that while the start was 20 seconds faster than the theoretical schedule the stop was 40 seconds slower! The last run over this stretch is somewhat different; run 7 in Table 2 was made on a Lyon- Strasbourg train booked non-stop from Mulhouse to Strasbourg. These trains run southwards through Mulhouse and then swing round through the suburbs of the town to rejoin the Strasbourg line just short of Lutterbach. At this point they are some 6 minutes behind a train making the normal exit, and travelling at only 100 km/h instead of 180. As my train had been 4 late away from Mulhouse with 51 minutes allowed to Strasbourg I was expecting the driver to run up to a full 200 and was rather disappointed when we settled in the low 190s. But the driver’s judgement was faultless: with an unhurried stop in Strasbourg we stopped on time to the second.
Table 3 Cannes-Grasse Now for a genuine novelty, and a total change of scene and style. New line 1508 Ventimiglia-Grasse, S 14/05/05 openings in France, LGVs aside, have Z2N New generation Z 26506/505, 4/257/260 been rare events in the last few A Varley, 1/4, showery, GPS No decades, but in April the Cannes-Grasse PK Dist m s km/h branch was reopened, more than fifty 00.00 00.00 Cannes Run 8 1 late years after its closure. The line leaves 02.73 02.73 La Bocca 03 07 65/55/60 the Marseille-Ventimiglia route at La 03.24 03.24 Le Bosquet 03 53 Bocca, just west of Cannes, and starts 00.00 05 18 1 late climbing at once, at first on gradients of 04.37 01.13 La Frayère 01 25 00.00 02 23 ½ late between 10 and 15‰ then, after an 05.17 00.80 Mas-Rouge T N 00 55 88 easing through Mouans-Sartoux station, 05.70 01.33 Ranguin 01 33 at 18-20‰ up to Grasse. Overall the rise 00.00 02 14 ½ late is 207 metres in the 16 km of the branch. 06.27 00.57 Tunnel N 00 43 81/89 08.66 02.96 LC n° 3 02 42 86/89 It is single-track with a passing loop at 11.20 05.50 LC n° 5 04 01½ * Mouans-Sartoux, electrified at 25 kV, 11.86 06.16 Mouans-S 05 16 and services are worked by Z2N double- 00.00 07 30 RT deck EMUs; the BB255XX with 6-coach 12.59 00.73 OB 00 48 100 stainless-steel suburban sets which are 14.75 02.89 LC n° 7 02 12 88/86 16.74 05.75 LC n° 8 03 34½ 88 still found on many of the local trains 18.40 06.54 Viaduct N 04 43½ * along the coast are banned from the 19.16 07.30 Grasse 06 36 branch, presumably because of the risk of adhesion problems. With 4 intermediate stops the basic end-to-end running time is 22 minutes but most trains are allowed 25. The new generation double-deckers are 4-car sets, unlike their predecessors which were twins, and they are geared for 160 km/h. This did not prevent my unit from making some smart starts, particularly from Mouans-Sartoux, and despite a dead slow stop we were a few seconds early into Grasse. Coasting down hill on the return journey we remained under 90 all the way and made times of 06 27, 05 11, 02 02, 01 51 and 03 40 to reach Cannes ½ early on a 24-minute overall schedule. An earlier visit, though, had resulted in much poorer
Milepost 26¼ - 125 - July 2005 running, with a checked approach to Mouans-Sartoux to cross a southbound train, then 07 45 to Grasse, not exceeding 80. The same driver then took 09 12 and 06 16 for the first two sections on the return run and lost 3 minutes to Cannes. So even here driver variations can be enormous. Incorporation of the Grasse branch into the local timetable has resulted in some slight modifications, generally involving additional recovery time, and some trains are now extraordinarily slow. The 2049 from Grasse, for example, arrives in Cannes at 2114, stands for 6 minutes instead of the usual 2, and is not booked away from its next stop, Golfe-Juan, until 2128. These trains are allowed 60-second station stops – hardly necessary, particularly at this time of night – meaning that 7 minutes are allowed for the Cannes-Golfe Juan stretch – which an EMU can comfortably do in 4m 30s! In fact between Cannes and Cagnes, 19.6 km, this train has 5 minutes recovery allowance, or 9 minutes from its Cannes arrival, not counting the time which can certainly be gained on the 5 stops. Table 4 shows a run on this train, run 9, with a driver who seems to have made it a point of honour to remain within a few seconds of time throughout, compared with another, run 10, on a more normal schedule. There was nothing special about run 10, and it remained some way outside my fastest times, which over those 6 sections are 04 11, 02 21, 01 45, 02 13, 02 03 and 02 37. Run 10 might have got close to some of these had it not made rather slow final stops: it was a 6-coach train instead of the more usual 4, and the driver seemed in many cases to be aiming for a normal stopping point and then crawling another 20 yards.
Table 4
Train 2049 Grasse-Ventimiglia 0825 Grasse-Ventimiglia Date W 18/05/05 S 21/05/05 Load 3 x Z2N 6/372/380 3 x Z2N 6/372/385 Set n° Z 23504/533/5XX Z 23549/521/544 Recorder/position A Varley 4/6 A Varley 5/6
PK Dist m s km/h m s km/h
193.13 00.00 Cannes Run 9 17s late Run 10 5s late 194.22 01.09 Tunnel East 01 48 /75 01 26 105/110 197.18 04.05 Footbridge 04 40.5 53/78 03 05.5 107/109 199.17 06.04 Golfe-Juan 06 53 10s late 04 37 78s early 00.00 07 35 8s early 06 55 RT 200.82 01.65 Signal 01 49 73 01 17.5 202.32 03.15 Juan 03 28 20s late 02 31 29s early 00.00 04 15 7s late 03 58 2s early 203.57 01.25 UB Châtaigniers 01 17 86 01 18 98 204.15 01.83 Antibes 02 04 11s late 02 03 1s late 00.00 03 02 9s late 03 53 51s late 206.00 01.85 PK 206 01 46 82 01 33.5 108/104 207.06 02.91 Biot 03 02 11s late 02 36 27s late 00.00 03 51 RT 03 43 34s late 208.00 00.94 PK 208 01 19.5 58/56 01 02 86/83 209.26 02.20 Villeneuve 02 58 2s early 02 17 51s late 00.00 03 55 5s early 03 04 38s late 210.14 00.88 OB 01 09.5 69 00 56 103/111 211.66 02.40 Hippodrome 02 37.5 55* 01 47 107 212.71 03.45 Cagnes-s-Mer 04 03 2s early 02 47 25s late
Run 9 is a fitting conclusion to this article relating driving techniques to schedules since it gives the clear impression that the driver was really keen on sticking as closely to time as possible – note the sudden acceleration right at the end of the first stage after a long stretch of dawdling, or the artificially early braking through Cagnes Hippodrome to avoid an early arrival in Cagnes. The only sections without recovery time were Golfe-Juan to Juan and Juan to Antibes; on the former the driver ran a little too slowly after an early start and
Milepost 26¼ - 126 - July 2005 recorded his greatest deviation from RT – 20 seconds. A rapid start from Juan was followed by an early easing but a quick stop – the result was a time identical to that of run 10 though maximum speed was 12 km/h slower. Run 9 is in fact a caricature of a situation that is frequent on the SNCF, with excessive recovery time to be absorbed; it would be interesting to see this driver’s undoubted skills applied to schedule that required running at maximum rather than minimum speeds!
WHOSE TIMEKEEPING IS BEST – Part Two ? Continued from Milepost 26 By Michael Hedges
After 4 nights at the Hotel Victoria, exactly opposite the station, we left for our next resort, Chur (pronounced as if it had no “h”). The train we were to take gave its name to our Tour – Glacier Express. We were told that this was the slowest express – whether in Europe or the world I do not recall. The 87 mile part of its journey we were to undertake was allowed 4 hours 19 minutes which I calculate as just 20mph! Details are in Table 7. Signal stops, apart from the concluding one, were to pass other trains on the single line and, of course, like others on our holiday, may well have been scheduled. The Restaurant Car, from which we were served meals at our seats, was attached, together with another coach, at Andermatt, where locos were changed, as they were again at Disentis/Mustér, where I think the load was added to also. I was unable to ascertain booked times at some stops.
On Tuesday, 15/6/04, we boarded the Bernina Express and departed within a few seconds of the booked 08.48, with 608 on 6 coaches. First stop was Tiefencastel, booked 09.32, where we were 09.33.08/09.35.19. There was a signal stop at Stugl for 1½ minutes to pass another train, later a slowing, perhaps for signals, followed by a stop at Spinas for 2¼ minutes for reasons unknown. We were thus 5 minutes late into Pontressa and overstayed our 15 minute allowance by 2 minutes, possibly due to passing another train. We lost 2 more minutes on the 34 minute timing to Alp Grüm, and were 8½ minutes late into Poschiavo where we alighted for lunch, although a 6 minute allowance here enabled the train to depart only 5 late.
After lunch we departed on the 12.50 from Tirano to St. Moritz. 7 coaches included motor/driving vehicles 41 and 43 and we hade a bogie van and also a truck which was detached at Pontressina. The train reached Poschiavo 4 late at 13.35 and left 3½ late at 13.38½. 5 minutes at Morter-atsch to pass another train and then track repairs made us 9 late into Pontressina and eventually 9½ late into St. Moritz.
Time only for a look at the lake and a hot drink in rather inclement weather before catching the 16.02, 6 coaches plus bogie van, which departed platform 2 half a minute late. Track repairs made us 3 late from Celerina where 4 passengers awaited us. At Samedan there were 30, and then by Bergan, half an hour further on, we were on time, and remained so for the next ¾ hour until a signal stop made us 4 late into and 2 late out of Thusis – a station with a statue of (apparently) an Edwardian lady still waiting for her train! We had one more signal stop, and reached Chur 1¾ minutes late against the booked 18.05.
The weather on Wednesday, 16th, was also not of the best, but we caught the Arosa Express, the 10.02 from Chur, with 613 on 4 “decorated” coaches. Departure was a minute late, and we gradually lost time so that arrival, after a journey with half-a-dozen intermediate stops, was 5 late at 11.02. I do not know the reason for the train’s title! We returned 4 hours later on the 15.04. 616 arrived with 3 coaches and a bogie van 7 minutes late at 14.57, and we set off, with loco at rear, at 15.05. We stayed a minute or two late until there
Milepost 26¼ - 127 - July 2005 Table 7 Date Mon., 14/6/04 Train 10.10 Zermatt – Davos (Glacier Express) ? Brig – Andermatt, 106 Andermatt - Disentis/Mustér, 647 Loco Disentis/Mustér – Chur 4 coaches Brig – Andermatt, 7 coaches Brig - Disentis/Mustér, 10 Load coaches Disentis/Mustér – Chur 5/5 Brig – Andermatt, ?5/7 Andermatt – Disentis/Mustér, 9/11 Position Disentis/Mustér – Chur Sched Actual Arr Dep Arr Dep BRIG 11.33 11.48 11.35 11.50.17 Morel 11.58.43 Bethen 12.03.04 Signal stop 12.07.10 12.11.07 Lax 12.17.16 FIESCH 12.21.34 12.21.53. Furwgangel-Belwald 12.27.34 Niederwald signal stop 12.33.03 12.36.32 Blitzingen 12.39.58 Biel 12.42.08 Gluringen 12.43.56 Reckingen 12.45.08 Münster 12.48.52 p.w.s. Ulrichen 12.54.05 OBERWALD 12.50 12.58.15 12.58.38 Furka Tunnel Entrance 13.01.15 Exit 13.11.54 Realp 13.12.38 ANDERMATT 13.21 13.30 13.24.08 13.36.40 Nätschen signal stop 13.48.21 13.50.21 Signal stop 14.09.30 14.10.19 SEDRUN 14.15 14.23.43 14.25.39 Bugnei 14.27.58 Signal stop M. Tujetsch 14.32.32 14.33.47 Sagnes 14.37.21 DISENTIS/M. 14.35 14.52 14.44.06 14.53.15 Rabius Surrein 15.03.06 15.06.02 TRUN 15.09.58 15.10.36 TAVANASA-BREIL 15.17.01 15.17.40 Rueon 15.23.53 ILANZ 15.30 15.29.39 15.31.02 Glistril (?) 15.34.03 Signal stop 15.34.27 15.36.42 Trin 15.49.47 REICHENAU-TAMIAS 15.58 15.55.30 15.56.07 Domat 15.59.33 Signal stop 16.06.25 16.07.55 CHUR 16.07 16.21 16.09.27
Milepost 26¼ - 128 - July 2005
THE ROUTE
Brussels (Belg) Liege (Belg) Koln (G)
Mainz (G)
Koblenz (G) Mannhiem (G)
Baden Baden (G)
Freiburg (G)
Basel Sw Zurich Sw
Chur Sw Disentis Sw Brig Andermatt
was 21 minutes allowed between the two last intermediate stops, and arrival at Chur was 16.03½ against 16.04 advertised.
Thursday, 17/6/04, started fine and sunny. We travelled to Cologne where most of our party only stayed one night before returning to England. A few of us had booked an optional extra night to give a day to look round the city. We changed trains at Basle where we had nearly 1½ hours, and where we and many of the party had a light lunch at the station, and watched the many trams which circulated around outside the station. Leaving Chur on time, we made a slow approach to our first stop and overstayed our time there. At Zurich many passengers alighted, 2 coaches were detached, engines changed and the train reversed. Basle was reached in sunshine and well to time.
At Basle we caught the 09.39 Interlaken to Hamburg train. 2 coaches were detached at Basle. Reasons for the comparatively long stops at the first two stations are not known, but any time lost was soon recovered. As we approached Etlington West at a fairly moderate speed, I spied a steam loco parked behind a row of coaches, but was unable to note any details, as it was so soon lost to sight. Despite a very brief signal stop approaching the station, we were on time into Cologne (Köln). The reason for the train’s late departure from there is, again, unknown. And again the road was being dug up, and also ongoing improve- ments to the rail infrastructure in evidence. We had quite a circuitous route to follow to reach our hotel opposite the station, so the hotel thoughtfully provided trolleys and porters! I did not record speeds on this journey as I was more interested in camcording the scenery along the Rhine.
The next morning we rose reasonably early to see off most of our party on the Thalys train that we were to catch the following day, then back to the hotel for breakfast. We made no train journeys that day – only a boat trip on the Rhine.
Saturday, 19/6/04, was a day of sun and cloud. We rose at 6.30 for breakfast at 7 before catching the train to Brussels. The start was slightly late, as it had been the previous day, owing to the loading of luggage. The units seemed more intended for the business traveller than the luggage-laden tourist – there were 2 separate parties on it from our tour company on one of the days. The reason for the slight delay at Aachen is not known. The stop
Milepost 26¼ - 129 - July 2005 Table 8 before Chenee appeared to be Date Thursday, 17/6/04 11150 to Zurich, 11210 ex to pass another train, and there Locos Zurich appeared to be single line 12+van to Zurich, 10+van ex Load Zurich working in the vicinity. After Liege we traversed a newish Position 10/14 to Zurich, 10/12 ex Zurich section of high speed track, Schedule Actual when the unit was allowed to arr dep a rr dep CHUR 08.16 08.16.16 show its paces. At Brussels another unit was attached to the slow approach front of ours for the continuation LANDQUART 08 .25 08.27 08.26.05 08.29.43 to Paris. Our unit left about full, BAD RAGAZ 08.33 08.34.18 08.35.15 but I do not know anything about SARGANS 08.38 08.40 08.39.47 08.41.02 the occupancy of the other unit. Flums 08.46.39 Details of running, including Wilenstadt 08.48.31 some speeds, are in Table 10. Mels 08.50.09 Unterstezan 08.51.07 We had a couple of hours in Murg 08.52.59 Brussels before catching the Mulenhorn 08.55.39 12.10 back to England. Our Weeson 09.00.19 train, about half full, left just 10 ZIEGEL-BRÜCKE 09.01 09 .02 09.02.23 09.0 4.35 seconds after booked time. Bilton 09.07.13 With a signal stop outside, we Reichanburg 09.09.22 reached Lille at 13.38 and left 4 Lochen 09.14.31 minutes later, 3 minutes after the advertised time. Arrival at Altondorf 09.15.51 Ashford at 13.40 (watches PFÄFFIKON 09.18 09.19 09.18.36 09.19.55 having been adjusted!) was 4 Freienbach 09.22.00 minutes behind schedule, and Bäch 09.23.25 we left there after a stop of Richterswil 09.24.41 exactly 2¼ minutes. Our run to WÄDENSWIL 09 .28 09.27.22 09.2 9.32 Waterloo appeared unchecked, Au 09.31.42 and it was only 39 seconds after Horgen 09.34.04 the arrival time of 14.25 that we Oberreiden 09.35.35 stopped in the terminus. THALWIL 09.38 09.39 09.37.21 09.39.11 ZÜRICH HB 09.48 10.02 09.48.51 10.02.17 We thus had plenty of time for the 14.58 to Windsor from an Altsteten 10.06.35 adjacent platform. It comprised Schielren 10.08.11 4-set e.m.u 5716. We were 2¼ Glazenburg 10.09.10 minutes late away as the driver Dietikon 10.09.56 had only just arrived from an Magenvill 10.16.36 incoming service! We lost a Lerizburg 10.19.28 minute to Vauxhall and were 3 Rapferscoil 10.21.15 minutes late from there to Aarau 10.23.55 Richmond, then gradually Daniken 10.27.21 regained a little time until app- Dulliken 10.28.44 arently the level crossing gates Sissach 10.39.15 at Datchet were not closed as Itingen 10.40.32 quickly as they could have been Liestal 10.43.27 and terminated at 15.47.56 as BASEL SBB 10 .52 10.51.31 against 15.47 booked.
Milepost 26¼ - 130 - July 2005 Table 9 Table 9 cont'd MANNHEIM 14.37 14.39 14.36.53 14.39.21 Date Thursday, 17/6/04 Ludwigshaven 14.41.51 Train 09.39 Interlaken – Hamburg “ (Rhein) 14.43.16 Loco 101113-9 Berner Oberland Slowing Load 11 coaches Worms 14.53.05 Position 12/12 Ostoffen 14.57.23 Schedule Actual Oppenheim easy 15.05.10 Arrive Dep Arrive Depart BASLE 11.56 12.17 11.57 1218.02 Nachenheim 15.08.41 ?sigs. MAINZ SUD ?sig. sto p 15.15.53 15.1 7.15 BASEL BAD BF 12 .23 12 .25 12.24.17 12.26.51 MAINZ HBF 15.18 15.20 15.20.45 15.22.54 Haltlingen 12.31.15 Slowing Istein 12.35.18 Uhlerbron 15.29.03 Rheinweiler 12.39.54 Inglheim 15.32.28 FREIBURG HBF 13 .00 13 .02 13.00.28 13.04.10 Slowing Ettenheim (?) 13.20.14 Birgen 15.37.11 Slow Birgen (Rhein) easy 15.38.04 Freisenheim 13.26.23 Bacharach 15.44.51 Baden Easy Oberswell 15.48.03 Offenburg 13.34.01 ?signals? Achen 13.42.24 KOBLENZ 16 .10 16 .12 16.11.47 16.13.08 BADEN-BADEN 13 .50 13 .52 13.50.50 13.52.48 Andernach 16.22.46 Rastutt 13.57.34 Slowing Slow Remagh 16.31.50 Etlington West 14.05.36 BONN 16.45 16.42.30 16.4 5.28 KARLSRUHE 14.10. 14 .12 14.10.21 14.12.47 Köln Sud 16.55.28 Sigs approaching signal Stop
MANNHEIM 14.37 14.39 14.36.53 14.39.21 17.03.27 17.03.38 KÖLN HBF 17 .06 17 .10 17.06.08 17.12.51
Then whose trains are best at timekeeping? Well, reader, I will leave it to you to decide, but perhaps a few more statistics are needed? I am more used to the old method of average number of minutes late rather than percentage on time, etc., but that is yet another story….
Milepost 26¼ - 131 - July 2005 Table 10 Table 11 Date Saturday, 19/6/04 Date Saturday, 19/6/04 Train 08.12 Cologne to Parris Train 12.58 Brussels – Waterloo Formation Thalys unit 4345 – 2 power cars + 8 coaches Locos 3011,3012 (North Pole) Position 2/10 Load 18 coaches
Sched Actual Position 12/20 Arrive Depart Arrive Depart mph m s mph KÖLN HBF 08.12 08.13.17 BRUSSELS-MIDI 00.00 Duren 08.32.22 87 Ruisbrock 07.43 Langerwere 08.36.35 steady Buizinger 184/172/ slowing Tunnel de van 182/179 Halle Nothberg 08.38.48 Junction 26.07 ?signals seve re Mont-de-Trre 34.51 Eschweiller 08.42.50 Signal stop 37.07 Stolberg 08.45.06 75 37.11 Eiderdorf 08.47.10 85 Lille Tunnel 38.17 ?signals LILLE EUROPE 39.49 AACHEN HBF 08 .51 08 .54 08.51.49 08.55.41 180/172/189/ ?signals Calais Fretuin 2 6.21 179/184/ Weltenradt 09.07.0 4 Tunnel Portal 27.37 98 easy French Xover 33.32 Golen-Giep 09.12.28 Tunnel Portal 49.40 Brakes Vervier 09.17.20 Junction 56.04 142/ Pepinster 09.19.52 ASHFORD INT’L 58.08 signal Stop Km205 15.08 187/62 09.30.11 09.32 .10 Junction 17.59 61/71/59/61/60 Chenee 09.34.16 Farningham Road 19.59 87 Angleur 09.35.35 St. Mary Cray 23.41 85/92/87 signal Stop s St. Mary Cray Jct. 24.52 60/61 09.37.04 09.37.4 8 Bickley 26.17 61 09.40.09 09.41.03 Bromley South 27.21 61 LIEGE-GUILLEMINS 09.37 09 .39 09.43.04 09.45.41 Shortlands 28.12 59 Ans 09.51.28 Beckenham Jct. 29.33 58/62 182/70/ Kent House 30.22 Leuven 10.08.57 84 Penge East 31.03 58 Herent 10.10.58 92/70 Sydenham Hill 32.31 ?p.w.s. 49/ West Dulwich 33.13 ?signals 75/ Herne Hill 34.24 46 Shoabeek 10.24.40 22/ Brixton 35.26 44 ?sinal Slow ing Wandsworth Road 37.09 46/44 Brussels-Nord 10.28.48 Vauxhall 40.03 Brussels Central 10.31.28 WATERLOO 43.20
Brussels Chappel 10.32.30 BRUSSELS-MIDI 10.32 10 .40 10.34.40 10.43¾
Milepost 26¼ - 132 - July 2005 300kph in the UK -Postscript
After tidying up after the publication of Milepost 26, it appears that the following logs were omitted from the 300kph in the UK article. We apologise to Charles Foss for the omission and print the logs below.
Table 1 shows 3231/3232 working up to line speed where permitted, but performance in Table 2 failed to exceed 163mph.
Table 1 Table 2 Date Tue 10-Aug-04 Mon 16-Aug-04 Train 1239 to Brussels 1756 Brussels Locos 3232/3231 3201/3202 Load 18 coaches 18 coaches Pos weatherGPS 14/20 Fair calm Y 16/20 fair calm Y mm.ss.d mph mm.ss.d mph WATERLOO Time ASHFORD INT 00.00.0 Time Fawkham J 42.20.0 60 ks88 2.05.7 82 ks 202 43.22.6 66/60 ks86 2.53.8 110 ks 40 jctn 45.34.6 77 ks84 3.31.3 122 ks 42 46.31.8 92 ks82 4.05.1 139 ks 44 47.16.7 107 ks80 4.36.0 152 ks 46 47.56.4 126 ks78 5.05.5 159 ks 48 48.28.0 141 ks76 5.32.8 164 ks 50 48.57.7 166 ks74 5.59.6 165 ks 52 49.24.8 166 ks72 6.26.0 172 ks 54 Tunnel 49.52.5 158 ks70 6.52.6 161 ks 58 60.45.8 184 ks 68 7.20.4 163 ks 60 51.10.4 187 Cabin 7.41.0 ks 62 51.35.1 174 ks 66 7.50.6 138 ks 64 51.53.9 176 ks 64 8.23.5 130 ks 66 52.26.0 187 ks 62 8.57.3 133 ks 68 52.50.0 184 ks 60 9.29.5 140 ks 72 53.39.4 178 ks 58 10.01.5 140 ks 74 54.04.7 182 ks56 11.04.4 ks 76 54.29.3 184 ks 52 11.34.8 147 ?? 54.45.0 ks 50 12.03.5 157 ks78 54.54.3 167 ks 48 12.35.3 140 ks80 55.21.9 165 ks 46 13.08.0 136 ks82 55.48.4 163 ks 44 13.46.2 116 ks84 56.16.9 135 Cabin 14.08.4 94 ks86 56.52.4 91 ks 42 14.33.5 86 ks88 57.51.1 72 ks 40 15.29.2 65 ASHFORD INT 59.56.4 ks204 16.33.2 60/68 ks 202 17.39.7 65 ks 201 18.06.2 59 Fawkham J 18.56.9 47 WATERLOO 49.06.0
Milepost 26¼ - 133 - July 2005 HARROGATE FASTS 2003/4
Ian Umpleby
The longstanding No 36 bus route from Leeds to Ripon via Harrogate runs along the A 61 which pursues a most direct course between the three places. Now furnished with state of the art double deckers running every 20 minutes and taking 40 minutes from Leeds to Harrogate, it forms a serious rival to the train service running half hourly and taking 34 minutes. The A 61 runs through a thinly populated area between Leeds’ outskirts and Pannal, where it encounters the Leeds-Harrogate railway line for the first and only time. It climbs some 250 feet in the first two miles out of Leeds (c 75 feet above sea level) and attains a height of almost 500 feet before reaching the Estate village of Harewood (7 miles) where there is a sharp drop of 250 feet in a mile to the Wharfe valley. A gradual 3 mile climb to Pannal brings the road up to the foot of the climb to the 400’ high plateau upon which Harrogate stands. This is accomplished by a climb of almost 200 feet in around half a mile.
To the Railway Promoter of the 1840s the direct route between Leeds and Harrogate was unfavourable in terms of population density and gradients. Indeed the first line to reach Harrogate was in July 1848 from Wetherby and Church Fenton which tunnelled through Follifoot Ridge before crossing the Crimple Valley, on the SE fringes of Harrogate, by a magnificent viaduct on a rising gradient of 1 in 91. The terminus at Harrogate Brunswick was half a mile from town centre. Around six weeks later the existing line from Leeds to Pannal opened for business starting from what is now Armley Junction. The preferred course was initially well to the west of the A 61 and is heavily engineered crossing the River Aire by Kirkstall Viaduct as it climbs at a steady 1 in 100 to Horsforth. This north westerly traverse of the Aire-Wharfe interfluve stops here and after a short easy grade the line dives into the 3791 yard Bramhope Tunnel on a falling gradient of 1 in 94 which levels out just north of the site of Arthington station. The long Wharfedale Viaduct is then crossed before a steady climb at around 1 in 190 takes the line to just short of Pannal. The line is now running in a north easterly direction and, as originally built, ran up the Crimple Valley to the current Starbeck station before continuing to Ripon. Eventually in 1862 a series of lines were opened which enabled the current Leeds-Harrogate route to come into existence. A spur from Pannal Junction to Crimple Junction at the east end of Crimple Viaduct on a rising gradient of 1 in 114, together with an extension of the Wetherby branch, gave access to a new central station in Harrogate. Harrogate Brunswick was bypassed and closed.
The maximum permissible speed north of Armley Junction is 60 mph throughout with short 45 mph slacks at Horsforth and Hornbeam Park. The main restriction is at the former Crimple Junction where a check railed 20 mph limit applies. A fair proportion of the mile posts remain on the down side being a mixture of NER and modern BR posts. Zero point is a few chains east of Armley Junction but there was, until recent years, a further zero point at Pannal Junction applying to the spur to Crimple Junction from where the Church Fenton to Harrogate series applied.
Until the mid 1960s the line enjoyed through expresses to London along with what would now be termed Trans-Pennine expresses. Some of the latter ran via the Cross Gates- Wetherby-Harrogate line to avoid reversal in Leeds and both routes were difficult to work compared with the alternative route via York. When the Harrogate to Northallerton route closed in 1967, the Harrogate “Branch”, as it became, retained a few fast services consisting of two return services to Kings Cross, a 0410 Leeds to Harrogate non stop, two down services just stopping at Horsforth, and one up service non stop from Harrogate to Horsforth. By 1990 trains stopped at all stops except the one SuX train to Kings Cross and a SO return. A new station at Burley Park had opened in 1988 serving a densely populated part of Leeds boasting a large number of students. Hornbeam Park, serving Harrogate College, opened in
Milepost 26¼ - 134 - July 2005 1992
By 2003 the increasing demand for rail service along the corridor forced Arriva, the franchise operator, to attempt an innovative solution. It secured agreement to lease three class 37 locomotives and five ex-Virgin Trains coaches to form a pool to operate a Knareborough- Leeds morning peak service and evening return on Mondays to Fridays. In between these turns the consist was used to make a return Leeds-Carlisle trip as featured in John Heaton’s article in the April 2004 Railway Magazine. To avoid the necessity of running round the normal formation was four coaches with a 37 at each end. The increased leasing charge was not helped by the need to extend/refurbish the platforms at Burley Park and Headingley to accommodate the trains. Eventually, with the advent of the new Northern Trains franchise, the Strategic Rail Authority decreed that dmu operation must be reinstated and loco haulage ceased, at the end of September 2004.
Run No 1 2 3 Date Thurs 9 Oct 2003 Tues 27 July 200 4 Fri 3 September 2004 Train 1743 Leeds-Knaresb. 1743 Leeds-Knaresb. 0655 York-York circ. Motive power 37408/411(top'n'tail) 37408/411(top'n'tail) 150272 Load 4/134/150 4/134/155 2/71/75 Weather Sunny Ints Sunny Sunny Recorder/Pos/GPS I Umpleby;3/6/Y I Umpleby;5/6/Y I Umpleby;1/2;Y
m ch Miles Location m S M ph m s mph m s mph T-Plat T-Plat T-Plat 185 68 0.00 Leeds 0 00 1 0 00 1 0 00 9 185 44 0.30 Leeds West Junction 1 15 23 1 02 1/2 1 04 185 25 0.55 Whitehall Junction ub 1 39 1/2 37/4 4 1 24 37/49 1 34 29 0 19 1.16 Armley Junction ob 2 37 42/50 2 13 1/2 39/48 2 34 1/2 42/4 7 1 27 2.24 Burley Park 4 41 4 08 4 17 2 11 0.80 Headingley 2 30 33 1 55 38 1 54 37 3 0 0.86 MP 1 42 50/57 (1 38) 48/57 1 43 1/2 40/4 7 4 60 2.61 Horsforth 4 13 4 01 4 16 5 65 1.06 Bramhope Tunnel SP 1 52 56 1 54 1/2 5 1 2 01 52 7 76 3.20 Bramhope Tunnel NP 3 58 1/2 61 4 00 1/2 61 4 14 58 8 51 3.89 Arthington N. Jc ub 4 39 61 4 41 60 4 56 59 10 14 5.42 Wescoehill Tunn. SP 6 11 1/2 59 6 14 1/2 59 6 29 60 10 63 6.04 Weeton 6 49 1/2 60 6 52 59 7 08 59 Sigs 12 16 7.45 Rigton LC 8 14 1/2 60/57 10 47 1/2 2* 8 33 1/2 60 14 3 9.29 Pannal 10 05 1/2 63 13 00 1/2 59 10 24 1/2 60 15 28 10.60 Crimple Viaduct East 12 23 21*/47 15 24 20* 12 36 20* 16 26 11.57 Hornbeam Park ob 13 54 43* 16 54 43/46 37 16 28 11.60 Hornbeam Park shl 14 37 17 24 12.55 Harrogate 16 0 2 1L 18 4 9 2 L 2 12 40
. The 37s were scheduled to leave Burley Park 6, Headingley 9 and Horsforth 14 mins after leaving Leeds. The dmu schedule was 4, 7 and 12 mins respectively. Run 1 was made shortly after the 37’s introduction when the drivers were feeling their way. There is not much opportunity to achieve high speeds before Burley Park due to the sharp curve out to Whitehall Junction which leaves little opportunity to threaten the 50 mph limit preceding the 45 mph restriction at Armley Junction. Following a run up the 1 in 100 gradients of the Settle and Carlisle line a few days earlier it came as no surprise that the 37s were able to run up to line speed without any problems. Run 2 made a particularly vigorous start from Leeds and
Milepost 26¼ - 135 - July 2005 was much faster over the first two stages compared with Run 1. There was little to choose between the two thereafter although Run 2 suffered a bad check at Rigton Level Crossing, dropping 2 mins. on the 17 min schedule. The loads reflect those on departure from Leeds; the train was barely a quarter full after Horsforth. Commuters were reintroduced to slam doors and the repective dwell times at Burley Park, 78 and 79 secs, Headingley 71 and 56 secs and Horsforth 105 and 97 secs showed little change after 9 months. The only other fast service in the Summer 2004 timetable was at 0739 from Leeds. “Pacers” are the staple dmu used on Harrogate services so it was a pleasant surprise to find a more comfortable class 150 rostered that day. The lower hp/tonne ratio of the dmu made little difference to the running times apart from the Headingley-Horsforth stretch where only 47 mph was achieved up the 1 in 100 grade before power was shut off.
In the southbound direction all the fast services leave early in the day. The sole Kings Cross service now calls at Horsforth on Mondays to Fridays to relieve peak hour pressure. On the day I travelled around 50 passengers joined at Harrogate yet there was a veritable scrum awaiting at Horsforth which left the HST around half full. This train and the 37s train departed from the down side Platform One at Harrogate which entails a slow start until the crossover to the up line is cleared. The HST and 37s trains were allowed 17 mins to the Horsforth restart and both just about kept time. Runs 5 and 6 were slightly affected by a 50 mph tsr at Pannal. The 1 in 94 climb through Bramhope Tunnel has always been a difficult one, especially in the days of steam, but
R un 4 5 6 Date/day Tues 27 July 2004 Tue s 24 August 2004 Fri 3 September 2004 Train 0729 Harrogate-KX 0758 Knaresb-Leeds 0856 Knaresb.-Leeds Motive Power 43038/43xxx 37408/411(Top 'n' tail 150268 Load (tons) 9/307/325 4/134/155 2/71/75 Weather Cloudy Damp Sunny Rec/Posn/GPS? IU; 6/11/ Y IU; 4/6/ Y IU; 1/2;Y
2L-Pl 17 24 0.00 Harro gate 0 00 T; Pl 1 0 00 2L;Pl 1 0 00 3 16 26 0.98 Hornbeam Park ob 2 23 48 2 13 1/2 46 1 48 45/51 16 23 1.01 Hornbeam Park shl 15 28 1.95 Crimple Viaduct East 4 0 0 1/2 17 * 3 43 20 * 3 0 1 1/2 20 * 14 3 3.11 Pannal 6 12 1/2 62 5 58 51 tsr 5 17 1/2 49 tsr 12 16 5.10 Rigton LC 8 00 1/2 61 7 51 63 7 15 1/2 60 10 63 6.51 Weeton 9 21 1/2 63 9 11 63 8 39 1/2 60 8 51 8.66 Arthington N. Jc ub 11 27 1/2 57 11 18 1/2 58 10 49 59 7 76 9.35 Bramhope Tunnel NP 12 11 1/2 56 11 59 1/2 60 11 31 1/2 61 5 65 11.49 Bramhope Tunnel SP 14 25 1/2 57 14 07 1/2 61 13 54 1/2 52 4 62 12.52 Horsforth 16 11 2L 16 26 15 32 3 40 1.27 MP 1 56 1/2 63/6 5 si Gs * 1 47 60 2 11 2.64 Headingley 3 14 62 5 47 3 42 1 27 0.80 Burley Park shl 4 01 1/2 61 2 12 33 1 41 39 0 19 1.10 Armley Jc ob 5 19 36* 1 56 1/2 50/4 2 1 46 1/2 50/4 4 185 24 1.71 Whitehall Junction ub 6 46 1/2 sigs1 7 3 19 20sigs 2 48 1/2 26 185 44 1.96 Leeds West Jc 7 30 1/2 22 3 52 1/2 29 sig stops Pl 8 Pl 1 Pl 4 185 68 2.26 Leeds 9 16 2E 5 40 1L 7 24 T the H ST and 37 run had no problems in keep ing to th e line sp eed. The dmu run again produced a class 150 and did not have the hindrance of a Platform One start at Harrogate. The unit quickly built up a lead on the other two runs and the exit from Bramhope Tunnel was made at a creditable 52 mph. The downhill run from Horsforth is easy for all types of
Milepost 26¼ - 136 - July 2005 traction but each one suffered delay on this section. The 37 train was full and standing upon departure from Burley Park whereas the 150 was comfortably full.
All the trains taken in this brief survey were punctual and the capability of today’s trains to attain and keep strictly to the permitted speed was amply illustrated in both directions between Horsforth and Pannal. The line is in its best condition for many years after the unstable embankment at the north end of the Wharfe Viaduct was attended to in August 2003. The flooding problem at Horsforth was also seen to but did surface again in the exceptional rainfall experienced in August 2004. The relative altitudes of Leeds and Harrogate mean that a northbound run is mostly against the collar and the southbound run comparatively easy. However that southbound run includes a full bloodied ascent through Bramhope Tunnel which is one of Network Rail’s great tunnel experiences. This, coupled with the wide vistas from the train make this railway backwater well worth a visit.
Class 31- All Puff n’ Wind? By Steve Griffin
Becoming tired of a growing invasion of ‘insects’ and ‘neds’ on to the class 40 hauled trains, I had spent most of the previous 5 years travelling on and timing, in 1982 I started to look for other areas to study, hopefully without the unwanted attention of the less well behaved elements of the ‘bashing’ fraternity. It needed to be English Electric powered, (my preference) and guaranteed full power working. One area of interest was created by the introduction of class 37s to the Far North line. Another was the performance of the refurbished class 50s, the Waterloo-Exeter trains with the frequent stops and lengthy climbs requiring plenty of hard work, audible from the mark 2 b/c coaching stock in use. Both were, in the main, free of clowns at this time. As a full time railway employee I was also inclined to distance myself from some of the undesirable activities of these characters-i.e. Vandalism and fare evasion.
Amongst a number of diagrams for summer 1982 which I had been given details by a well- connected railway industry friend was a day’s work for a class 31/4 around the Bristol area involving Worcester, Cardiff and Weston Super Mare. I asked a relative living near Defford to check that the booked motive power appeared, and what the usual train formation was, when the appropriate parts of the diagram passed through. Assessment from the lineside concluded that full power was used in all instances when viewed on the section of line between Ashchurch and Abbotswood Jn and that the trains were normally load 7, having a number of BGs and GUVs for mail and parcels, as well as passenger stock. I decided to spend a day following the diagram as it seemed to be ideal for estimating power outputs, at lower speed on Horfield bank, and at higher speeds north of Westerleigh Jn. The load should be substantial enough for a single class 31 over long stretches of 90 mph railway to keep the loco below line speed guaranteeing full power is used. This seemed to be an ideal working to test the suggestion, that the class 31 was unusually strong in the higher speed range for a locomotive in the type2 power range. Following this diagram seemed a better option than travelling to Birmingham New Street or the ECML, hoping to drop on a substitution or relief train.
The class later gained the nickname ‘ Brians’ after the snail in ‘The Magic Roundabout’ or ‘pedestrian cars’ (peds for short) in recognition of the lethargic performance resulting from their low power to weight ratio. Despite having a similar power unit to a class 37, and giving a similar sound under full power, they did not have the same ability to produce sudden instantaneous and impressive eruptions of power that a class 37 or 40s could, due to the design of the power control system. They did, however, gain a small, devoted band of
Milepost 26¼ - 137 - July 2005 followers, who must have thick skins judging from the average comment in chat forums on websites dedicated to bashing. I believe that a number of people have been barred from class 31 websites due to the insulting ribaldry received. For many, to suggest that a class 31 could haul 7 coaches at speeds over 80 mph was absurd.
It was essential that the train was a class 31, as a type 4 would have had too much power to avoid easing by the drivers over the critical sections where power outputs would be calculated, plus the extra power available from a larger loco may lead to the driver not using full power during acceleration or maintaining a lower cruising speed to avoid running ahead of time. The gradients on the routes the train worked over (Gloucester-Bristol-Cardiff- Weston-S-Mare-Worcester) would be suitable for RHPs to be calculated at a wide cross section of speeds, using the sections of continuous gradient shown in the profiles are outlined below-:
• High speed range- on the infinitesimal gradients between Cheltenham and Worcester.
• Middle speed range- during acceleration from various stops, from PSRs, and the climb through Wickwar tunnel, which would probably fall into the 75 mph bracket.
• Lower speed range- on Horfield bank-two attempts during the day.
It seemed to have the potential for an accurate assessment of the loco being worked from both cabs, a factor that sometimes resulted in the author experiencing variable performance with other loco types. The major factor in a successful day would be the weather, particularly the possible effect of winds on exposed locations on the NE/SW route.
The day started promisingly with some mist clearing with hazy sunshine. The 0705 Worcester- Bristol was class 50 hauled to Gloucester, which went on to work the 0747 Bristol Edinburgh north from Gloucester, (a suitable alternative should a type 4 back on to the other end of the 0705) while the 31 attached for the rest of the journey. It rolled in with 50041/Load 7, (including a number of vans) at Cheltenham and 31422, allocated to Bath Road at the time, dropped on to the other end at Gloucester as booked. I made my way to the 3rd coach and found a seat by the corridor in an SK facing the milepost side.
From here the loco’s power unit was audible at low speed and at higher speeds only when passing through tunnels, under bridges or in cuttings. The horsepowers calculated afterwards on the 1 in 281 through Wickwar tunnel and after Westerleigh Junction suggest that the loco was worked under full power at these locations. I had some concerns that some drivers may not exceed 75 mph after experience with some drivers on DMU type diagrams in the past, but this proved to be unfounded. The ETH was definitely on, throughout; heat was detected continuously from the heater elements in the compartment. Fine so far then, with speed in the lower 80s after Gloucester, falling to 72 on the 1 in 281.
The next part of 422s diagram was a return trip to Cardiff, this being my first and only journey over this section of line to date. The climb of Horfield bank was spent in the window of the front vestibule of the front coach to ensure that maximum power was being used and to assess the sound of the power unit. We managed to reach 47 at the foot of the 1 in 75 dropping to 38 by MP 4. On the return journey there was another set of stock, again with the ETH off.
In the afternoon the loco worked a stopping service from Bristol to Weston Super Mare, with passengers but was shown on the diagram to work ECS to Bristol, then forward as a passenger train to Worcester. Out with 6 coaches, then back with an extra van, still ETH on.
Milepost 26¼ - 138 - July 2005 This time, on the ascent of Horfield bank, a signal check at the start of the climb resulted in speed almost being sustained on the 1 in 75. Down from Yate the driver left the loco on full power, witnessed from the first coach, allowing the loco to reach 95 at the foot of the downgrade, while the following rise in the profile brought the speed down to 83, followed by a second maximum of 92. After the run round at Gloucester my suspicions had proved right concerning the high speeds that the trains appeared to be achieving when viewed from the lineside, with 86/87 being held through Eckington (load 7)-not bad for a type 2. Back to Cheltenham with loaded vans as the 1946 to Gloucester, with no.1 end leading, the loco again reached the mid 80s on the saw tooth profile of gentle gradients, falling back on the gradual rise through Cleeve.
In all, a successful day out, the diagrammed loco staying on the booked trains all day, with drivers willing to use full power up to line speed, and on one trip significantly beyond. The loco performed reliably through the day, with no apparent defects seriously affecting performance. My notes on the loco made at the end of the day read as follows- ‘The engine gives a loud bass throb, seems to be regular and even. The exhaust sounds smooth, in overlapping cycles, harsh sounding. All four exhaust ports produce grey emissions on full power. The field diversion is described as ‘variable, sometimes a stagger, often effective and speedy.’ As it is not stated, it can be assumed to be in ‘normal’ 31 mode, engine and exhaust speeding up through the field change. Away from field diversion, sometimes‘ a slight but noticeable change in revs, for no apparent reason’ was noted. The stretches of continuous gradient (taken from the Ian Allan profiles) used to calculate power outputs free of TSRs or signal checks. Winds through the day were easily assessable and had little impact. The only negative was the use of ETH on most of the trains which added uncertainty to some of the horsepower estimates, but given the ambient conditions of the day and the type of stock used, only the 0705 ex Worcester would have needed a significant draw on the ETH generator. The maximum speeds achieved by 31422 on the Bristol to Worcester section were impressive for the size of loco, and in the author’s judgement, some of the class 40s he had ridden behind and experienced while working would have been unable to match/improve on them. The horsepower figures calculated during the day are summarized below.
These figures suggest more than 1100 RHP is representative of what the loco was capable of, depending on the draw made by the ETH requirement for the train. During the journey from Bristol to Cardiff and back the ETH was not used due to the inclusion of some steam heat vehicles in the consist, but curiously the RHPs estimated were lower than others when the ETH was in use on other journeys.
Table of Power Outputs from No.1 End
Location Speeds Avge EDHP RHP Horfield bank 36/34.75 35.5 1080 1130 Coalpit Heath 47/57 53 1050 1170 Abbotswood 38/66 54 1020 1145 Marshfield 45/65 56 960 1095 Coalpit Heath 47/68 59 925 1075 Wickwar 82/72 76 770 1040 Eckington 80/82 81 785 1100 Wickwar 77/93 86.5 760 1130
Milepost 26¼ - 139 - July 2005 What might have been …. 31602 at Derby prior to working a top and tail test train to Skegness, to assess the viability of loco and coaches on Summer Saturdays. Sadly, it won’t happen in 2005 – maybe 2006 if the class 31’s survive. Following the trail, it appears that the track was so badly damaged, that Table of Power Outputs from No 2 End Network Rail have banned all locos on the Boston- Location Speeds Avge EDHP RHP Skegness route. Horfield bank 47/38.5 41.5 1010 1080 Churchdown 42/59 53.0 980 1100 Eckington 86.5 86.5 780 1150
Using a study on the class between Sheffield and Manchester involving the author, (previously published in Milepost) the estimate of 1100-1125 RHP is better, by 50-75 RHP, than the average of the 71 runs recorded for that survey, but still short 1170 RHP specified by BR for the class. If the data on the loco was correct, the last overhaul was in September 1978, so some power deficiency can be expected due to wear in the power unit, so the RHP estimated suggests a very reasonable performance from the power unit in the circumstances. The RHPs are estimated from a formula determined by Alan Varley some years ago. He has subsequently warned against taking the formula as accurate; I continue to use it as I am unaware of anything more suitable. The RHPs for the higher speed are clearly rather generous, at speed over 75 mph the RHP should be declining more rapidly than suggested due to unopposed back e.m.f being produced by the traction motors. I would welcome comments from others members.
For a period in the mid 1970s, class 31s replaced Hymeks as diagrammed power on of Paddington to Worcester trains. In ‘Class 31 Diesels’ (Bradford Barton/DEG) Michael Oakley concludes that the locos were inconsistent, but the best could reach 90 mph in the up direction between Reading and Paddington, with a similar load to that taken by 31422. Overall, their performances were variable, which Oakley suggests is due to ‘inconsistent maintenance attention’. When considering the basis for this statement, it is worth knowing that Oakley was well informed as he knew Colin Marsden and Clive Burrows quite well, who both worked on the WR around this period, on the footplate and maintenance respectively. The runs recorded with 31422 confirm this as being within reach of the class if performing at their best.
Even though I had time the same week I was not inclined to repeat the exercise, mainly due to the difficulty of getting to Cheltenham from where I was staying in time for the first part of the diagram. There was also the doubt that the standard of driving would not be as good and
Milepost 26¼ - 140 - July 2005 that the other circumstances would not be so favourable so any subsequent experience would be an anti-climax, particularly on the 1655 ex Weston s Mare, when the driver exceeded the locos maximum speed. An inaccurate speedometer can often prevent running at the line/locos maximum speed. Obviously, I regret not undertaking the exercise again, but this is with the benefit of hindsight. There were many other classes of loco and routes to cover at that time.
Further in to my career as a driver, I was trained in the class, as they started to work in NW England, mainly to undertake the duties of the withdrawn class 25s. Other than a diagram on a short parcels train into Manchester, the work rarely involved a single loco the chance to be tested at high speed. Most of the train crew I came in to contact with could not believe that the class was capable of exceeding 70 mph, (except down a mineshaft), and most viewed them as an inferior replacement for the familiar class 25. A driver outside the engine arranger’s cabin at Newton Heath made one of the more printable comments to me as one of the class was shunting the fuel tanks on a trip from Warrington. A considerable noise was being produced by the loco during an attempt to ‘ease up’ while detaching the loaded tanks. He turned to me and said ‘them things are all puff n’ wind, only use is pullin a few ballast wagons.’
NEWS ALERT
NEW ROVER TICKETS FOR THE SOUTH WEST (http://www.wessextrains.co.uk/)
What has got to be first major change to Rover/Ranger tickets for many years came into effect from 12th June 2005.
The existing tickets have been replaced with the following:
Freedom of the South West - £70 for 3 days in 7, and £90 for 8 days in 15
Within an area to the west of Worcester, Gloucester, Swindon, Salisbury, Eastleigh, Portsmouth, but not beyond Cardiff or Great Malvern (including the Eastleigh to Weymouth line).
Freedom of Devon & Cornwall - £40 for 3 days in 7 and £60 for 8 days in 15 as above, but west of Axminster or Taunton only.
Freedom of Severn & Solent- £40 for 3 days in 7 and £60 for 8 days in 15. As freedom of the south west, but not west of Axminster or Taunton.
Heart of Wessex Day Ranger - £14 Bristol to Weymouth
Cornwall Day Ranger - £14 – All stations in Cornwall plus Plymouth and the Tamar Valley
Devon Day Ranger - £14 – All stations in Devon and as far east as Taunton and Axminster.
Branch line day rangers are available: Tarka line (Barnstaple) £10.30, Tamar Valley (Gunnislake (£5.20),Looe Valley (£2.80), Atlantic Coast (Newquay) (£4.90), Maritime (Falmouth) £3.00, St Ives Bay (4.00) (Group save available)
There are no time restrictions on the Freedom of South West tickets, The other rover tickets have a 0900 Monday to Friday restriction, and the Ranger tickets generally 0930 M-F
Milepost 26¼ - 141 - July 2005 LETTERS
Dear Editor,
I was very grateful for John Heaton's explanation of permitted tilt speeds through Linslade single and double bore tunnels on the West Coast Main Line in "Feedback", "Milepost 26". However, in the light of my experiences on a recent return trip by 390 from Birmingham to Euston I have to expand my original query.
The April 2005 edition of "UK Distance Chart News" shows that Northchurch tunnel is now 125 mph for tilting trains in the down direction. On the 21st April I passed through that tunnel at 123 mph on the up and later at 122 mph on the down which would indicate that the permitted tilt speed on both lines has now been raised.
As this appears to contradict the logical reasoning provided so far can anyone please explain the criteria that allows trains to run at up to 125 mph through Stowe Hill and Northchurch double track tunnels but not through similar tunnels at Kilsby, Linslade and Watford where a 110 mph limit is still imposed. I shall be very interested to learn the answer to this riddle.
Yours faithfully
David Adams
Nigel Smedley replies:
I don't profess to be any form of expert on this but my understanding is that each tunnel is subject to a calculation based on the forces of two tilting trains passing each other at maximum speed. The calculation is based on the volume of the displaced air column and the force this would impose on the passing train. Clearly the longer the tunnel and the more restrictive it is the greater is the force. Should that force reach a level that would cause the tilt mechanism to be forced back to normal then a speed restriction is applied. That is one aspect the other is the passenger comfort factor which we see at play on for instance the ECML such as at Stoke Tunnel limited to 115 for precisely this purpose and Elstree and Ampthill tunnels limited to 100 on the MML.
Tunnels at Northchurch and Stowe Hill are short in length and tilting trains can pass these at line speed whereas Linslade on the Up, Kilsby and Watford are indeed limited to 110.
In fact very few tunnels of any length are permitted for 125 mph passage whether tilt or not. The best exception is Box Tunnel where Brunel's Broad Gauge building gives the structure the sort of volume that will not have passengers clasping their ears when two high speed trains pass in the tunnel. The irony of this last example is that the gradient of the line means two HSTs will never actually pass at 125 even though they are permitted to do so.
Nigel
Malcolm Simister is preparing an article on the Wellington – Masterton service in New Zealand and needs distances for stations, tunnels, etc. If anyone has this information or knows where to obtain it please contact Malcolm at: [email protected].
Milepost 26¼ - 142 - July 2005 NEWS ALERT – HULL PIONEER LOGS
Hull Trains 222’s were introduced with the June timetable, resulting in significant acceleration to the service. No doubt members will be travelling on them in the coming months, and we look forward to logs being submitted to the editor or to Martin Robertson. Martin Barrett’s first log with the units is shown below:
Date Sun 19 June 2005 m c location m s mph Train 1042 Kings Cross - Hull 79 40 Werrington Jn 47 28 1/2 91 Motive Power 222102 81 72 Helpston 48 49 109 Position ¼ 84 64 Tallington 50 16 124/125 Recorder Martin Barrett 92 17 Little Bytham 53 51 124/123 Weather Sunny 97 07 Corby Glen 56 15 1/2 125 GPS No 99 60 Stoke Jn 57 30 1/2 124 m c location m s mph 100 39 Stoke Tnl Sth 57 52 112/115 0 04 Kings Cross (P5) 0 00 T 105 35 Grantham 61 34 0 60 Belle Isle 2 11 1/2 39/35 brake test 64 20 2 41 Finsbury Park 4 07 1/2 78 109 60 Barkston S.Jn 3 21 1/2 114 4 00 Hornsey 5 07 94 111 40 Hougham 4 13 123 5 00 Alexandra Pal 5 45 94 115 27 Claypole 6 04 125 6 37 New Southgate 6 39 1/2 99 tsr 8 28 Oakleigh Park 7 47 1/2 104 120 09 Newark NG 8 35 82 9 14 New Barnet 8 16 108 120 63 Newark Crossing 9 02 1/2 95 10 44 Hadley Wood 9 01 1/2 111 123 00 Bathley Lane 10 21 108 12 60 Potters Bar 10 10 1/2 115 126 25 Carlton 12 01 124/125 14 40 Brookmans Park 11 05 115 130 29 Egmanton 13 58 124/126 17 56 Hatfield 12 45 115 133 60 Markham Summit 15 35 1/2 125 20 20 Welwyn GC 14 05 115 135 40 Gamston 16 28 1/2 115 22 00 Welwyn North 15 00 115 Note 2 sigs 44 23 65 Woolmer Green 15 57 1/2 118 138 49 Retford 20 23 25 00 Knebworth 16 33 125 21 30 27 48 Stevenage 17 47 1/2 125 144 00 Ranskill 4 32 1/2 118/123 32 00 Hitchin 19 53 1/2 127 147 60 Bawtry 6 26 112 37 00 Arlesey 22 17 125/123 152 00 Loversall Carr 8 37 1/2 123 41 15 Biggleswade 24 17 1/2 127 D271 signal 12 14 1/2 sig 44 10 Sandy 25 42 1/2 124/126 Note 3 15 05 stop Doncaster (plat 47 38 Tempsford 27 18 1/2 125/126 155 76 4) 16 18 1/2 51 60 St.Neots 29 22 125 18 26 55 72 Offord 31 23 1/2 120 158 02 Arksey 2 04 91/99 58 67 Huntingdon 32 49 125/124 160 16 Shaftholme Jn 3 28 62 00 Leys Summit 34 20 1/2 125/124 tsr 67 20 Connington South 36 54 125 160 48 Joan Croft 3 54 52 69 26 Holme 37 53 1/2 106 163 00 Moss 5 50 1/2 91 72 63 Yaxley 39 56 102/104 165 74 Balne 7 26 1/2 119/122 Note 1 sigs 26 167 20 Heck 8 05 1/2 116 76 27 Peterborough 43 46 33 169 20 Templehirst Jn 9 25 1/2 62/76 sigs 172 20 Henwick Hall 11 56 72 78 00 New England N 46 22 58 173 02 Brayton Jn 12 33 1/2 75 Notes =174 78 Selby 14 45 1 checked by 1030 KX departing Pboro - slow acceleration so could run on greens 2 checked again by 1030 KX approaching Retford which itself was checked by 1010 KX, hence no flashing yellows into Retford. Followed by slow departure from Retford to allow preceding trains to clear 3 Stopped waiting for on time Virgin train to arrive and depart.
Milepost 26¼ - 143 - July 2005 Martin comments: The paths aren't brilliant - the 1012 from Hull and 1334 return have the best paths.
However the log does show their impressive acceleration.
Being heavy beasts, they have to observe 75 limit Hull to Selby rather than 90 for sprinters so I haven't detailed that part.
Speaking with the driver on Sunday, he was impressed with them - they have no speed limiter and could easily reach 150 - so he says BUT if caught on the black box exceeding a limit by more than 3mph then you get dismissed! - hence only occasional 127s.
Going DOWN pretty well on the limit all the way from Finsbury Park to Yaxley - the brake test probably came down lower than 35 but this was done in Copenhagen Tunnel.
Apologies for the poor reproduction of Milepost ¼ on Page 72 of the last magazine – as happens “in the field” everything looks more prominent than the milepost – in this case the “Slippery when wet” cone.
It has been suggested that we should publish pictures of interesting and unusual mileposts - provided that they can be photographed legally. We would be grateful for any pictures you have that can be published in the magazine or on the web site.
There are Risk Committees in companies all over the UK, identifying risks that have been apparent to all for generations, but it is now felt, that they must be brought to our attention - Possibly, this is also a defence in a case of litigation.
It seems that “Southern” are jumping on the band wagon (WARNING: Jumping on wagons can be dangerous), having added this warning to their new 377 EMUs. Whilst there are a number of their other units that have cables and brackets to hang on to, the 377’s seem so sleek that there is virtually nothing to hold on to.
Milepost 26¼ - 144 - July 2005