MILEPOST 31 JULY 2010 I
RPS
railway performance society www.railperf.org.uk
30th Anniversary Year
YEAR
Driving
Driving to Perfection onGWML – See Page 119 th 30 Anniversary Year
RPS
railway performance society www.railperf.org.uk through Gloucestershir
Milepost 31¼ 101 July 2010 Milepost 31¼ – July 2010
The Quarterly Magazine of the Railway Performance Society Honorary President: Gordon Pettitt, OBE, FCILT Commitee:
CHAIRMAN Frank Collins 10 Collett Way, Frome, Somerset BA11 2XR Tel: 01373 466408 e-mail [email protected] SECRETARY & VC Martin Barrett 112 Langley Drive, Norton, Malton, N Yorks, YO17 9AB (and meetings) Tel: 01653 694937 Email: [email protected] TREASURER Peter Smith 28 Downsview Ave, Storrington, W Sussex, RH20 (and membership) 4PS. Tel 01903 742684 e-mail: [email protected] EDITOR David Ashley 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW. Tel 01895 675178 E-mail: [email protected] Fastest Times Editor David Sage 93 Salisbury Rd, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23, 7JR. Tel 01202 249717 E-mail [email protected] Distance Chart Editor Ian Umpleby 314 Stainbeck Rd, Leeds, W Yorks LS7 2LR Tel 0113 266 8588 Email: [email protected] Database/Archivist Lee Allsopp 2 Gainsborough, North Lake, Bracknell, RG12 7WL Tel 01344 648644 e-mail [email protected] Technical Officer David Hobbs 11 Lynton Terrace, Acton, London W3 9DX Tel 020 8993 3788 e-mail [email protected] David Stannard 26 Broomfield Close, Chelford, Macclesfield, Cheshire,SK11 9SL. Tel 01625 861172 e mail: [email protected] Publicity/Webmaster Baard Covington, 2 Rose Cottage, Bradfield,Wix, Manningtree, Essex CO11 2SH Tel 07010 717717, E-mail: [email protected] Steam Specialist Michael Rowe Burley Cottage, Parson St., Porlock,Minehead, Somerset, TA24 8QJ . Tel 01643 862182 E-mail: [email protected] Non-committee official:- 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), Peter Smith (secretary), Martin Barrett
CONTENTS Notices 102 Fastest Times Martin Robertson 111 Driving to Perfection on GWML David Adams 119 Euston-Lichfield John Rishton 122 How the other half live David Stannard 124 125mph in the North East Pt 1 Martin Robertson 126 Leeds-Doncaster diversions Bevan Price 133 Warships on South West David Lloyd-Roberts 135 Bristolian positioning trip Bruce Nathan 143 Preserved steam on preserved railways Michael Rowe 144 What it was like 60 years ago Michael Hedges 146 Ivatt Class 2 Andrew James 151 SNCF Atlantic Coast Alan Varley 156 Letters 162 News alert 170
Enclosures (where subscribed): UK Distance Charts, Overseas fastest times, 30th Anniversary supplement, membership list Copyright The Railway Performance Society Ltd, registered in England & Wales No. 04488089 Use of the material in the magazine is permitted only for the private purposes of the reader No material in the magazine can otherwise be used for publication or reproduction in any form without the express permission of the Society
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 31¼ 102 July 2010 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 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 23¾ 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.
DISTANCE CHART EDITOR’S REPORT
Like the Society itself the Distance Charts are now 30 years old, the East Coast Main Line being first to appear in the rear of Milepost 1 edited by Bill Becket. Many people have since been involved in the supply of information and production of the charts to who we owe our thanks. The Committee position of Mileage Chart Editor has been in place for only ten years and thanks are also due to my predecessors, Nigel Smedley and John Bull, for their work in collating the information when it wasn’t as readily available as it is today. Mention should also be made of the late Eric Rudkin who did a tremendous amount of research to establish correct mileages, once even walking the 41 miles from Edinburgh to Grantshouse to try to sort out the dodgy mileposts! Back to the current day the enclosed chart issue consists mainly of lines in the Strathclyde area which completes the printing of Scottish charts apart from the Airdrie to Helensburgh corridor which will follow the reopening of the Glasgow- Bathgate-Edinburgh line in December. London-Norwich, Swindon-Gloucester and Carlisle- Dumfries-Glasgow have been reissued but production of the Nottingham-Derby-Bristol corridor charts has been put back to October. The Chart index now shows groups of traction types affected by differential speed restrictions.
Ian Umpleby July 2010
FASTEST TIMES
Please send all Fastest Times contributions to David Sage at the address on the inside cover.
Milepost 31¼ 103 July 2010 This is with the following exceptions:- John Heaton for Voyagers, 180s, Pendolinos and 222s. Bill Long for DB material.
If in doubt then e-mail or post to my contact details on the inside cover.
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.
Note that the Members area of the RPS website – see www.railperf.org.uk - has the latest GB and Overseas Fastest Times. These times are also there in the general area, but without the recorder’s initials. At present all entries are as up to date as possible from submissions received. I must confess to a time-lag with regard to the general area, but Member’s site is fine.
Please note: Can Members who submit times to John Heaton’s ‘new’ GW, ECML and GE times please check to see if they are overall FTs as well, and forward additionally to me. Thank you.
OVERSEAS CHARTS
Nothing to report.
David Sage July 2010
HISTORIC FASTEST TIMES
Would readers with the printed version of the 2009 issue please note a few corrections. On Pages 30/31 - in the "Reading / Bristol - Plymouth / Paignton" table, please insert "North / Eastbound" above the left hand side of the table, and "South / Westbound" above the right hand side of the table. Also, the date of Bill Long's record (Taunton to Bristol) with 60163 should be 08/08/2009. Sorry for any confusion that might have arisen, but proof reading of small text on a computer screen can get a bit tiring on the eyes.
Comments & offers of new records for the 2010 issue should be sent to the compiler at [email protected] (e-mail messages in plain text format, please, identifying the contents of any file attachments.) Postal messages nay be sent to 24 Walmesley Road, Eccleston, St. Helens, Lancs., WA10 5JT.
Please note that the HFT files formerly available on part of my personal website are no longer available, following my change to a broadband internet connection.
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. SALE OF THE CENTURY We are currently offering a special price of £1 per copy for a minimum of 20 magazines (including postage and packing). Not all editions are in print. Please state the issues you require, or if you want a lucky dip, state the date range you prefer.
Milepost 31¼ 104 July 2010 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, 8, 10, 12 to 19 and 21 are available and will be supplied free of charge on receipt of an A5 size stamped addressed envelope.
Distance Chart Supplements.
All supplements are issued in A5 loose leaf format. Following a review, the price of these supplements has been reduced, but they will no longer be supplied with binders.
UK Distance Supplement: £17.00
The complete collection of RPS distance charts compiled to date. Individual new and revised charts are issued with Milepost when they become available.
Overseas Distance Supplement (Section 1 France): £8.50
The complete collection of Issue 2 distance charts compiled to date. Individual new and revised charts are distributed occasionally with Milepost to those members who have paid a small supllementary membership fee.
Overseas Distance Supplement (Section 2 Ireland): £7.50
The complete set of Irish distance charts as published in 2005/6. If any revised charts are published they will be distributed with Milepost to those members who have paid a small supllementary membership fee. Historical Fastest Times 2004, 2006 Editions: £2.00 each; 2004/6/7 pack: £7.50 Orders for all above sales items please to Peter Smith. All prices include postage. Please enclose the correct remittance with your order and allow 28 days for delivery.
VOYAGER / ADELANTE / CHALLENGER / PENDOLINO RECORDS.
"The notice of members is drawn to the monthly e-mail update of Fastest times for Classes 180/220/221/220+221/222/390 and the re-opened lists for FGW/ecml and GE. If anyone would like to start receiving these lists please let me know by e-mail to [email protected]. Equally, if a current recipient wishes to withdraw his name, please let me know.
For the benefit of new members the re-opened lists refer to the fastest performances recorded on and from the arbitrary start date of 18/5/08 These are usually but necessarily slower than the printed book Fastest Times, many of which were achieved pre-data recorders and involved speeds that are unlikely to be repeated. The re-opened records are for HSTs from FGW services plus Wakefield Westgate to Penzance, Class 91s and HSTs on Fastest Time book 'ecml' sections and for Class 90s on GE sections.
Submissions must be made in excel or works spreadsheet and the format used on the lists
Milepost 31¼ 105 July 2010 issued, unless the member does not have access to the technology. This is to minimise copying errors and compilation time. It would be a good idea therefore for new members to wait until they have received an issue of the lists before participating to save them from indulging in unnecessary detail. No logs are needed for this exercise, although David Sage and Martin Robertson would appreciate a copy if the record is also a new Fastest Times book entry, as opposed to just a re-opened one.
If in doubt please do not hesitate to contact me on the above e-mail address, by phone on 01626 865526 or letter to 57 West Cliff Park Drive, Dawlish, Devon, EX7 9ER"
John Heaton THE MEETINGS SECTION
TUESDAY OCTOBER SATURDAY 30TH SATURDAY 7TH MAY 27TH JULY (date to be OCTOBER 2011 confirmed) LEEDS BRISTOL LONDON LONDON 1700 1700 1200 for 1215 1200 for 1215 Area Meeting Area Meeting Steam Performance Annual General Seminar Meeting
30th October 2010 – Steam Performance Seminar in London.
Recording and evaluating 21st Century British Steam Locomotive Performance.
The RPS Committee considers a Seminar on Steam would be of interest to many members. The first decade of this century has seen a continuing growth in both Main Line and Preserved steam activity, highlighted by events such as the commissioning of a new A1 Pacific and preserved standard gauge route mileage exceeding 30 miles.
It is hoped the day will be very participative. Would any members who wish to lead a session or have specific subjects/concerns they would like included please contact Michael Rowe by email/phone or pigeon post.
Note: This meeting will be held at The Calthorpe Arms in Grays Inn Road
Spring 2011 – Speaker to be arranged
DIRECTIONS TO THE VENUES
LONDON – The Calthorpe Arms, 252 Grays Inn Road, London WC1. 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. The Calthorpe Arms is on the left (About 10mins walk from King's Cross) OR 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) and walk to the end of Guildford Street where it meets Grays Inn Road. The Calthorpe Arms is diagonally left from the end of Guildford Street. We will use the Dining Room upstairs
LEEDS – THE GROVE INN, Back Row (off Neville Street), Leeds The Grove Inn is around 400 yards south of Leeds City station (under10 minutes walk). From the south concourse at Leeds City station go past M & S Simply Food, cross the road
Milepost 31¼ 106 July 2010 and into a circular building, go down the steps and turn sharp right at the bottom, continue under the railway on Neville Street, past the Hilton Hotel, over the river, cross Water Lane, next on the right is a large new office complex called Bridgewater Place with Starbucks and a Tesco Express, turn immediately right after Bridgewater Place into Back Lane and The Grove Inn is on the right (an old building surrounded by modern office blocks). It is highly visible from Neville Street at this point). If you are going to attend this meeting, it would help if you can let Chris Taylor know on 07941 315846 or [email protected]
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 is now open all day. Entrance is by key for members or by intercom on the door. It saves trouble if we all meet at 1700 on the concourse at Temple Meads and arrive together, but late comers can still get in by using the intercom. List of attending members no longer have to be furnished beforehand but it would help if those wishing to attend could let John Heaton know on 01626 865526 or [email protected]
FREE SOCIETY MEETINGS All society meetings are 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.
The Society has a digital projector and if any member would like to give a short presentation at a society meeting using this projector (or without if they prefer), or if anyone has any topics for discussion at meetings please contact the Meetings Organiser.
LEEDS MEETING - Tuesday 30th March, 2010
Coach Weights – A discussion took place on plated weights (painted) on the end of coaches. David Stannard said that on Pendolinos the plated weights on the coaches are described as “service weight”. He wondered what the difference between this and tare weights or design weight was? The later two are a lighter weight. Whether the “service weight” included on board fluids and does this include an allowance for passengers and luggage. The Cross Country 221 units are plated a few tons heavier due to the replacement of the shop with seats and the removal of the tilt mechanism. In addition the Great Western HST’s with the extra seats and the Cross Country heavily modified HST’s as to their current weights. In addition East Coast has recently announced the fitting of internal and exterior CCTV cameras and how the modifications affect the weights of trains.
9-coach Pendolino sets Sum of normally quoted vehicle 'build' weights 459.7t Sum of labelled vehicle 'service' weights 469.7t (apart from 390001 which is 460.3t) Alstom seem to take these as Tare (ie excluding passenger load), but I have seen one Alstom quote of the Tare weight of a 9-vehicle set as 466.0t.
Voyager weights stencilled on the sets are generally: Virgin 5-car Class 221s 283.4t Virgin 4-car Class 221s 228.3t Cross Country 5-car Class 221s Changed in the last year from 272.8t to 281.4/281.7t (most commonly the latter) Cross Country 4-car Class 220s Changed in the last year from 186.1t to 194.7/195.6t (most commonly the latter) These seem generally to be taken as Tare weights (ie excluding passenger load), but no
Milepost 31¼ 107 July 2010 information about assumed fuel/fluid weight.
All adds additional uncertainties into power output calculations.
A member submitted the Fastest Time between Dawlish and Exeter St Davids with a HST covering the distance in 10 minute 15 seconds and compared this with a recent run with a class 67 hauling 4 coaches (and a dead 67) in only 2 seconds longer. A log of a couple of runs with 46115 Scots Guardsman from Lancaster to Preston on the ill fated Cotton Mill Express this year (the train was cancelled at Preston on the first due to a train fault whilst on the second the loco failed at Kenyon Junction). On the first run 46115 hauling 11 coaches averaged 75 mph from mileposts 16 ¼ to 3 ¼. The second run suffered a 50 mph tsr. Comment was made that the first run was extremely good and was of a standard comparable if not better than in steam days.
It was reported that all the West Coast class 221 units have had a software modification which has derated the engines from 750 hp to 700 hp, but this has a much smaller effect than expected on performance. A further software modification is being trialed which reduces the power in the traction motors (this is only fitted to 2 units at present) and again minimal effect on performance is reported.
MARTIN TASKER MEMORIAL LIBRARY
The Society holds a large number of books (~150) containing articles on performance, or containing information of use to Society Members. Full details of the books held are contained in past issues of Milepost.
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 length of the loan can be flexible by agreement.
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. The entire contents of the library will shortly be listed on the Society Website.
Lee Allsopp
RPS ARCHIVES – LATEST UPDATES
The RPS Archive consists of material collected over the years from submissions and donations of material and collections by members. We are also indebted to the Steam Railway Research Society (SRRS), and the Stephenson Locomotive Society (SLS) for giving us the opportunity to scan some of their material for inclusion in our archive.
The following is a short summary of the material that is has been added to the Archive on our Website since the last issue of Milepost. The Website is generally updated on a monthly basis, normally the first Sunday in the month. It you haven’t had a look yet, then please give it a try!
• We are very fortunate to have access to the notebooks of the late Martin Tasker. There are around 180 of these, each of around 150/300 pages, and contain all Martin’s recordings including the ‘raw’ recording of milepost times. All of Martins notebooks have now been scanned, along with a number of A4 folders containing his earlier UK recordings. Latest additions cover Martin’s travels in France, Spain,
Milepost 31¼ 108 July 2010 Holland, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Australia, Japan and Poland. This collection is now complete. • Latest material from Lee Allsopp (including GPS track info) and Ian Umpleby. • Notebooks from the late Kenneth Rider have been loaned to the RPS. Years 2007 and 2008 have now been added, this collection is now complete • Latest Fastest Times added • Eight more books from the B D J Walsh Collection, covering mainly the GE Main Line between 1983 and 1991. • For the log entries in the database from Railway Magazine years 1933 – 1950, scanned images have now been added. This task is now complete as we only have permission to go as far as 1950. • Doug Twibell’s logs on the MML, GC and GE Lines, with steam, diesel and electric traction • Latest logs from Peter Smith covering 2010 to date • David Adams logs from the first quarter of 2010 • A number of logs from Tony Leopard, covering his travels in 2009, along with other logs in France, on Eurostar, and with steam on the Waterloo Southampton line • Milepost 31 • Latest journeys in 2009/2010 from John Heaton • A number of scanned notebooks from Frank Collins covering 2007/2008 • The remainder of the Ronald Nelson collection, this is now complete • Bob Jennings has kindly scanned his entire collection of logs, these are currently being entered into the database with 1981 to 1991 entered so far. • John Bull’s details of his recent European travel.
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 on the website, 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
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 150 dpi gives perfectly acceptable results, while producing files of a reasonable size (200KB-1MB depending on size of paper, density of printing etc)
Lee Allsopp
Milepost 31¼ 109 July 2010 IN COMMITTEE JUNE 2010
The committee met at Derby in June for what seemed like a routine agenda.
Peter Smith reported a slightly higher rate of non-renewals than usual but this was gauged against a record membership and an economic crisis. It was noted that the financial position was in some ways dependent on the continued Modern Locomotives Illustrated involvement but the income was being spent retrospectively. The membership list would be issued soon.
David Hobbs reported on the development of his work on assessing timing errors and David Stannard announced that he was involved in a series of meetings with railway industry engineers concerning Voyager output ratings but that these were confidential at present.
The committee wished to develop the idea of London area discussion groups on the lines of Bristol and Leeds but an organiser was still required, to book the room, chair the meeting and submit a brief report on the proceedings. If any member is able to assist, please contact any committee member.
Michael Rowe outlined the arrangements for a steam seminar meeting and the format it should take. David Ashley reported that the 30th anniversary issue was almost complete but there were currently a few missing entries. The Guide for Beginners would be reissued with a gps section in due course, although it was acknowledged that it was a relatively low priority because most new members were experienced train timers.
Support for the Stoke-Stockport mass timing day had been disappointing and it had failed to attract many members outside the small core of participants in such events.
A few publicity and website issues were identified to be followed up but there was a now a workable template on the website for members to download, allowing mileages and average speeds to be calculated automatically.
A review of the contents of the FT booklets (European mainland, Ireland and Britain) was to be undertaken in the light of members’ comments, as was the print size of documents.
The committee thanked Ian Umpleby for his dedication in compiling route tables. Ian would add significant gradient information in the future, as the opportunity and availability allowed.
John Heaton Dawlish June 2010
Milepost 31¼ 110 July 2010 Fastest Times Update
Martin Robertson
Welcome to another look at the latest Fastest Times from around the country. My thanks to all those who have contributed. We include a jointly timed run with Frank Collins timing the Highland Chieftan on the East Coast route, from York to Edinburgh, before Frank returned south on the next available service. This was after our visit the Trans Pennine simulator at the York depot. There were no times kept of the participants efforts at driving a Class 185 unit but some were more successful than others in stopping correctly in the stations. Weather conditions varied from beautiful sunshine to blizzard conditions in winter at the touch of a button. A thoroughly entertaining and stimulating visit with all our thanks to the Trans Pennine staff who looked after us.
Table 1 Mlge Ms Ch LOCA TION Mn Sc Av Spd Comm Unit 221110/143 47.00 47 00 Harthope Viaduct 26 39 96.5 psr Load 9:499/510 49.75 49 60 Beattock Summit 28 27 91.5 Train 7 20 Birmingham-Glasgow 51.60 51 48 Bodsbury 29 39 92.9 Date Sat 24.4.10 52.61 52 49 Elvanfoot 30 12 109.5 Recorder/Position Sandy Smeaton 55.10 55 08 Craw ford 31 34 109.5 Mlge Ms Ch LOCA TION Mn Sc Av Spd Comm 57.86 57 69 Abington 33 12 101.7 psr 0.00 0 00 CARLISLE (P 1) 0 00 ~6¾L 60.25 60 20 Wandelmill (MP) 34 41 95.9 0.75 0 60 Caldew Jn 1 54 23.7 63.25 63 20 Lamington 36 21 108.5 2.08 2 06 Kingmoor 3 05 66.9 64.66 64 53 Wyndales OB 37 06 112.3 4.00 4 00 MP 4 18 95.6 66.61 66 49 Symington UB 38 04 121.0 6.09 6 07 Floriston 5 24 113.9 68.50 68 40 Thankerton 38 59 124.7 7.50 7 40 MP 6 04 125.6 70.05 70 04 Leggatfoot OB 39 43 126.8 8.75 8 60 Gretna Jn 6 42 117.8 71.60 71 48 Pettinain 40 32 113.9 10.25 10 20 Quintinshill (MP) 7 38 96.6 psr 73.61 73 49 CARSTAIRS 41 46 97.5 psr 12.15 12 12 Grahamshill (LC) 8 47 99.6 76.00 76 00 Lanark Jn 43 15 96.0 13.00 13 00 Kirkpatrick 9 15 107.9 78.46 78 37 Craigenhill 44 45 99.4 15.00 15 00 Merkland UB 10 19 112.1 80.69 80 55 Braidw ood 46 07 97.1 16.75 16 60 Kirtlebridge 11 11 121.2 81.94 81 75 CARLUKE 46 52 99.3 18.281822FB 1158 117.1 84.00 84 00 Law Jn 48 12 93.5 psr 20.21 20 17 Ecclefechan 12 58 116.8 84.75 84 60 Garriongill Jn 48 56 61.4 psr 22.182214Breconhill OB* 1359 115.8 86.40 86 32 Wishaw South UB 50 17 72.7 23.53 23 42 Gibsons OB 14 45 106.3 87.75 87 60 SHIELDMUIR 51 06 100.0 25.84 25 67 LOCKERBIE 16 01 109.1 89.44 89 35 MOTHERWELL 52 12 91.5 28.69 28 55 Nethercleugh 17 25 122.9 91.75 91 60 Douglas Park 53 48 87.2 33.483338OB 1941 126.5 93.85 93 68 UDDINGSTON 55 11 91.1 34.96 34 77 Wamphray Water 20 23 125.4 95.75 95 60 NEWTON 56 25 92.1 36.89 36 71 Murthat (OB) 21 19 124.5 97.28 97 22 CAMBUSLANG 57 35 78.5 38.88 38 70 A701 N 22 16 126.3 99.05 99 04 Rutherglen FB 58 58 77.5 39.75 39 60 Beattock 22 42 120.0 100.30 100 24 Polmadie Bridge 59 59 72.7 43.004300MP 2418 122.1 101.50 101 40 Eglinton Street Jn 62 17 31.4 45.14 45 11 Greskine (SS) 25 29 107.6 102.00 102 00 MP 63 36 22.6 102.26 102 21 GLASGOW C (2) 65 02 11.0 1 ¼ E Scheduled: 73m We start on the WCML north of Carlisle where Sandy Smeaton continues his near monopoly of the fastest Times with an excellent run on the 7 20 from Birmingham which was just late enough to allow the recovery time on the final section to be used to achieve a punctual arrival in Glasgow after an unchecked run through the Glasgow suburbs - a very rare event - and a relatively quick entry into Glasgow Central. Sandy’s comments are: The Preston departure was 9 minutes late. The time to Lancaster was 15m 32s due to the tsr at Mp 14, to
Milepost 31¼ 111 July 2010 Penrith 34m 56s and 13m 11s to Carlisle. The 3 minute station time at Carlisle helped to reduce lateness to less than 7 minutes. The start to Gretna Jn was ahead of 390049 on 31.08.08, the current Class 390 record, by 4 seconds, but then fell 17s behind at Symington. At Carstairs this was down to 4 seconds and by Motherwell the Voyagers were ahead by 26s. However despite a tsr at Larkfield Jn, a platform was available in Glasgow Central as we were arriving only slightly early and the current best Pendolino time was bettered by 36 seconds.
Tables 2 and 3 feature the York to Newcastle and Berwick Upon Tweed to Edinburgh sections from the East Coast Highland Chieftan. There was a punctual departure from York with a relatively generous schedule to Newcastle. The driver appeared initially to cruise in the low 120’s before reaching 126 after Northallerton. Speeds north of Darlington were up to the line speeds, before a slight signal check on King Edward Bridge before arriving in Newcastle 8 minutes early.
Table 2 Miles M C Location m s mph ave Unit 43308/43313 38.95 38 76 Eryholme 22 30 117/111 120.2 Load 9,305/330/475 41.49 41 39 Croft Spa 23 50 112 114.3 Train 12 00 KX-Inverness 43.04 43 03 Bypass Ob 24 41 98/90* 108.3 Date Sat 17.04.2010 44.15 44 12 Darlington 25 23 91 96.3 Recorder/position/GPS F Collins/M Robertson 5/9 Y 45.86 45 69 Springfield 26 30 94/96 91.2 Miles M C Location m s mph ave 48.00 48 00 Mp 27 52 90/84 94.0 49.59 49 47 Aycliffe 28 58 86.0 86.7 0.00 0 00 York d 0 00.0 51.91 51 73 Preston Manor 30 27 100.0 93.8 1.05 1 04 York Yard North 2 23.5 49 26.3 54.29 54 23 Bradbury 31 50 107.0 103.2 1.66 1 53 Skelton Jn 3 00.0 63 60.2 57.00 57 00 Ferryhill 33 21 112/114 107.8 3.20 3 16 Skelton Bridge 4 16.0 83 72.9 58.96 58 77 Tursdale Jn 34 23 112.0 113.8 5.50 5 40 Beningborough 5 47.5 99 90.5 60.26 60 21 Hett Mill 35 07 100.0 106.4 8.29 8 23 Halfw ay Sign 7 23.0 110 105.2 61.90 61 72 Croxdale 36 07 93.0 97.6 9.70 9 56 Tollerton 8 08.5 114 111.6 63.00 63 00 Mp 36 51 88.0 90.0 11.24 11 19 Alne 8 56.5 117 115.5 64.91 64 73 Relly Mill 38 15 75* 82.3 13.37 13 30 Raskelf 10 01.0 121 118.9 66.18 66 14 Durham 39 14 79.0 76.8 16.00 16 00 Pilmoor 11 19.0 122 121.4 67.56 67 45 New ton Hall 40 15 87.0 81.4 17.96 17 98 Sessay 12 17.5 120 120.6 69.99 70 06 Plaw sw orth 41 49 103.0 93.1 20.00 20 00 Mp 13 18.0 121 121.4 71.81 71 72 Chester le Street 42 51 114.0 105.7 22.19 22 15 Thirsk 14 22.5 123 122.2 73.44 73 42 Ousten Jn 43 41 117.0 118.5 24.34 24 27 Overbridge 15 24.5 125 124.8 74.67 74 61 Birtley 44 19 115.0 115.0 26.55 26 44 Otterington 16 29.5 123 122.4 76.32 76 33 Tyne Yard 45 12 112.0 113.1 28.48 28 38 Y/D Eng B'ary 17 26.0 123 123.0 77.55 77 51 Low Fell 45 55 101.8 30.00 30 00 Northallerton 18 11.0 123 121.6 78.91 79 00 Bensham 46 51 62.0 88.2 33.76 33 61 Danby Wiske 19 58.5 126 125.9 79.36 79 36 K E B S'th Jn 47 36 25/sc3 36.0 37.18 37 14 Cow ton 21 36.5 123 125.6 79.91 80 00 Mp 50 08 20.0 13.0 80.14 80 18 New castle arr 50 55 17.4
Berwick upon Tweed was left punctually, again on a generous schedule to Edinburgh. The driver ran up to the line speeds where possible and with only a slight tsr after Portobello and a signal approach at Calton Hill Tunnel, possible for entry to Platform 8 in Edinburgh Waverley, on the south side of the station, where arrival was 5 minutes early. In comparison with other recent runs, the times to Portobello were very similar to other HST and Class 91 runs.
Milepost 31¼ 112 July 2010 Table 3 miles m c Location m s mph ave Unit 43308/43313 21.37 36 06 Dunglass Viad 16 46.0 84 82.0 Load 9,305/330/475 23.65 33 64 Innerw ick 18 14.5 102/108 92.7 Train 12 00 KX-Inverness 26.29 31 13 Oxw ellmains Ob 19 44.0 106/110 106.2 Date Sat 17.04.2010 28.36 29 05 Dunbar 21 00.5 85* 97.4 Recorder/position/GPS F Collins/M Robertson 5/9 Y 30.45 27 00 Beltonford 22 25.0 94 89.0 miles m c Location m s mph ave 32.51 24 75 Stenton Fb 23 40.5 103 98.2 34.09 23 29 East Linton 24 37.0 101* 100.7 0.00 67 00 BERWICK U TWEED d 0 00.0 (-) 35.37 22 14 Markle 25 19.0 100 0.0 1.00 68 00 Marshall Meadow s 2 05.0 55 28.8 36.75 20 56 East Fortune 26 10.5 105 69.9 3.30 54 12 Sig EG402 4 05.0 78 69.0 39.70 17 60 DREM 27 46.5 113/105* 86.3 5.57 51 70 Burnmouth 5 42.5 91/96 83.8 42.69 14 61 Aberlady Jn 29 26.0 108 82.1 7.20 50 20 Ayton 6 45.5 81* 93.1 44.20 13 20 LONGNIDDRY 30 15.5 111 118.5 7.96 49 39 Bone Mill 7 19.0 80* 81.7 45.79 11 53 St Germains 31 08.5 110 51.6 11.16 46 23 Reston 9 29.0 95 88.6 47.97 9 38 PRESTONPANS 32 18.5 113 164.6 13.22 44 18 Mount Alban 10 49.5 91 92.1 49.76 7 55 Wallyford 33 14.0 119 133.6 14.954240Mp 1202.0 81 85.9 51.37 6 06 Monktonhall Jn 34 11.0 95* 109.3 16.24 41 17 Grantshouse 13 01.5 78 78.1 52.27 5 14 MUSSELBRGH 34 44.5 96/98 138.6 17.45 40 00 Penmanshiel S'mt 14 01.0 71* 73.2 54.06 3 31 Portobello Jn 35 54.0 90/68tsr 62.7 18.04 39 33 Nellies Bridge 14 30.0 76/92 73.2 56.01 1 35 St Margaret's T'l (E) 37 32.0 70 21.7 20.96 36 39 Cockburnspath 16 28.0 88 89.1 56.86 0 47 Calton S T'l (E) 38 42.0 19sc 150.2 21.37 36 06 Dunglass Viad 16 46.0 84 82.0 57.45 0 00 EDINBURGH WAV a 40 36.0 12.9
Table 4 returns to the WCML with an excellent effort between Carlisle and Preston recorded by Bevan Price. He could not obtain a seat on a busy service and his Gps unit would not pick up signals from within the vestibule area. The speeds shown on the logs are averages. Bevan’s comments were, It was pretty full, and the only seat I could get was a gangway seat at which I could not get any GPS signal - therefore all speeds shown are point to point averages. As far as I can judge, there was no excessive speeding, and breaking records arose from optimum breaking into each stop, coupled with an absence of signal checks or significant tsr's.
Table 4 Miles m c Location m s avg. Unit 390037 41.21 27 71 Low Gill 15 24.3 103.0 Load 9,460/480 42.94 26 13 Grayrigg 16 35.0 87.8 Train 1640 Glas-Euston 44.85 24 20 Lambrigg 17 52.3 89.1 Date Thur 01/04/2010 46.63 22 38 Hay Fell 18 59.7 94.8 Recorder/position/GPS B Price 9/9 N 50.00 19 08 OXENHOLME 21 51.0 70.9
Miles M c Location m s av 0 00.0 53.60 15 40 Hincaster Jcn 3 06.4 69.5 0.00 69 08 CARLISLE 0 0 6L 55.53 13 46 Milnthorpe 4 06.1 116.1 1.36 67 59 Upperby Bridge J 3 05.3 26.5 58.35 10 60 Burton & Holme 5 27.7 124.6 4.94 64 13 Wreay 5 32.3 87.6 62.81 6 23 Carnforth 7 37.1 124.1 7.41 61 55 Southwaite 7 03.5 97.7 64.71 4 31 Bolton-le-Sands 8 33.6 121.1 10.71 58 31 Calthwaite 8 44.0 118.2 65.96 3 11 Hest Bank 9 14.1 111.1 13.04 56 05 Plumpton 9 55.3 117.4 69.10 0 00 LANCASTER 12 07.0 65.3 17.84 51 21 PENRITH 12 57.0 95.1 0.00 20 79 0 00.0 0.0 0 00.0 0.96 20 02 Lancaster No.1 1 49.5 31.6 21.10 48 00 Eden Valley Jcn 2 58.0 66.0 3.19 17 64 Oubeck 3 21.0 87.5 22.11 46 79 Clifton 3 37.3 92.7 4.31 16 54 Galgate 3 57.0 112.5 25.73 43 xx Thrimby Grange 6 33.3 86.7 5.70 15 23 Bay Horse 4 39.2 118.4 27.44 41 53 Harrisons Sdg 7 21.6 81.1 8.26 12 58 Scorton 5 51.1 128.3 29.39 39 57 Shap 8 31.7 100.1 11.55 9 35 Garstang 7 26.9 123.5 31.49 37 49 Shap Summit 9 52.7 93.3 13.54 7 36 Brock 8 25.1 122.9 33.95 35 12 Scout Green 11 27 94.0 16.25 4 59 Barton 9 43.3 124.9 36.89 32 17 Tebay 12 53.1 122.8 19.65 1 27 Oxheys 11 42.3 102.9 20.99 0 00 PRESTON 13 54.0 36.6 .
Milepost 31¼ 113 July 2010 Table 5 Day/Date Tuesday 30th March 2010 Train 15:38 Hull to Man Picc Motive Power 170.308 Load (tons) 92/100 = 8.4hp/ton Weather dry Rec. Pos. GPS J Rishton - 2/2 - No Miles mm cc location PTT Sch mm:s average 0 30 78 Selby 0 00:00 1 early 2.50 2 27 Thorpe Gates xc 03:46 39.8 3.93 3 60 ECML ub 04:52 78.0 5.93 5 62 down sidings east pts 06:24 78.3 7.87 7 55 South Milford east ptf cen 07:47 81.1 11.08 10 72 Micklefield east ptf cen 10:06 83.5 12.91 12 58 East Garforth exit 11:49 63.9 13.43 13 22 Garforth 14 12:41 36.0
For Table 5 we have on offering from John Rishton on a new section to the Fastest Times list, from Selby to Garforth. This section is served by the Hull to Manchester Piccadily route which utilises Class 170 Turbostar units for traction. The schedules appears to be relatively slack with the 14 minute timing improved upon by over a minute. John’s comments are, There is a slow exit from Selby whichever way you leave. Once beyond the restricted area speed rose through Thorpe Gates and by the ECML bridge we had reached 78mph. Shortly after this either the rising grade out of the Aire flood plain to take its toll, or the line speed has been reduced to 80mph.
On the mainly 1 in 136 climb speed slowly rose to 85mph by the easing from Micklefield though with the next station stop approaching, no further acceleration took place and we slowed, now on level track for East Garforth.
Table 6 Unit 43040/43025 43187/43010 Load 2+7 2+8 Train 16.36 Padd-Exeter SD 16.33 Padd-Exeter SD Date 5/5/10 18/5/09 Recorder/Position J. Heaton 7/9 J. Heaton 8/10 Dec. M. Chns Mls Timing Point Sch. Min. Sec. M.P.H. Ave. Sch Min. Sec. M.P.H. Ave. 53 06 0.00 NEWBURY d. 0 0 0 1E 0 0 00 T 56 08 3.03 Hamstead 3 29 92/100 52.1 3 31 89/99 51.6 58 39 5.41 Kintbury 4 59 88 95.5 5 02 90/91 94.5 61 43 8.46 Hungerford a. 8 7 51 63.8 8 7 29 74.7 61 43 0.00 d. 10 9 51 10 9 25 65 22 3.74 Little Bedwyn [1] 3 52 98 58.0 [1] 4 03 94 55.4 66 34 4.89 Bedwyn 6 4 34 99 98.6 6 4 46 100 96.3 68 04 6.51 Crofton LC 5 41 67 87.3 5 50 68 91.4 70 08 8.56 Savernake 7 15 85½ 78.5 7 29 82 74.5 70 67 9.30 Burbage 7 45 97/100 88.5 - - - 72 40 10.96 Wootton Rivers 8 46 99 98.1 9 01 101/103 93.9 75 27 13.80 PEWSEY a. 13½ 11 24 64.7 13 11 28 69.5
For table 6 we turn to the former Western Region and the line to Plymouth. John Heaton provides two offerings between Newbury, Hungerford and Pewsey with HST’s and seven or eight coach loads. The additional coach slightly hindered the acceleration on the second run, but the driver made by far the better approaches to the station stops, although this was not
Milepost 31¼ 114 July 2010 quite enough to take the Hungerford to Pewsey record. John’s comments are: Had a 2+7 HST last night with good starts and poor stops but thought I had taken the above two records, only to find that I had beaten Newbury-Hungerford by a substantial margin last year. I attach a table with two logs in it- New-Hung from last year and Hung-Pewsey from last night but have included both sections for both trains as they show an interesting 2+7/2+8 comparison.
Table 7 moves further south west with runs between Dawlish and Exeter and Taunton and Tiverton Parkway. The Dawlish to Exeter section has 67017 with in effect a six coach trailing load, almost equalling the best HST time between the stations. John’s comments are, Had the attached log run today- remarkably just 2 sec slower than fastest HST time and 17th fastest out of 1328 on database including Voyagers. Does not qualify for any published FT entries though, except perhaps best loco hauled by a mile. Have tabulated it next to the fastest HST for comparison.
Table 7 Loco/Unit 43183/43xxx 67017 Load 2+7 4Mk2 aircon +dead 67022 224/230 Train 13.08 Plymouth-York 12.47 Pgn-Cardiff Date 23/8/88 26/3/10 Weather Rain Recorder/Position/GPS J. Heaton -/9 No J. Heaton 4/6 Yes Yes Miles Chns Miles Timing Point Sch M. S. M.P.H. Ave. Sch M. S. M.P.H. Ave. 206 07 0.00 Dawlish d. 0 0 00 0 0 00 6½L 204 40 1.59 Dawlish Warren 2 2 07 72/82 45.0 2½ 2 13 74/84 43.0 202 36 3.64 Starcross [1] 3 43 75 76.9 [1] 3 44 79/78 81.1 200 50 5.46 Powderham 5 07 81 79.2 198 59 7.35 Exminster 6 30 92/104 80.0 6 23 96 89.4 197 70 8.21 A38 bridge 6 55 101 97.0 197 13 13.00 Countess Wear Br 7 20 104 102.6 195 16 10.89 City Basin 8 41 80 97.2 8 36 72 93.0 194 66 11.26 Exeter St. Thomas 8 58 75 79.4 8 56 68 67.5 193 72 12.19 Exeter St. D. a. 12 10 15 43.2 13 10 17 41.1
Loco 67017 67017 Load formation 4Mk2 air con + dead 67022 4Mk2 air con + dead 67022 Vehicles/tare/gross tonnes 5/225/230 5/225/230 Train 12.47 Pgn-Cardiff 12.47 Pgn-Cardiff Date 9/4/10 27/4/10 Rec/Pos/GPS? J. Heaton 4/6 Yes J. Heaton 4/7 Yes M. Chns Mls Timing Point Sch. Min. Sec. M.P.H. Ave. Min. Sec. M.P.H. Ave. 193 72 0.00 Exeter St. David's d. 0 0 00 1E 0 00 192 52 2.25 Cowley Bridge Jct. 3 2 06 60 64.3 2 08 61 63.3 190 16 3.70 Stoke Canon 4 07 83 43.1 4 08 82 43.5 185 41 8.39 Hele and B. 7 14 97/100 90.3 7 15 98/101 90.3 181 28 12.55 Cullompton 9 45 99 99.2 9 46 100 99.2 179 08 14.80 Tiverton Jct 11 10 92 95.3 11 09 96 97.6 177 26 16.57 Tiverton P. a. 17 13 12 52.2 13 11 52.2 Timed for Class 142 The second part of the Table includes two runs between Taunton and Tiverton Parkway, both with 67017 providing power. The runs had virtually identical times throughout with never
Milepost 31¼ 115 July 2010 more than two seconds between the runs. John appears to think the runs are entirely routine, with no real comments on either run.
Finally in Table 8 there are a selection of runs with Class 90 haulage on the East Anglia route. The runs between Stratford and Chelmsford were both routine, but avoided the all to frequent signal checks on the route. The Ipswich to Manningtree to Colchester sections were recorded in 2009 and involved significant over speeding of the 100mph line limit.
Table 8 Andy’s comments are, The Loco 90002 Chelmsford-Stratford record Load 9 was running 24 late ex Train 13.30 Liverpool Street-Norwich Chelmsford so the signalmen Date Saturday 23 August 2008 must have made an effort to Recorder/Position Andrew Clark/2of9 give it a clear road because Miles m c Timing Point M. S. M.P.H Ave. of its turnround time in 0.00 3 78 Stratford 0 00 Liverpool Street. 1.32 5 24 Forest Gate 2 02 64/73 39.7 The run of 90029 from 2.22 6 16 Manor Park 2 50 71.5 68.4 Ipswich to Liverpool Street 3.36 7 29 Ilford 3 47 74 72.8 was an adrenaline rush with 4.62 8 48 Seven Kings 4 43 80.5 81.8 fast starts excellent top speed 5.26 9 19 Goodmayes 5 12 79 81.0 (especially in this day and 6.02 10 00 Chadwell Heath 5 52 79 69.5 age ) and not too bad on the 8.39 12 29 Romford 7 34 77 84.5 brakes. The Colchester- 9.52 13 40 Gidea Park 8 26 78.5 79.1 Chelmsford record would also 10.94 14 73 Harold Wood 9 35 75 74.7 have gone except for the long 14.16 18 11 Brentwood 12 01 78 80.6 term ROS at Marks Tey. The 16.15 20 10 Shenfield 13 40 74.5/91 73.3 most annoying thing about this run is not being on it from 19.65 23 50 Ingatestone 16 02 89 89.7 Norwich as it came flying into 20.86 24 67 Church Lane x 16 54 90 84.6 Ipswich with the Station clock 23.19 27 13 Margaretting ub 18 32 89.5 87.0 showing a time of under 9 25.75 29 58 Chelmsford 21 08 59.7 mins from Stowmarket
depending how punctually it Loco 90008 left there. Load 9 Train 11.30 Norwich-Liverpool Street The last run has generated a Date Saturday 23 August 2008 significant number of emails Recorder/Position Andrew Clark from Baard Covington, John 25.75 29 58 Chelmsford 0 00 Heaton and David Sage, a 23.19 27 13 Margaretting ub 3 05 78/84 49.9 chain of which are attached 19.65 23 50 Ingatestone 5 46 81 80.5 below:- 16.15 20 10 Shenfield 8 27 57* 78.8 14.16 18 11 Brentwood 10 12 82.5 68.1 John:- ( to Andy Clark) 10.94 14 73 Harold Wood 12 37 80 80.7 Looking a the high speed of 9.52 13 40 Gidea Park 13 42 76 76.8 90029 I wonder if this is due 8.39 12 29 Romford 14 34 78.5 78.8 to it being an EWS loco - if I 6.02 10 00 Chadwell Heath 16 23 79 81.7 am right. I sometimes think 5.26 9 19 Goodmayes 16 53 79 78.0 that on-loan locos must have 4.62 8 48 Seven Kings 17 23 80 78.0 something funny about 3.36 7 29 Ilford 18 20 79 78.9 downloading the black box- 2.22 6 16 Manor Park 19 12 76 78.8 that Anglia driver managers 1.32 5 24 Forest Gate 19 58 72 73.4 0.00 3 78 Stratford 21 45 . Loco 90029 will never get to look at it and EWS driver managers have something better to do. And Milepost 31¼ 116 driver pay check July 2010code identification entered in black box are too much trouble to trace. You could argue that an Load 8 Train 17.30 Norwich-Liverpool Street Date 39904 Recorder/Position Andrew Clark/7of8 Miles m c Timing Point M. S. M.P.H Ave. 0.00 68 59 Dep Ipswich 0 00 0.77 67 77 Halifax Junction 1 39 57.5 31.8 1.74 67 00 67 2 25 78.5 74.3 2.74 66 00 66 3 07 89 85.7 3.74 65 00 65 3 46 96 92.3 4.74 64 00 64 4 22 105 100.0 5.65 63 07 Bentley x 4 52 108 106.5 6.74 62 00 62 5 30 104 105.4 8.74 61 00 61 6 05 102 102.9 8.90 59 67 Manningtree Nth Jn 7 00 54 62.2 9.32 59 33 Arr Manningtree 7 52 37.2 0.00 Dep Manningtree 0 00 0.41 59 00 59 0 58 48 31.8 1.41 58 00 58 1 54 75 64.3 2.41 57 00 57 2 37 88.5 83.7 3.36 56 04 Ardleigh x 3 13 102/106 93.8 5.41 54 00 54 4 25 99 103.1 6.90 52 41 Clacton Line 5 20 83.5 89.2 7.89 51 42 Arr Colchester 6 40 43.9 easy days. The latter also perhaps reflected equally with the late Ken Barlow's 117 or so with a 442 through Eastleigh on the Basingstoke/Soton Parkway FT, a mere 27 above the PSR. A REP driver, when I mentioned it to him said that he was doing around 110, and said that 'the speedo only goes to 90, after that it's guesswork'. Excellent!
John:- As an afterthought- some of the driver managers were serial offenders in their younger days, including one (only) 40yr old I was with the other week Tn-Ply-Exeter who was a certain bet for 104+ with a 47 in the late 1990s.
Baard:- Would a driver manager be in serious trouble if an accident arose due to overspeeding - where it later transpired that he wasn't regularly spot checking his drivers for speeding?
How much time does the average driver manager or assistant, colleagues etc have to check data downloads as part of their everyday duties? How much of a 'police' type role does a driver manager have?
Surely the OTMR equipment is standard across the board, and therefore regular checks would be made regardless of who owns the loco?
Or could it be that drivers 'believe' that they are less likely to be reprimanded or 'checked' when using an on-loan loco?
John:- He would be in trouble if he had not done his downloads and there had been no accident and no over speeding. It is all tick sheet and safety audit. DMs have to do competence rides announced and unannounced with every driver on strict periodicity depending on firm (within an industry guideline). All equipment is not the same nor are downloads. I have been told for instance that EMT HSTs are much harder to read. Data recorders have been developed over a number of years they are not all the 1995 version or
Milepost 31¼ 117 July 2010 whatever.... as you indeed would expect. DM role is about 25% each training, monitoring, rostering implications and face to face management issues. roughly. Probably nearer 40% monitoring and the rest 20 per cent. Spent a lot of time with them this month. 1400 cab miles. Yes, drivers believe they will be less likely to be checked because of incompatibilities, and the loco and inspector not being as likely to meet up especially if driver has just had a local download done as well. And less likely to appear at Crown Point in this case.
John:- (To David) I'm in your camp on these speeds - but very few driver managers would be in this day and age, and anything much over 104 would be picked up, even consistent 103/104 I suspect. Think they have to reach a certain pickiness rating on the tick box sheet they probably use to apply for the job.
David:- John is indeed correct with the 'tick-box' culture - provided the Driver Manager, or whatever they may be termed this week, fulfill their obligations to satisfy the person above them that due checks etc. have been carried out on their drivers, then they are 'blame free' should a suitably checked driver then be in an incident. The 'audit trail', not quite one of those quaint trails like 'Tarka' etc., would have been met and said DM blameless and the driver the potentially guilty party.
As John again mentioned, a steady over-speed would be frowned on somewhat more than a 'blip'. GW (and probably all?) HSTs are limited, and the odd 127/8 is probably within the remit - quite why similar 'safeguards' cannot be deployed on electric (loco or e.m.u) stock is a puzzle - if they are, then I would be interested.
Performance has become too sanitized - if I compare 22x runs from Winchester to Basing there is quite often - given same carriage and same formation - quite often around a second difference until you approach Worting. Alterations after that are due, generally, to braking to stop and perhaps less than favourable signal aspects, and even an element of boredom. Not only for the recorder.
My thanks to all who have contributed logs over the last three months. As usual my email address is on the inside front cover. Files in Excel or Word are the simplest to deal with.
DRIVING TO PERFECTION ON THE GWML
Milepost 31¼ 118 July 2010
DAVID ADAMS
I regularly attend the RPS meetings at Bristol but usually avoid using FGW HST’s on my circuitous journeys from Birmingham. On 25th June 2009 I had to leave home later than usual and broke that rule deciding to travel by 390 from Birmingham International to Euston and take the 14.00 from Paddington to Bristol. A frustrating diversion to slow line between Hanslope North Jnc. and Bourne End Jnc. (31¼ miles at an average of 36 mph) due to signalling problems at Ledburn resulted in a 46 minute late arrival at Euston so my next option was the 14.30 from Paddington, a blessing in heavy disguise as things turned out.
PADDINGTON-BRISTOL TM Hitherto my personal Train 1430 Paddington-Bristol TM experiences of modern Loco 43185/43179 day FGW MTU HST Load 2+8, 269/285 performance have Date We 25-Jun-09 featured, almost without D Adams 2/10 Sunny Warm exception, runs of Recorder/Pos/weather/GPS Y mediocrity with over ACTUAL SPEED AVE cautious driving involving MILES M C M.S. MPH MPH slow starts, slow stops and 0.00 0 12 PADDINGTON (P3 0 (RT) a reluctance to run at full 1.10 1 20 Westbourne Park 2.51½ 38 23.1 line speed. I found power RBT 28* cars “Great Western” and 2.64 2 63 Old Oak Common 4.52 64 46.0 “Pride of Laira” at either 4.09 4 19 Acton Main Line 6.01 84/90 75.7 end of the 14.30, names Sigs? 88* that are hardly 5.54 5 55 Ealing Broadway 7 94 88.5 synonymous with 7.20 7 28 Hanwell 7.58½ 104 102.2 mediocrity and, 8.93 9 06 Southall 8.56½ 112 107.4 surprisingly, I was not 10.78 10 74 Hayes & H. 9.54½ 118 114.8 disappointed with what 13.09 13 19 West Drayton 11.02½ 125/126 122.3 followed. With a right time 14.56 14 57 Iver 11.45 125 124.5 departure there was Sigs. certainly no need for haste 16.10 16 22 Langley 12.31 107* 120.5 to keep the 26 minute Sigs. schedule to Reading as 18.29 18 35 SLOUGH 14.42 28*/26* 60.2 we were unlikely to escape 20.78 20 74 Burnham 17.18½ 75 57.3 a signal check on the Eased approach to Reading if we 22.30 22 36 Taplow 18.3 78 76.5 were even slightly early at 24.11 24 21 Maidenhead 19.52½ 80 79.0 that point. This is due to a 27.89 28 03 Shottesbrook 22.4 82 81.2 previous service from 29.53 29 54 Rushcombe 23.51 85 83.1 Paddington using the 30.89 31 02 Twyford 24.47½ 87/90 86.7 down main, a 90 mph Sigs. class 166 on the 14.21 to 33.43 33 46 Sonning Cutting 26.31 86/19*/38 88.3 Great Malvern which calls 35.83 35 75 READING (PLAT 4) 30.33 at Slough and departs 0.00 0 (5½ L) Reading at 14.53, just 3 Sigs. 31* minutes before our arrival 1.06 37 03 Reading West J.RR 2.04½ 56 30.7 on the same platform. 2.67 38 52 Tilehurst 3.26½ 83 70.7 There is also a 100 mph 5.56 41 43 Pangbourne 5.15½ 105 95.4 class 332 working to follow 6.87 42 68 Skew Bridge 5.59½ 111 104.8 out of Paddington, the 8.77 44 60 Goring & S. 6.59½ 117 114.0 m s act mph ave
Milepost 31¼ 119 July 2010 10.56 46 43 South Stoke 7.53 122 120.4 12.46 48 35 Cholsey & M. 8.48½ 125/126 123.2 15.17 51 12 Moreton Cutt’g OB 10.07½ 122 123.5 14.25 to Heathrow Airport 17.16 53 11 DIDCOT PARKWAY 12.16 55.8 which uses the down main to 0.00 53 11 DIDCOT PARKWAY 0 (4 L) Airport Junction, 11 miles out. 0.61 53 60 Foxhall Jnc. 1.23½ 49 26.3 3.34 56 38 Steventon 3.38 91 73.1 Departure from Paddington 7.31 60 28 Wantage Road 5.53½ 112 105.5 was therefore an unhurried 10.70 63 67 Challow 7.41½ 120 113.0 affair. The mandatory running 13.40 66 43 Uffington RR 9.00 126 122.3 brake test was made just after 15.86 69 00 Knighton 10.10½ 124 125.6 Westbourne Park and we took 18.32 71 37 Shrivenham 11.22 125 123.8 4m 52s to pass Old Oak 21.04 74 14 Marston West 12.40 125 125.5 Common at 64 mph. I could 24.15 77 23 SWINDON (PLAT 4) 15.04 77.7 not help reflecting that, 0.00 0 (3½ L) despite very costly 0.71 78 00 Rodbourne Lane 1.28½ 55 28.9 remodelling of the layout on 2.71 80 00 Hay Lane 3.06½ 88 73.5 the Paddington approaches in 5.57 82 69 Wootton Bassett OB 4.49½ 110 100.0 more recent times, my first 7.71 85 00 MP 85 5.55½ 121/127 116.7 HST run 33 years ago passed 10.45 87 59 Dauntsey 7.15 124 124.1 this point in 3m 58s at 84 12.66 89 76 Christian Malford 8.19 125 124.3 mph, albeit with one vehicle 15.39 92 54 Langley 9.38 118 124.4 less and before Hex, and a 16.66 93 75 CHIPPENHAM 10.50 63.5 Reading arrival was often 0.00 0 (2 L) achieved inside 22 minutes. 2.15 96 00 Thingley Jnc. 2.47½ 78 47.9 Today there are just too many 4.40 98 28 Corsham 4.22 96 85.7 trains timetabled over the 5.20 99 12 Box Tunnel EP 4.51 102/113† 99.3 down main out of Paddington. 7.03 100 78 Box Tunnel WP 5.52 103* 108.0 In the weekday off peak alone 8.01 101 77 Box 6.26½ 100 102.3 between 14.00 – 14.55 there 10.63 104 46 Bathampton Jnc. 8.01 100 99.8 are 12 trains consisting of 125 12.94 106 71 BATH SPA 10.47 50.1 mph HST’s, 90 mph 165/6’s 0.00 0 (RT) and 100 mph 332’s, far from 1.02 107 73 Oldfield Park 1.52 63 32.8 an ideal mix of maximum 4.45 111 27 Saltford 4.16½ 100 85.5 running speeds, though a 332 6.85 113 59 Keynsham 5.44 99 98.7 should accelerate quicker 9.86 116 60 St Annes Park 7.40 82*/25* 55.3 than the following HST after 11.49 118 30 BRISTOL T.M.(P15) 10.52 (4 E) 30.6 Ladbroke Grove. A slight * Speed restriction † ESTIMATED hencedelay theto not oneunusual train sight can of trainstherefore queing impact toon severalaccess Reading. following services,
There was an easing from 90 to 88 mph after Acton Main Line, maybe a reaction from the preceding HEx., but we then accelerated to 126 mph beyond West Drayton. Almost immediately the moment my GPS displayed 126 the driver eased a fraction to 125. This high speed running soon came to an end as signals brought speed down to 26 mph at Slough. With speed back to 75 mph at Burnham easing took place as we were no doubt sighting double yellows. Speed then only gradually increased to 90 mph after Twyford. Signals brought us down to 19 mph approaching Reading where we arrived 4½ minutes late, but at least we avoided a dead stand.
The start from Reading was 5½ minutes late and hampered briefly by signals, probably a conflicting move at Reading West Junction, but after this the driver set about recovering the lost time and speed rose to 126 mph again before slowing for the Didcot Parkway stop. We were back up to 126 mph at Uffington after which we settled down to a rock steady 125 before slowing for the Swindon stop. The start to stop average on this section was 96.2
Milepost 31¼ 120 July 2010 mph.
The next section to Chippenham produced a fastest RPS time for an HST, 92.3 mph start to stop. After an excellent start speed crept up to 127 mph down Dauntsey incline where there was a light brake application to bring speed down to 124 mph. 125 mph was then maintained until slowing for Chippenham where we made a well judged approach coming to a smooth stand at the appropriate stopping point in 10m 50s. More precision handling was exercised on the next stage to Bath Spa. My GPS stuck rigidly on 100 mph from Box to beyond Bathampton and a 108 mph average through Box Tunnel was something I had not experienced before. We were right time away from Bath Spa and arrival at Temple Meads was 4 minutes early, thanks no doubt to a recovery allowance on this section.
Although this run featured a fastest RPS HST time it was the overall competence of the driver that impressed me most, a master class in confident, skillful and intelligent driving. A gain of 10 minutes from Reading West Jnc. running at precisely the permitted line speed wherever possible was a highly commendable performance.
Martin Barrett travelled on the following 15.00 from Paddington, which does not call at Didcot Parkway, and he was not so lucky. His run was more in keeping with my previous experiences of MTU power cars on this route. Martin has kindly sent me a copy of his log for comparison purposes. His run also suffered an easing soon after the start, approaching Acton Main Line, where speed fell from 84 to 78 mph and was still only at 81 mph at Ealing Broadway. The maximum before Reading on Martin’s run was 122 mph at Iver. Speed was then eased to 120 mph until signals intervened near Taplow and again approaching Reading, no doubt the 14.50 Paddington to Oxford the culprit. His driver slowed to 16 mph at the latter point and only powered up to 21 mph before slowing for the station stop. Mine produced 19 & 38 mph respectively in similar circumstances. Between Cholsey and Challow speed was again in the 120-122 range with a brief 123 after which signals intervened. Departure from Swindon was 9 minutes late but still no urgency was shown with speed again kept in the 120-122 range. Power was seemingly shut off down Dauntsey incline where speed did not exceed 120 mph and the time to Chippenham was 59 seconds slower than my run. More restrained running on to Bath Spa with nothing higher than a 102 mph average through Box Tunnel saw another 27 seconds difference and a further 21 seconds on to Temple Meads where arrival was 5½ minutes late.
John Heaton also travelled on part of this route that day joining the 14.00 Paddington at Swindon but fared even worse than Martin suffering signal checks from Bathampton.
I wonder if the mass timing day last year produced a different picture to the one I have painted and prove that I have just been generally unlucky in the recent past. I’ll be very surprised if I have to eat my words or indeed my hat!
Milepost 31¼ 121 July 2010 Will the fastest time Euston to Lichfield be held by diesel traction forever?
John Rishton
With no trains scheduled non-stop between Euston and Lichfield from the December 2008 timetable change I tookthe opportunity to travel a few times on the one remaining non-stop service, the 1938sx Euston to Holyhead. This is a Voyager diagram so there is already no oportunity to improve on the Pendolino record of 76m 46s. Eventually patience was rewarded and I bettered my previous Voyager record of 77m 1s by timing a run in just over 73.5 minutes (run 1).
When the previous overall record was set in 1997, by an HST set some seven months into the Virgin franchise and with the promise of 140mph tilting electric high speed trains early in the next century, I never expected that record to stand for over ten years, let alone for ever. So I persevered in the hope that I could improve on that HST run, even though any new record would still be a diesel one.
The HST record stands at 72m 10s so I still needed an improvement on my new Voyager record time of almost a minute and a half. A tall order but the allowed schedule of 65 minutes (excluding 5.5 minutes of recovery allowances) suggests it should easily be achieved.
Day/Date Tues 30 September 2008 Wed 15 October 2008 Train 19.38 Euston - Holyhead 19.38 Euston - Holyhead Motive Power 221.111 221.113 Load (tons) 276/300 = 12.5hp/ton 276/300 = 12.5hp/ton Weather wet dry Rec. Pos. GPS WTT J Rishton - 5/5 - No J Rishton - 5/5 - No miles mm cc location Sch mm:s s avge mm:s s avge 0 00 04 London Euston 0 00:00 r/t 0.0 00:00 r/t 0.0 1.30 01 08 Camden 3 03:16 23.9 03:18 23.6 3.64 03 55 Queens Park 05:39 b test 58.9 05:35 61.5 5.48 05 42 Willesden Junction 6 06:51 92.0 06:46 93.3 7.95 08 00 Wembley Central 7 08:33 87.2 08:28 b test 87.2 11.34 11 31 Harrow & Wealdstone 9 10:20 114.1 10:14 115.2 15.95 16 00 Bushey 12:41 117.7 12:37 116.0 17.38 17 34 Watford Junction 13 13:27 111.9 13:23 112.0 20.90 20 76 Kings Langley 15:21 111.2 15:14 114.2 23.04 23 07 Apsley 16:26 118.6 16:17 122.3 24.45 24 40 Hemel Hempstead 17:07 123.7 16:58 123.7 26.26 26 25 Bourne End 17 18:00 122.9 17:52 120.7 27.86 27 73 Berkhamsted 18:54 106.7 18:44 110.9 31.65 31 56 Tring 20 21:09 sigs 101.1 20:50 108.3 36.06 36 09 Cheddington 23:19 122.1 22:58 124.0 37.45 37 51 Ledburn Junction 23 23:59 125.2 23:39 122.1 38.28 38 26 Ledburn Junction 24:23 124.5 24:03 124.5 40.11 40 13 Leighton Buzzard 25:20 115.9 24:56 124.3 42.20 42 20 Chelmscote 26:24 117.2 26:00 117.5 46.60 46 52 Bletchley 27 28:34 121.8 28:10 121.8
Milepost 31¼ 122 July 2010 miles mm cc location Sch mm:s s avge mm:s s avge 49.78 49 66 Milton Keynes 29 30:09 120.5 29:43 123.1 52.36 52 33 Wolverton 31:28 117.6 31:04 114.6 54.70 54 58 Castlethorpe 32:40 117.0 32:15 118.7 56.70 56 58 Hanslope 32 33:42 116.2 33:17 116.2 59.79 59 65 Roade 35:17 117.1 34:50 119.6 62.83 62 68 Blisworth 36:46 122.9 36:20 121.6 64.51 64 43 Banbury Lane 37:35 123.5 37:09 123.4 67.55 67 46 Heyford 39:05 121.6 38:39 121.6 69.70 69 58 Weedon Junction 38 40:16 109.0 39:47 113.9 71.98 72 00 Whilton Marina 41:30 sigs 110.9 41:00 112.4 75.23 75 20 Welton 43:23 103.6 42:45 111.4 78.14 78 13 Kilsby Tunnel 45:00 108.0 44:18 112.6 80.28 80 24 Hillmorton 44 46:13 105.5 45:38 96.3 82.48 82 40 Rugby 46 50:03 sigs 34.4 48:56 sigs 40.0 83.23 83 20 Trent Valley Junction 48 51:12 sigs 39.1 50:03 40.3 88.06 88 07 Brinklow 50 55:15 sigs 71.6 54:00 73.4 91.34 91 29 Shilton 57:09 103.6 55:45 112.5 97.03 97 04 Nuneaton 54.5 60:25 104.5 58:50 110.7 102.26 102 23 Atherstone 63:29 102.3 61:46 107.0 106.48 106 40 Polesworth 65:45 111.7 64:01 112.5 109.98 110 00 Tamworth 61.5 68:35 sl 74.1 66:43 sl 77.8 111.53 111 44 Coton 69:47 77.5 67:50 83.3 113.49 113 41 Hademore 71:00 96.6 69:01 99.3 116.23 116 20 Lichfield Trent Valley 65 73:31 65.3 71:37 63.2
Examining the new Voyager record (run 1) suggested three possibilities for a better overall time; firstly, in order to avoid sighting adverse signals from the train in front (1935 from Euston, a Pendolino with its first stop at Stafford) a slightly late start, or al least, not leaving as soon as possible after the barrier closure. secondly, a quicker recovery from the long 40 restriction (or a reduction in its length as the work at Rugby reaches conclusion) and finally, more driver familiarity in using the new Amington fast to slow crossover at MP109 which, since September, has been the means of access to the platform at Lichfield.
Though the 40 restriction at Rugby was still Hillmorton to Newbold, the other two conditions were met on a mid October run and I finally managed to improve on the HST timing. Both runs were quite similar, all engines working in both cases. The main items of note were that the unit working the train in run 2 was subject to a late change and we departed almost 30 seconds behind time. An early brake test in run 1 followed by slightly easier driving resulted in a slight loss of time, but the first run had a better finish. It may be that the driver in run 1 could see distant restrictive signals on long straight stretches though a reaction was only noticeable (and visible to me) in the Tring, Whilton and Rugby areas. Compared with Pendolino schedules the maximum permitted speeds for Voyagers is slightly less at some locations, especially the final 7 miles where a 110mph limit applies to Voyager workings, however they do have a small advantage of not being hindered by neutral sections. Note that even the faster run 2 was unable to match hardly any of the point to point working times.
Milepost 31¼ 123 July 2010 ‘Now you know how the other half live’
David Stannard
Northern Rail is widely regarded as one of the more successful of the current train operating companies with a reputation for working hard to deliver the best service that it can with the available, although what at times appears to be rather meagre and often long-in-the-tooth, rolling stock. Some routes fare better than others, and up until December 2008 the small Cheshire village of Chelford on the electrified Crewe-Manchester line was on the whole relatively well served by Class 323 EMUs operating a basic hourly weekday timetable augmented to half-hourly at peak times.
Implementation of the West Coast high frequency timetable then saw a new hourly Manchester-Euston via Wilmslow Virgin Pendolino service routed over the Crewe line. Consequent pathing constraints around these trains and the hourly ATW Manchester-South Wales services have made it much more difficult to operate an optimised local stopping service. At the same time Northern also restructured its Class 323 unit diagrams, primarily to cope with increased congestion on the line north of Stockport and less-efficient turnarounds possible in the platforms at Manchester Piccadilly, but in part to cater for a recasting of services on the Hazel Grove and Buxton line and also to support other long distance services (Northern operating a new second all-stations local stopping service each hour between Manchester Airport and Piccadilly to save Trans Pennine Express services having to make skip-stop calls at intermediate stations, and extending the Macclesfield local service to Stoke-on-Trent to enable Cross Country Voyager workings to make fewer stops and hence achieve sub-90 minute journey times between Manchester and Birmingham). As a result of all of this, and perhaps rather surprisingly permitted under Northern’s franchise obligations, Chelford has effectively lost all of its additional peak hour commuter trains. Moreover, almost to add insult to injury, the sole remaining Monday-Friday service to Manchester in the morning peak at 07:51 (the 07:22 Crewe-Manchester Oxford Road) is now scheduled to be worked by a pair of Class 142 Pacer diesel multiple units on a peak- time only out-and-back diagram from Manchester rather than the line-standard electric units. With a maximum speed of 75 mph and much poorer acceleration than electric units, Pacers are not at all well-suited for operation of outer-suburban workings intermingled with high speed traffic on a busy 110 mph two-track mainline (see comparison of Pacer and Class 323 performance characteristics in Table 1). Necessarily lengthened journey times between stations mean that not only are changes needed to the standard ‘clock-face’ departure times of the electric unit timetable, but to avoid delaying ATW South Wales services the outward southbound working of the Pacer units from Manchester (the 06:06 Manchester Piccadilly- Crewe) has to omit station calls at Chelford and Goostrey, and coming back north the 07:22 has to be recessed for 5 minutes in the side platform at Sandbach before following the 07:27 ATW departure from Crewe down the line to Manchester.
In terms of passenger ambience the Pacers are also poor substitutes for the Class 323s, having lower quality seating and fitments, draughts from the doors, a much less smooth ride and high levels of noise and vibration from the under-floor engines. The trains are also more crowded as the seating capacity of a pair of Pacer units is only 80% of that of a single Class 323, and with no gangway connection between the units the train conductor is able to sell tickets in only one half of the train with the result that passengers from un-staffed stations like Chelford often have to queue for between 5 and 10 minutes to purchase tickets at Stockport and Manchester which is the last way that busy commuters hurrying to work want to be spending their time on arrival at their destination. All in all, a major deterioration in passenger service quality.
Milepost 31¼ 124 July 2010 Line standard Class 142 Class 323 EMUs Pacer units
Measured station departure starting 0 to 60 mph 0 to 60 mph in acceleration rates (gradient dependent) in 48-55 sec 1min 55sec-2min 35sec
Nominal maximum speed 90 mph 75 mph
Measured free-running speeds south of 88-92 mph 72-76 mph Chelford on non-stop through workings
Measured example inter-station run times and maximum speeds attained: Holmes Chapel-Goostrey 1.9 miles 2 min 35 sec 3 min10 sec 70-76 mph 54-58 mph Goostrey-Chelford 3.8 miles 4 min 05 sec 5 min 05 sec 90-92 mph 68-74 mph (often coasting) (still full power)
Table 1 : Comparative traction performance characteristics On top of this, service delivery in the first 30 weeks of operation has not been impressive (Table 2).
10 weeks 10 weeks 10 weeks 15/12/08 23/02/09 04/05/09 20/02/09 01/05/09 10/07/09
Reliability (trains run not cancelled) 92% 98% 98%
Full four carriage capacity provided 68% 92% 82%
Punctuality on departure from Chelford - within 2 min / 5 min of booked time (delays 69% / 94% 76% / 94% 86% / 96% usually caused by late running of the preceding ATW Cardiff service)
Table 2 : Operational performance statistics of the 07:22 Crewe-Manchester service
Cancellations have been much reduced following improvements in reliability of Northern’s diesel unit fleet and settlement of a dispute which involved a ban on driver rest-day working. Sets continue however to be regularly short-formed to provide cover for shortages of both diesel and electric units on services elsewhere, with just a single two-coach Pacer provided on average almost one morning a week. There is then such chronic overcrowding in the later stages of the journey that ~60% more passengers than the seating capacity are crammed-in along the aisles and in the doorway areas (with frequently others having to be left behind on the platforms at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme). The remark which forms the title of this article was infamously made semi-jokingly by a conductor to relieve the tension on one such working, referring to services on other lines operated almost entirely by Pacers. As one of the not-unexpectedly dwindling number of Chelford commuters has commented ‘Never mind the other half, this is more like what you would expect in the Third World. When are we going to get our proper electric trains back?’ The answer in today’s modern railway, with rolling stock in short supply and carefully rationed by the Department for Transport, is apparently not soon.
Milepost 31¼ 125 July 2010 125mph in the North East – Part 1
Martin Robertson
A family holiday on York in early July 2008 was too good an opportunity to miss, not to sample the running between York and Newcastle with a North of England four from eight day rover ticket. Our Saturday to Saturday stay allowed me the Sunday, one weekday and the second weekend to record the local performance. I had originally intended to finish with a trip over the Settle and Carlisle line, but a warning of possible disruptions on the line in the middle of July in the timetable, eventually proved that the line was closed, in part, with bus substitutions. Therefore the return was via the East Coast with the Travel Centre at York booking me on a Cross Country service to Glasgow which proved to be an excellent and entertaining finish to my trips.
I had originally intended to try to do complete trips between York and Newcastle using diesel traction where possible, rather than concentrating on the York to Darlington section, but a tsr on the southbound line at Tursdale Jn was a disincentive to venture north of Darlington. The tsr was lifted on Saturday night of the second weekend to give unrestricted line speeds in both directions. The York to Newcastle section of the Ecml must be one of the busiest main lines in the country. There are at least 4 services per hour running at 125mph, at least one TransPennine service at 100mph and the occasional Pacer unit north of Darlington. The line also carries a multitude of freight traffic, mostly coal with EWS, Freightliner and GB Freight all operating block services. There is also regular traffic from the local steelworks and more specialised train load traffic.
Most of the coal traffic originates from Tyne Yard and has to use the two track section to Tursdale Jn before rejoining the Ecml at Northallerton, although some services continue throughout on the main line. Even on Saturday afternoons there was a steady procession of freights heading in both directions. As most freight trains use the avoiding lines to miss York Station, which requires a crossing of both main lines, it is perhaps surprising that there are not more signal checks at the south end of the line.
I had intended where possible to utilise the diesel powered services over the route, either the National Express HST’s or Cross Country’s Voyager units. There are a surprising number of HST workings over the line, these not being confined to the Inverness and Aberdeen services. I did venture on a limited number of Class 91 hauled services which is what Table 1 starts with.
Run 1 was the 9 42 Doncaster-Glasgow service on the first Sunday. The damp rail might have been the excuse for the very slow time to York Yard North, in excess of 30 seconds slower than Run 2. Both locos soon got into their stride with very similar rhp outputs, of just over 5000rhp, on their acceleration to Tollerton. On Run 1 the driver cruised north at 128mph whereas speeds on Run 2 were more varied. There was only a difference of 3 seconds in the York Road North to Croft Spa passing times. Both runs got the customary double yellow at Croft Spa with the driver in Run 1 braking much more severely than Run 2. I cannot imagine there was anything in Darlington station as we approached. Run 2 achieved an average time in from Croft Spa and a fairly average overall time.
Runs 3 and 4 feature HST formations on Aberdeen and Inverness bound services. Run 3 had a 1 minute late start from Plat 9 and Run 4 was punctual from Platform 5. Run 4 had the slightly quicker start to York Yard North from where the unit steadily drew ahead of Run 3. Both runs achieved 125 + across the Plain of York before Run 3 had a relatively unchecked approach to Darlington whereas Run 4 was badly checked, for no obvious reason. The Rhp’s from Mp 2 ½ to Tollerton were 3540 for Run 3 and an excellent 4000 for Run 4. In
Milepost 31¼ 126 July 2010 Table 1 York-Newcastle Run 1 2 Loco 91111 911xx Load 10 : 418/430/512 Tons 10 : 418/440/522 Tons Train 9 42 Doncaster-Glasgow 8 00 Kings Cross-Edinburgh Date Sun 6th July 2008 Wed 9th July 2008 Recorder/Position C2 Damp Gps C3 Dry Gps Miles M C Location m s mph ave m s mph ave 0.00 0 00 York d 0 0 (-) P5 0 0 (-6) P5 1.05 1 04 York Yard North 2 39.5 48 23.7 2 06.5 61 29.9 1.66 1 53 Skelton Jn 3 15 61 61.9 2 36.5 73 73.2 2.51 2 41 Overbridge 4 01.5 76 65.8 3 17.5 83 74.6 3.20 3 16 Skelton Bridge 4 32 81 81.4 3 45 92 90.3 5.50 5 40 Beningborough 6 00.5 107 93.6 5 05.5 111 102.9 8.29 8 23 Halfway Sign 7 27 124 116.1 6 30 125 118.9 9.70 9 56 Tollerton 8 06.5 128 128.5 7 10.5 126/129 125.3 11.24 11 19 Alne 8 50 128 127.4 7 55 127 124.6 13.36 13 36 Raskelf 9 50 128 127.2 8 55.5 124/126 126.1 16.00 16 00 Pilmoor 11 04 128 128.4 10 11 125 125.9 17.96 17 98 Sessay 12 00 128/127 126.0 11 08 127 123.8 22.19 22 15 Thirsk 13 58.5 128 128.5 13 08 125 126.9 24.34 24 27 Overbridge 14 10 126/121 124.8 26.55 26 44 Otterington 16 01.5 128 127.6 15 14.5 122 123.3 28.48 28 38 Y/D Eng B'ary 16 10 125 125.2 30.00 30 00 Northallerton 17 38.5 128 128.0 16 54 126/123 124.4 33.76 33 61 Danby Wiske 19 25 128/126 127.1 18 43.5 125/123 123.6 37.18 37 14 Cowton 21 01 128 128.3 20 22.5 124 124.4 38.95 38 76 Eryholme 21 51 126 127.4 21 13.5 124 124.9 41.49 41 39 Croft Spa 23 09 112br 117.2 22 33 112* 115.0 43.04 43 03 Bypass Ob 24 38.5 29sc 62.3 23 35 66sc 90.0 43.84 43 67 Dar S'th Jn 26 03 34 34.1 24 37.5 34* 46.1 44.15 44 12 Darlington a 27 10 16.7 25 42 17.3 Run 3 4 Loco 43299 / 318 43306 / 367 Load 9 : 305/335/480 Tons 9 : 305/340/485 Tons Train 11 00 Kings Cross-Aberdeen 12 30 Kings Cross-Inverness Date Sun 6th July 2008 Sun 6th July 2008 Recorder/Position C2 Damp Gps C2 Damp Gps Miles M C Location m s mph ave m s mph ave 0.00 0 00 York d 0 0 (-1) P9 0 0 (-) P5 1.05 1 04 York Yard North 2 16 51 27.8 2 07 54 29.8 1.66 1 53 Skelton Jn 2 50.5 63 63.7 2 40.5 65 65.6 2.51 2 41 Overbridge 3 35.5 78 68.0 3 24.5 78 69.5 3.20 3 16 Skelton Bridge 4 05 84 84.2 3 53.5 86 85.7 5.50 5 40 Beningborough 5 35.5 100 91.5 5 22 101 93.6 8.29 8 23 Halfway Sign 7 10 112 106.3 6 55 114 108.0 9.70 9 56 Tollerton 7 54 115 115.4 7 38 118 118.0 11.24 11 19 Alne 8 41 118 118.0 8 24.5 121 119.2 13.36 13 36 Raskelf 9 45 123 119.3 9 27 125 122.1 16.00 16 00 Pilmoor 11 01 125/124 125.1 10 41.5 127/128 127.6 17.96 17 98 Sessay 11 58 125 123.8 11 37 127 127.1 20.00 20 00 Mp 12 56.5 126 125.5 12 34.5 128 127.7 22.19 22 15 Thirsk 13 58.5 126/124 127.2 13 35.5 128 129.2 26.55 26 44 Otterington 16 03.5 124 125.6 15 41.5 123 rain 124.6
Milepost 31¼ 127 July 2010 28.48 28 38 Y/D Eng B'ary 16 57 126 129.9 16 37.5 122 124.1 30.00 30 00 Northallerton 17 42 127/126 121.6 17 21.5 122 124.4 33.76 33 61 Danby Wiske 19 30 127 125.3 19 11.5 125/126 123.1 37.18 37 14 Cowton 21 07 122 126.9 20 49.5 125 125.6 38.95 38 76 Eryholme 22 01.5 115* 116.9 21 41 121 e'd 123.7 41.49 41 39 Croft Spa 23 21 116 115.0 22 59.5 116 br 116.5 43.04 43 03 Bypass Ob 24 18 69 97.9 24 17.5 34 sc/50 71.5 44.15 44 12 Darlington a 26 24 28 22 comparison with the Class 91 hauled runs Run 4 lost 32 seconds to Run 2 on passing Raskelf by which time the Hst had reached 125mph.
Table 2 York-Darlington Run 5 6 7 Loco 220 010 221 141 43178/166 Load 4 : 186/198 Tons 4 : 213/216 Tons 7 : 235/255/390 Tons Train 9 40 Bournemouth-Dundee 9 49 Doncaster-Newcastle 9 40 Newquay-Newcastle Date Sun 6th July 2008 Wed 9th July 2008 Sat 12th July 2008 Recorder/Position C2 Dry C2 Dry C4 Dry Gps Miles M C Location m s mph ave m s mph ave m s mph ave
(- 0.00 0 00 York d 0 0 (-) 0 0 36) 0 0 (-) 1.05 1 04 York Yard N'th 2 00.5 31.4 1 46.5 35.5 2 19.5 59 27.1 1.66 1 53 Skelton Jn 2 32 69.7 2 19 68 67.6 2 51 70 69.7 2.51 2 41 Overbridge 3 11.5 77.5 2 59.5 83 75.6 3 33 83 72.9 3.20 3 16 Skelton Bridge 3 37.5 95.5 3 26 93.7 4 00.5 89 90.3 5.50 5 40 Beningborough 4 55.5 106.2 4 46 113 103.5 5 26.5 103 96.3 8.29 8 23 Halfway Sign 6 18.5 121.0 6 10.5 123 118.9 6 57.5 115 110.4 9.70 9 56 Tollerton 6 59 125 125.3 6 50.5 124 126.9 7 40.5 118 118.0 11.24 11 19 Alne 7 43 126 126.0 7 35.5 123 123.2 8 26 121 121.8 13.36 13 36 Raskelf 8 44 125 125.1 8 37.5 123 123.1 9 29 125 121.1 16.00 16 00 Pilmoor 9 59 126 126.7 9 53.5 124 125.1 10 44.5 126 125.9 17.96 17 98 Sessay 10 56 126 123.8 10 51 124 122.7 11 41.5 124 123.8 20.00 20 00 Mp 11 53 126 128.8 11 49.5 124 125.5 12 40 124 125.5 22.19 22 15 Thirsk 12 55.5 126 126.1 12 52.5 125 125.1 13 43 125 125.1 24.34 24 27 Overbridge 14 45.5 125 123.8 26.55 26 44 Otterington 15 00.5 126 125.6 14 59 125 124.1 15 50 123 123.3 28.48 28 38 Y/D Eng B'ary 15 56 125 125.2 15 54.5 125 125.2 16 46.5 123 123.0 30.00 30 00 Northallerton 16 39.5 126 125.8 16 38.5 125 124.4 17 30.5 125 124.4 33.76 33 61 Danby Wiske 18 27 126 125.9 18 28 124 123.6 19 18 124/120 125.9 37.18 37 14 Cowton 20 04.5 126 126.3 20 06.5 124 125.0 20 59 121 121.9 38.95 38 76 Eryholme 20 55.5 126 124.9 20 58 124 123.7 21 51 123 122.5 41.49 41 39 Croft Spa 22 13.5 115* 117.2 22 17 114* 115.7 23 07.5 116 119.5 43.04 43 03 Bypass Ob 23 15 90.7 23 11 103.3 24 03.5 67br 99.6 43.84 43 67 Dar S'th Jn 24 02.5 60.6 24 04.5 53.8 25 07 30* 45.4 44.15 44 12 Darlington a 25 02 18.8 24 59 20.5 26 13 16.9
Table 2 has three runs on Cross Country services. Run 5 had a Class 220 unit with a change of driver at York. The time of two minutes to York Road North is quite reasonable but after a very quick exit from the platform he braked to almost walking pace before accelerating again. Run 6 had the quicker start but the driver run did not run quite as fast as
Milepost 31¼ 128 July 2010 Table 3 York-Newcastle in Run 1. Both runs had Run 8 9 relatively unchecked Loco 43206/208 43309/108 entrances into Darlington Load 9:305/335/480 9:305/335/480 station with the driver of Train 1030 KX Aberdeen 1030 KX Aberdeen Run 6 making the better Date Wed 9-Jul-2008 Sat 12 Jul-08 stop to just sneak in Recorder/Position C8 Dry Gps C1 Dry Gps under 25 minutes. The M M C L reason for the 36 minute il 0 0 0 o Y . 1 1 0 late 0 departureo was Y . 1 advised1 4 by the Train5 or . 2 Manager as 2the crew3 . 3 being sent to the wrong 3 . 5 station?. Both runs . 8 appeared to have all . 9 power cars contributing. 1 . 1 1 Run 7 was on the 9 40 1 3 Newquay to Newcastle 1 1 6 service1 which is one of 9 6 2 7 2 0 the 7services Mworked by a 8 20 2 1 0 T 0 pair of ex Midlandp Main 1 4 22 2 2 2 Over 5 hi 1 4 Line Hst’s.1 A reasonable12 13 3 1 4 12 26.4. 2 4 4 Ottering7 bridg 1 47. 12 127. 1442.5 time12 125.to2 YYN7.9 but59 2 .9 255 6 4 ton 5 5 7 3 2 6 5 acceleration6 3 thereafter3 38 3 0 8 wasNo poor with the speed8 30 3 6 0 Danb 0 at rthTollerton of 118mph1 1 3.37. 3 1 3 Cowt 1 y 2 45. the12 same128. as that24 in Run9 12 4 0 127. 38.918 38 767 Eryholme4 on 21 35.5 128 127.40 225 25 125of8 155.4Table 9 1 where1 4 the6 6 541.49 41 39 Croft Spa 22 52 116* 119.5 23 52.5 115* 104.5 power cars had an extra 43.04 43 03 Bypass Ob 24 20 23sc 63.4 25 15 15sc 67.6 two coaches in tow. The 44.15 44 12 Darlington 26 53 43 26.1 27 48 21sc 26.1 estimated Rhp on the 45.86 45 69 Springfield 28 51 65 52.2 29 21.5 39sc 65.8 acceleration to Tollerton 48.00 48 00 Mp 29 46.5 80/88 138.8 31 30 79 60.0 was 3320rhp, which is 49.59 49 47 Aycliffe 31 34.5 88 53.0 33 16.5 87 53.7 poor. Speed was held at 51.91 51 73 Preston Manor 33 02 97 95.5 34 45 103 94.4 around 125mph until the 54.29 54 23 Bradbury 34 34 89sc 93.1 3606.5 107 e'd105.1 psr at Croft Spa before a 57.00 57 00 Ferryhill 36 26.5 84sc 86.7 37 36 114 109.0 good time into Darlington 58.96 58 77 Tursdale Jn 37 34 99 104.5 38 37 117 station.115.7 60.26 60 21 Hett Mill 38 30.5 96/75sc 82.8 39 19.5 104 110.1 61.90 61 72 Croxdale 39 57.540 19 8091 99.267.9 Table 3 has two runs on 63.00 63 00 Mp 65sc 75sc the 10 30 Kings Cross- 64.91 64 73 Relly Mill 42 53 54sc 61.7 42 48 48 72.7 Aberdeen service which 66.17 66 14 Durham 43 59 73 68.7 45 16.5 30sc 30.5 is non stop from York to 67.56 67 45 Newton Hall 44 59 86 83.4 47 11 62 43.7 Newcastle on a 53 minute 69.99 70 06 Plawsworth 46 29.5 106 96.7 49 01.5 94 79.2 schedule, which should 71.81 71 72 Chester le Street 47 28.5 117/116 111.1 50 05.5 111 102.4 easily achievable, but 73.44 73 42 Ousten Jn 48 19 117 116.2 50 57 117 113.9 was not attained on either 74.67 74 61 Birtley 48 57 117 116.5 51 35.5 116 115.0 runs. Run 8 had a 76.32 76 33 Tyne Yard 49 48 116 116.5 52 26.5 116 116.5 punctual departure with a 77.55 77 51 Low Fell 50 28.5 89 109.3 53 05 104 115.0 pair of the 20x series 78.91 79 00 Bensham 52 50 17sc 34.6 54 10.5 58 74.7 power cars in charge. An 79.26 79 36 K E B S'th Jn 54 3.0 24* 17.3 54 48.5 28* 33.2 average time to YYN with 79.91 80 00 Mp 80 56 12.5 16 27.9 a steady acceleration to Gateshead 55 39 18* 129mph at Sessay. 80.14 80 18 Newcastle arr 57 36 57 24 11.6
Milepost 31¼ 129 July 2010 Table 4 York-Durham Run 10 11 Loco 220 008 221 130 + 220 014 Load 4:186/200 Tons 9: 454/465 Tons Train 11 08 Leeds-Glasgow 10 03 Birmingham-Aberdeen Date Sun 13th July 2008 Recorder/Position C2 Dry C7 Dry Miles M C Location m s mph ave m s mph ave
0.00 0 00 York d 0 0 (-) (P11) 0 0 (-) (P10) 1.05 1 04 York Yard North 1 54.5 33.0 2 17.5 27.5 1.66 1 53 Skelton Jn 2 25.5 70.8 2 46.5 70 75.7 2.51 2 41 Overbridge 3 05 77.5 3 25 90 79.5 3.20 3 16 Skelton Bridge 3 31 95.5 3 50.5 100 97.4 5.50 5 40 Beningborough 4 49.5 115 105.5 5 08 116/124 106.8 8.29 8 23 Halfway Sign 6 13.5 122 119.6 6 31 121 121.0 9.70 9 56 Tollerton 6 54.5 124 123.8 7 12 124 123.8 11.24 11 19 Alne 7 38.5 123 126.0 7 56.5 123 124.6 13.36 13 36 Raskelf 8 41.5 122 121.1 8 59.5 124/120 121.1 16.00 16 00 Pilmoor 9 59 120 122.6 10 16.5 124 123.4 17.96 17 98 Sessay 10 57 123 121.7 11 14 123 122.7 20.00 20 00 Mp 11 57 119 122.4 12 13.6 121/123 123.2 22.19 22 15 Thirsk 13 01.5 122 122.2 13 17.5 121 123.4 24.34 24 27 Overbridge 14 04.5 120 122.9 14 21 123 121.9 26.55 26 44 Otterington 15 10.5 120 120.5 15 25.5 123 123.3 28.48 28 38 Y/D Eng B'ary 16 09 121 118.8 16 22 122 123.0 30.00 30 00 Northallerton 16 54.5 124 120.3 17 07 123 121.6 33.76 33 61 Danby Wiske 18 44.5 123.1 18 57 121/123 123.1 37.18 37 14 Cowton 20 26.5 122 120.7 20 38 121 121.9 38.95 38 76 Eryholme 21 19.5 117 120.2 21 30 122 122.5 41.49 41 39 Croft Spa 22 41.5 100/sc 111.5 22 53.5 109.5 43.04 43 03 Bypass Ob 23 49 50 82.7 24 52.5 sc30 46.9 43.84 43 67 Dar S'th Jn 24 47 35 49.7 26 05 35 39.7 44.15 44 12 Darlington a 25 33 fs 24.3 26 58 21.1 d 27 55 30 08
Miles M C Location m s mph ave m s mph ave
0.00 44 12 Darlington d 0 0 (-1) 0 0 (-2) 0.62 44 62 Parkgate Ob 1 11 31.4 1 25.5 26.1 1.71 45 69 Springfield 2 07 70.1 2 28 62.8 3.85 48 00 Mp 3 31 91.7 3 51.5 92.3 5.44 49 47 Aycliffe 4 39 84.2 4 57.5 86.7 7.76 51 73 Preston Manor 6 18 sc 84.4 6 18.5 103.1 10.14 54 23 Bradbury 10 28 sc 34.3 7 35 112.0 12.85 57 00 Ferryhill 13 49.5 sc 48.4 9 03 110.9 14.81 58 77 Tursdale Jn 14 58 103.0 10 03 117.6 16.11 60 21 Hett Mill 15 41 108.8 10 43 117.0 17.75 61 72 Croxdale 16 42.5 96.0 11 42 100.1 18.85 63 00 Mp 17 27.5 88.0 12 27.5 87.0 20.76 64 73 Relly Mill 18 46.5 87.0 13 52 sc 81.4 21.62 65 62 Psr 19 40 57.9 15 09 sc15 40.2 22.02 66 14 Durham a 20 44 vse 22.5 16 26 18.7 (-4) (-21/2)
Milepost 31¼ 130 July 2010 Table 4 York-Durham Run 12 13 Loco 221 120 + 220 023 43007/184 Load 9: 454/465 Tons 7:234/250/395 Train 10 30 Bristol-Edinburgh 10 25 Plymouth-Glasgow Date Recorder/Position C8 Dry C3 Dry Miles M C Location m s mph ave m s mph ave
0.00 0 00 York d 0 0 (-) (P10) 0 0 (-) (P11) 1.05 1 04 York Yard North 2 00.5 31.4 2 16.5 27.7 1.66 1 53 Skelton Jn 2 30.5 73.2 2 49 67.6 2.51 2 41 Overbridge 3 09.5 78.5 3 31.5 72.0 3.20 3 16 Skelton Bridge 3 35.5 95.5 3 59 90.3 5.50 5 40 Beningborough 4 53.5 115 106.2 5 25 96.3 8.29 8 23 Halfway Sign 6 16.5 125 121.0 6 54.5 112.2 9.70 9 56 Tollerton 6 57 125 125.3 7 37 119.4 11.24 11 19 Alne 7 41 125 126.0 8 22.5 121.8 13.36 13 36 Raskelf 8 42.5 125 124.1 9 26 120.2 16.00 16 00 Pilmoor 9 59 125 124.2 10 42 127 125.1 17.96 17 98 Sessay 10 56 125 123.8 11 40 121 121.7 20.00 20 00 Mp 11 54 126 126.6 12 39.5 127 123.4 22.19 22 15 Thirsk 12 57 125 125.1 13 42 125 126.1 24.34 24 27 Overbridge 13 59 124 124.8 14 45 123 122.9 26.55 26 44 Otterington 15 02.5 126 125.3 15 50 121 122.4 28.48 28 38 Y/D Eng B'ary 15 58 126 125.2 16 46.5 123 123.0 30.00 30 00 Northallerton 16 42 125 124.4 17 31 123 123.0 33.76 33 61 Danby Wiske 18 30.5 124 124.8 19 20.5 123.6 37.18 37 14 Cowton 20 10 123 123.7 21 1.0 122 122.5 38.95 38 76 Eryholme 21 01.5 124 123.7 21 53 121 122.5 110 41.49 41 39 Croft Spa 22 22 br 113.6 23 15.5 108 110.8 sc 43.04 43 03 Bypass Ob 23 50.5 30 63.1 24 13 65 97.0 43.84 43 67 Dar S'th Jn 25 13 34.9 25 14 33 47.2 44.15 44 12 Darlington a 26 01 23.2 26 22 vss 16.4 d 27 51 28 08
Miles M C Location m s mph ave m s mph ave 0.00 44 12 Darlington d 0 0 (-1) 0 0 (-2) 0.62 44 62 Parkgate Ob 1 07 33.3 1 18 51 28.6 1.71 45 69 Springfield 2 02 71.3 2 17 72 66.5 3.85 48 00 Mp 3 26 91.7 3 48.5 87/81* 84.2 5.44 49 47 Aycliffe 4 32.5 86.1 4 56.5 85 84.2 7.76 51 73 Preston Manor 5 54.5 112 101.9 6 23.5 105 96.0 10.14 54 23 Bradbury 7 10.5 112.7 7 43 112 108.0 12.85 57 00 Ferryhill 8 37.5 115 112.1 9 12 112 109.6 14.81 58 77 Tursdale Jn 9 38 116.6 10 13.5 117/119 114.7 16.11 60 21 Hett Mill 10 19.5 112.8 10 53 115/91* 118.5 17.75 61 72 Croxdale 11 19 99.2 11 55 93 95.2 18.85 63 00 Mp 12 03 90.0 12 40 88/93 88.0 20.76 64 73 Relly Mill 13 23 86.0 13 59.5 77* 86.5 21.62 65 62 Psr 14 15 59.5 14 44.5 50 68.8 22.02 66 14 Durham a 15 20 vse 22.2 15 47 vss 23.0 (-) (-2)
Milepost 31¼ 131 July 2010
Speed was held at around 128mph until the easing for the psr at Croft Spa. We suffered a severe signal check on the approach to Darlington due to the 50 minute late 9 30 Kings Cross to Newcastle service. This was an Hst formation with eight coaches which had left York approximately 30 minutes late and may have been routed on the slow lines to lose further time. Further signal checks were encountered after Aycliffe with speed not exceeding 100, suggesting all was not well with the preceding service.
There were further, though less severe, checks approaching Durham, where the errant service was passed in the loop after the station. A final romp down the Team Valley was of no avail as we were routed via the Gateshead Bridge as the train formation was the wrong way round: a four and a half minute loss to the schedule which should have been avoided. I cannot understand why we were not allowed in front at Darlington - if Network Rail were intending us to pass the service at Durham this would break any connections anyway.
Run 9 had a punctual departure with a 433xx power car and one of the few remaining original power cars. A very slow exit from York under clear signals with the driver slow to open the power cars up. Acceleration was disappointing, generally being 3-4mph behind Run 8. Once again we encountered severe signal checks at Darlington from a departing service. Speeds beyond Aycliffe were up to the line limits after a brief check at Bradury, but a further severe check approaching Durham - although nothing was passed in the loop. I am not certain what was ahead of us but it would appear to have been capable of running at the full line speed: a loss of four and a half minutes to Newcastle, which should have been avoided, if we had been allowed past Darlington unchecked.
The final northbound Table 4 and the First Southbound Table 5 were all made on the final Sunday, with one exception. The Cross Country schedules allow one to do a York to Durham return in two hours. I had started at Darlington and went north to Newcastle on the first NX service and had the choice of the 10 25 XC service which was the ex Midland HST with 43166/178 in charge of seven coaches. The following 10 31 NE service was an Hst formation which had been waiting outside Newcastle for several minutes for the XC service to depart. Having already had a run with the XC Hst set I waited for the NE service, details of which are included in Table 7.
Table 4 therefore starts with the first northbound XC service, Run 10, the 11 08 Leeds- Glasgow from York with 220 008 in charge. A time of under two minutes to YYN was good then a brisk acceleration to 122mph at around Mp 8 after which the driver eased the unit. Speeds fluctuated between 120 and 1124mph onto Croft Spa before the psr than the usual signal check. The driver appeared to brake rather too quickly but a firm stop in Darlington still produced an average time in from Croft Spa and a reasonable overall time. From Darlington, another brisk acceleration before the easing at Aycliffe. Thereafter we suffered a succession of signal checks with sped down to 35mph at Ferryhill where we passed the Class 66 hauled train of 22 Seacow loaded ballast wagons which I had passed southbound earlier in the day. A loss of four minutes to Durham which again should not have occurred.
To be continued
Milepost 31¼ 132 July 2010 Diversions. - Leeds to Doncaster via Hambleton Junction.
Bevan Price
During April & May 2010, some weekend trains between Leeds and London Kings Cross were diverted due to engineering work. Trains started at Wakefield Westgate, ran to Leeds and then continued to Doncaster via Hambleton Juntion. Some of the trains were HST's, but other trains were Class 91's with Mark 4 stock. Since the line between Neville Hill (east of Leeds) and Hambleton South Junction is not electrified, these trains were hauled by Class 67 locos. This gave an opportunity to observe Class 67 hauling loads exceeding 500 tons on express services - ten Mark 4 coaches plus a "dead" Class 91. Not having a rover ticket, I confined my travels to one return trip between Leeds and Doncaster on each weekend.
Run 1 2 Date 24 April 2010 1 May 2010 Train 10 36 Wakefield (W) - 10 36 Wakefield (W) - London Kings Cross London Kings Cross Loco 67002 67027 91122 (dead) + 91103 (dead) + Load 10/418/433 =517 10/418/428 = 512 Recorder/position B. Price, 4/12 B. Price, 4/12 miles m c 0.00 20 47 LEEDS 0 00.0 0 00.0 0.80 19 63 Marsh Lane 1 59.4 42 2 08.7 37 1.54 19 04 Neville Hill East 2 57.5 51 3 11.4 50 2.76 17 66 Osmondthorpe 4 16.8 56 4 30.2 57 4.43 16 13 CROSS GATES 6 00.5 62 6 15.9 59 5.63 14 77 Manston Crossing 7 08.7 65 7 28.6 61 7.31 13 22 GARFORTH 8 36.4 68 9 09.6 57 7.89 12 56 GARFORTH EAST 9 07.2 68/65 9 47.0 57/62 9.78 10 65 MICKLEFIELD 10 46.9 67/71 11 40.4 60 12.85 7 59 SOUTH MILFORD 13 30.7 66 14 45.8 63 14.25 6 27 Gascoigne Wood Jcn 14 45.6 56 16 04.1 61 15.16 5 34 Hagg Lane 15 47.8 55 17 07.6 41/29 16.00 4 47 Hambleton West Jcn 16 40.5 56 18 37.0 sigs 35 16.09 175 30 sig stop 20:59 - 22:03 17.39 174 06 Hambleton South Jcn 18 07.3 62 23 33.0 39 19.38 172 07 Burn Lane West 19 51.3 77 25 48.7 68 21.74 169 58 Temple Hirst 21 35.5 85 27 40.7 80 23.15 168 25 Rail UB 22 33.8 88 28 41.8 84 24.28 167 15 Heck 23 18.5 96 29 28.0 90 25.54 165 74 Balne 24 07.1 97 30 17.6 95 27.29 164 14 Fenwick 25 11.6 98 31 22.9 98 28.44 163 02 Moss 25 58.5 99 32 05.2 99 30.86 160 48 Joan Croft Jcn 27 20.8 100 33 32.2 100 31.18 160 23 Shaftholme Jcn 27 32.3 98 33 43.6 100 33.44 158 02 Arksey 29 21.3 sigs 50 35 17.2 76 35.51 155 76 DONCASTER 34 03.0 38 20.0
The southbound logs are shown as run nos. 1 & 2. The printed ECML timetable supplement showed this train to be allowed 32 minutes from Leeds to Doncaster. Neither run kept time, but this was due to signal checks - indeed run 2 was stopped near Hambleton South Junction. In both cases, I think the delays were caused by prceding southbound trains on the ECML. Both runs achieved 100 mph between Hambleton South Junction and Doncaster.
The northbound runs 3 & 4 were allowed a more generous 41 minutes from Doncaster to Leeds, and both bettered this time, despite signal checks on the congested section between
Milepost 31¼ 133 July 2010 Run 3 4 Date 24 April 2010 1 May 2010 Train 14 10 London KX 13 10 London KX- Wakefield Westgate Wakefield Westgate Loco 67027 67005 (91122 dead) + (91131 dead) + Load 10/418/428 = 512 10/418/428 = 512 Recorder/position B. Price, 8/12 B. Price, 9/12
0 155 76 DONCASTER 0 00.0 25L 0 00.0 12L 2.08 158 02 Arksey 3 19.0 66 3 26.6 65 4.34 160 23 Shaftholme Jcn 5 10.2 81 5 18.6 79 4.65 160 48 Joan Croft Jcn 5 24.5 82 5 33.8 80 7.08 163 02 Moss 7 05.9 90 7 16.3 88 8.23 164 14 Fenwick 7 51.4 93 8 03.1 90 9.98 165 74 Balne 8 58.4 94 9 11.6 92 11.24 167 15 Heck 9 46.4 95 10 00.1 94 12.36 168 25 Rail UB 10 28.9 95 10 42.7 95 13.78 169 58 Temple Hirst 11 21.8 95 11 35.8 98 16.14 172 07 Burn Lane West 12 52.3 85 13 01.7 94 18.13 174 06 Hambleton South Jcn 14 36.8 48 14 31.2 62 19.51 4 47 Hambleton West Jcn 16 05.8 56 20.35 5 34 Hagg Lane 16 50.1 56 16 41.4 62 21.26 6 27 Gascoigne Wood Jcn 17 40.8 63 17 35.6 61 22.66 7 59 SOUTH MILFORD 19 02.7 59/sigs27 18 56.7 61 25.74 10 65 MICKLEFIELD 23 27.2 45 21 57.6 61 27.63 12 56 GARFORTH EAST 25 38.8 59 23 49.3 61 28.20 13 22 GARFORTH 26 12.5 65 24 23.2 62 29.89 14 77 Manston Crossing 27 37.2 76 25 59.1 63 31.09 16 13 CROSS GATES 28 29.3 87 27 05.0 67 32.75 17 66 Osmondthorpe 29 54.3 50/52 28 40.9 57 33.98 19 04 Neville Hill East 31 17.4 47 29 59.7 47 34.71 19 63 Marsh Lane 32 32.3 29 32 22.0 sigs 3 35.51 20 47 LEEDS 35 01.0 34 29.0
Hambleton West Junction and Leeds. Run 3 arrived in Leeds at 17:09, and may have been following a Trans Pennine service (due 17:04) and a Cross Country service (due 17:06). Run 4 arrived Leeds at 15:55, and may have been following a York - Blackpool service (due Leeds 15:49) and a Trans Pennine service (due 15:53). Although I have not shown it as signal checks, I suspect that the low speeds between Micklefield & Cross Gates may have been due to these previous services.
In conclusion, Class 67 seems to be highly competent and it is pity that we cannot sample daily them on heavy express services.
MODERN STEAM & HERITAGE HAULAGE
In the annual report I mentioned that:
“There does seem to be an interest in steam and heritage runs on the main line, and these are not always covered in the magazine. It would be very useful if we could set up a network to keep members involved and ensure that runs – good, bad or indifferent – are covered in the magazine”
If members are willing to provide logs, could they please send them to either Michael Rowe or David Ashley - Ed
Milepost 31¼ 134 July 2010 Warships on the South Western ( with a few others)
David Lloyd-Roberts
Andrew James came to see me recently and I got out some of my old notebooks.
It has been said in the past that the Hydraulic Era has been thinly covered in Milepost, and I am in a position to fill some of the gaps in the society’s records.
As is widely known the Warships partially took over from steam on the Salisbury line from August 1964. There was the odd train such as the 18.35 Salisbury to Waterloo that was steam hauled until July 1967. The runs here largely date from the End of Steam.
Run one was one of the first trains I timed in the new era having decided to continue train timing into the diesel era. The weight of the train which was 12 carriages should be notes as the more usual weight was 8 or 9 vehicles. The result was decidedly that of a good steam run. Table 1a Run Two is again a heavy load. In the Run Run 3 winter there were, as far as I Date November 1968 remember, only two London trains a Train 09.10 Waterloo-Exeter day at 1100 and 1600 on Sundays, I St Davids am not sure whether the 18.00 was an Motive Power D815 ‘Druid’ all year round train Load 8/273/285 Recorder D.L.R. The run that catches the eye is Run M C [sch] m s mph Three. There was over speed to the 0 08 Waterloo 0 00 extent that the driver would be in hot 1 29 Vauxhall 2 40 43/65 water in this day and age. 3 78 Clapham Junction 5 58 25/TSR 5 47 Earlsfield 8 07 60 There are few recorded instances of 7 25 Wimbledon 9 43 64/63 100 running with Warships. They were 8 52 Raynes Park allowed a free rein on the initial 9 60 New Malden 12 03 69 dieselisation of the Bristolian over the 12 03 Surbiton 14 00 70 period (See Trains Illustrated of the 13 27 Hampton Court Jct 15 05 74 period). 14 28 Esher 15 56 78 15 79 Hersham 17 09 80 The spur to the performance was a 7 17 08 Walton 18 01 81/82 late departure from Woking embarking 19 09 Weybridge 19 31 81 the Army there. A 15 mph over speed 20 34 West Weybridge 21 33 33/sigs on the line limit was rare even in those 21 56 West Byfleet 23 11 50/62 days. 24 25 Woking [26] 26 20 24 25 0 00 I have included Run Four as an 28 00 Brookwood 4 40 66 example of the more usual Warship 31 00 Mp 7 16 73 performance of the period –again the 33 18 Farnborough 8 55 82 locomotive is Druid. Finally, as a kind 36 41 Fleet 11 16 89/91 of control run, I have included a run 39 65 Winchfield 13 30 89 with 35017 on the same Sunday 42 17 Hook 15 05 93/90/94 working; the 11.00 from Waterloo. 47 60 Basingstoke [22] 19 13 Belgian Marine was for some reason 47 60 0 00 substituted by 35007 at Salisbury in 50 28 Worting Junction 3 38 63 what was clearly a planned move and 52 28 Oakley 5 32 73 not an engine failure. 55 39 Overton 7 36 84
Milepost 31¼ 135 July 2010 M C [sch] m s mph 59 09 Whitchurch 10 19 95 61 00 Hurstbourne 11 31 100 62 40 Mp 12 21 92/100 66 21 Andover [18] 15 42 66 21 0 00 67 46 Red Post Junction 2 32 50/66 72 49 Grateley 6 56 72/70 75 40 Allington 9 14 83 78 07 Porton 11 59 99/100 signal stop 82 32 Tunnel Junction 17 38 83 43 Salisbury [20] 19 56
Table 2 Run Run 4 Run 5 Date 31 May 1964 Train 11.10 Waterloo- 11.00 Waterloo- Exeter St Davids Plymouth Motive Power D815 'Druid' 8P 35017 ‘Belgian Marine' Load 9/313/330 12/408/435 Recorder D.L.R. D.L.R. M C [sch] m s mph [sch] m s mph 0 08 Waterloo 0 00 0 00 1 29 Vauxhall 2 48 41/54 3 35 35/51 3 78 Clapham Junction 6 00 36 7 00 5 47 Earlsfield 8 25 54 9 05 55 7 25 Wimbledon 10 07 61 10 52 59 9 60 New Malden 12 28 68 13 24 64 12 03 Surbiton 14 39 60/tsr 15 31 64 13 27 Hampton Court Jct 15 50 60/tsr 16 42 69 14 28 Esher 16 50 65 17 36 70 15 79 Hersham 18 08 73 19 00 70 17 08 Walton 19 03 74 19 58 70 19 09 Weybridge 20 40 77/79 21 50 65 20 34 West Weybridge 21 38 81/84 22 56 75 21 56 West Byfleet 22 32 83/82 24 00 73/68 24 25 Woking [26] 25 29 27 48 24 25 0 00 0 00 28 00 Brookwood 7 33 47 31 00 Mp 7 50 69 11 00 55/53 33 18 Farnborough 9 38 77 13 10 63/60 36 41 Fleet 12 06 86 16 15 65/69 39 65 Winchfield 14 31 83/82 19 06 68/70 42 17 Hook 16 11 85/90 22 20 tsr/20/62 47 60 Basingstoke [24] 20 58 30 51 47 60 0 00 0 00 50 28 Worting Junction 4 23* 53 5 36 42 52 28 Oakley 6 25 68 8 03 58 55 39 Overton 9 06 78/81 10 56 70 59 09 Whitchurch 11 55 75/80/87 14 04 68/70 61 00 Hurstbourne 13 28 82/80/82 15 41 70/80 66 21 Andover [18] 18 ?? 20 42
Milepost 31¼ 136 July 2010 M C [sch] m s mph [sch] m s mph 66 21 0 00 0 00 67 46 Red Post Junction 2 55 52/60 3 45 37/57 72 49 Grateley 7 50 65/62 9 12 54/53 75 40 Allington 10 22 75 12 09 64 78 07 Porton 12 20 79/82 14 15 76/78 82 32 Tunnel Junction 15 55 46* 17 54 50* 82 32 Salisbury [19] 15 55 20 33
Brookwood-Fleet 1 in 408 (average) Run 1 D813-1504 edhp-66.3 mph Run 2 D823-1240 edhp-63.4 mph Run 3 D815-1502 edhp-77.3 mph Run 4 D815-1586 edhp-72.4 mph Run 5 35017-1407 edhp-59 mph
Red Post Junction-Grateley 1 in 287 (average Run 2 D823-1124 edhp-56.1 mph Run 3 D815-1532 edhp-68.7 mph Run 4 D815-1263 edhp-61.5 mph Run 5 35017-1587 edhp-55.4 mph Table 3 M C [sch] m s mph Run 6 126 20 Mp 5 59 48/72 Date 01 November 1968 130 20 Mp 9 37 70/75 Train 08.50 Brighton- 131 34 Crewekerne 10 37 64 Exeter 133 20 Mp 12 39 48 Motive Power D6593 134 03 Hewish 13 32 67/78 -33208 139 36 Chard Junction 19 18 76 Load 8/289/305 sig stop Recorder D.L.R. 144 41 Axminster [23] 27 08 M C [sch] m s mph 144 41 0 00 82 32 Salisbury 0 00 146 20 Mp 2 44 58 83 73 147 63 Seaton Junction 4 31 53/54 84 00 -7 149 40 Mp 6 34 44 85 20 Mp 3 20 39/43 150 40 Mp 8 02 40 86 11 Wilton 4 43 32* 151 40 Mp 9 34 39 91 72 Dinton 11 32 68/64 152 40 Mp 11 08 38 96 16 Tisbury 15 26 67/65/69 153 40 Mp 12 38 43/48 101 12 Semley 20 05 154 55 Honiton [15] 15 26 Crossing stop 154 55 0 00 105 18 Gillingham [27] 26 30 158 00 Mp 4 51 80 105 18 0 00 159 23 Sidmouth J 5 54 67/tsr/69 107 40 Mp 4 13 42 161 20 Mp 7 38 65 109 60 Mp 6 20 78 163 02 Whimple 9 05 78 111 79 Templecombe 8 11 67 166 55 Broad Clyst 11 45 85 113 40 Mp 9 41 56 168 44 Pinhoe 13 13 73/68 114 31 Milbourne Port 10 35 63 170 21 Exmouth J 14 51 115 20 Mp 11 23 68/63 171 30 Exeter Central [20] 16 53 118 03 Sherbourne 13 31 81/78/80 122 48 Yeovil Junction [21] 18 56 Seaton Junction- Mp 152 40 1 in 82 (average) 122 48 0 00 Run 6 D6593-1196 edhp-42.7 mph 124 68 Sutton Bingham 4 13 45 Tunnel Junction-Porton 1 in 207 (average)
Milepost 31¼ 137 July 2010 Run 7 D818-1352 edhp-58.3 mph Run 8 D818-1161 edhp-55.2 mph Run 9 D825-1226 edhp-53.5 mph Run 11 73042 1097 edhp-44.9 mph . Table 4 M C [sch] m s mph Run Run 7 96 16 Tisbury 0 00 Date 01 November 1968 91 72 Dinton 5 00 75/76/70* Train 16.05 Exeter- 86 11 Wilton 10 37 41/48 Waterloo 84 00 -7 Motive Power D818 'Glory' 83 73 Load 8/271/290 83 43 Salisbury [20] 14 50 Recorder D.L.R. 83 43 0 00 M C [sch] m s mph 82 32 Tunnel Junction 2 44 43 171 30 Exeter Central 0 00 78 07 Porton 7 10 62 170 21 Exmouth Junction 2 32 42/53 75 40 Allington Junction 9 37 69 168 44 Pinhoe 4 30 35*/tsr 72 49 Grateley 12 00 76/87 166 55 Broad Clyst 6 57 65/69/66 67 46 Red Post Junction 15 30 sigs 163 02 Whimple [11] 10 37 66 21 Andover [20] 18 29 163 02 0 00 66 21 0 00 161 20 Mp 3 23 46/60 62 40 Mp 5 04 62 159 23 Sidmouth Junction 6 31 25*/sigs 61 00 Hurstbourne 6 21 75 158 00 Mp 8 34 57/61/57 59 09 Whitchurch 7 55 74 154 55 Honiton [13] 12 43 55 39 Overton 10 40 82 154 55 0 00 52 28 Oakley 13 00 88 153 40 Mp 2 38 40/76 50 28 Worting Junction 15 06 58/60*/63 147 63 Seaton Junction 7 37 75/74 47 60 Basingstoke [19] 18 10 146 20 Mp 8 53 82/74 47 60 0 00 144 40 Axminster [12] 10 55 42 17 Hook 5 39 82 144 40 0 00 39 65 Winchfield 7 18 90 139 23 Chard Junction 6 22 68/66 36 41 Fleet 9 31 86 134 03 Hewish 10 58 74/70 33 18 Farnborough 11 48 88/90 133 20 Mp 11 43 69/70 31 00 Mp 13 22 90 131 34 Crewkerne [16] 13 43 28 00 Brookwood 15 30 86/81 131 34 0 00 sig stop 130 20 Mp 1 51 65/68/67 24 25 Woking [26] 25 13 126 20 Mp 5 14 75 24 25 0 00 124 68 Sutton Bingham 6 18 82/84 21 56 West Byfleet 3 26 78 122 48 Yeovil Junction [11] 8 51 20 34 West Weybridge 4 26 80 122 48 0 00 19 09 Weybridge 5 26 76 118 03 Sherbourne [8] 6 54 65 max 17 08 Walton 6 58 81 118 03 0 00 15 79 Hersham 7 44 90 115 20 Mp 4 58 45 14 28 Esher 8 56 75 114 31 Milbourne Port 5 54 58 13 27 Hampton Court Jct 11 10 15/sigs 113 40 6 47 64 12 03 Surbiton 13 14 48 111 79 Templecombe 8 07 72 9 60 New Malden 15 33 60/62 110 60 Mp 9 06 80 7 25 Wimbledon 18 05 63 109 60 Mp 9 50 74/68 5 47 Earlsfield 19 41 64 107 40 Mp 11 49 72/70 3 78 Clapham Junction 21 35 35*/56 105 18 Gillingham [17] 14 24 1 29 Vauxhall 24 55 43 105 18 0 00 sig stop 101 12 Semley 6 04 53/69 0 08 Waterloo [26] 29 40 96 16 Tisbury [13] 11 27
Milepost 31¼ 138 July 2010 Table 5 Run Run 8 Run 9 Date C. 1968 C. 1970 Train 17.36 Salisbury- 14.42 Salisbury- Waterloo Waterloo Motive Power D818 'Glory' D825 'Intrepid' Load 7/233/250 8/272/285 Recorder D.L.R. D.L.R. M C [sch] m s mph [sch] m s mph 83 43 Salisbury 0 00 0 00 82 32 Tunnel Junction 2 55 43 3 10 37 78 07 Porton 7 36 64 8 00 59/57 75 40 Allington Junction 10 06 65 10 40 64 72 49 Grateley 12 40 69/81 13 20 70/84 67 46 Red Post Junction 16 38 75 17 05 70/sigs 66 21 Andover [22] 18 27 [19] 20 00 66 21 0 00 0 00 62 40 Mp 4 50 69 5 34 54 61 00 Hurstbourne 6 04 79 6 50 67 59 09 Whitchurch 7 29 82/83 8 40 68 55 39 Overton 10 04 86/84 11 26 77/75 52 28 Oakley 12 27 75/77 14 06 76/75 50 28 Worting Junction 15 38 20/sigs/64 16 06 60*/71 47 60 Basingstoke [20] 18 49 [28] 18 56 47 60 0 00 0 00 42 17 Hook 5 40 90 6 11 77 39 65 Winchfield 7 16 88/90 7 56 82 36 41 Fleet 9 35 87/90 10 18 88/85 33 18 Farnborough 11 55 82 12 39 81 31 00 Mp 13 35 82 14 16 82 28 00 Brookwood 15 41 90 16 20 88 24 25 Woking [24] 18 55 [21] 19 50 24 25 0 00 0 00 21 56 West Byfleet 3 38 74 3 48 68 20 34 West Weybridge 4 33 82 4 51 78 19 09 Weybridge 5 31 89 5 53 75 17 08 Walton 6 54 90 7 26 82 15 79 Hersham 7 41 90 8 15 81 14 28 Esher 8 50 78 9 25 82/78 13 27 Hampton Court Jct 9 45 64 10 18 72 12 03 Surbiton 10 56 63 11 52 43/sigs 9 60 New Malden 12 58 75/tsr/44 14 25 60/61/sigs 7 25 Wimbledon 15 40 60 18 40 22 5 47 Earlsfield 17 15 68 20 55 60/62 3 78 Clapham Junction 19 01 38*/61 22 45 43*/58 1 29 Vauxhall 22 04 40 25 50 31/37 0 08 Waterloo [27] 24 57 [27] 28 51
Note the same minimum speeds at Grateley on runs 2 and 4 after of course a slower start with a Merchant Navy which had one coach more. That renowned Salisbury driver Fred Hoare was heard to remark that a Warship was the equivalent of a good West Country. This is a judgement that I cannot fault.
After recording Run Three I changed to the Crompton hauling the Brighton service- this is shown as Run 6. The Brighton service was the only regular Crompton working at the time
Milepost 31¼ 139 July 2010 west of Salisbury. Crompton’s were unusual before their takeover of the route in 1971 from the Warships. From later experience the minimum of 38 ½ mph at Milepost 152 ½ was at the top end of Crompton performance.
In view of the paucity of runs behind Warships I present runs 7-9 in the up direction with regard to Run 5 a lot of this would have been performed after dark as this was the train I returned on having recorded runs 3 and 6.
What is quite apparent from power output point of view (above and below) is the erratic nature of Warship performance. Quite clearly D815 is a cut above the rest; with D813 bordering on the reasonable and the rest- the less said the better. However, despite such mediocre levels of power output the engines concerned would have kept time and one cannot complain if the engine allocated to one’s train is up to specification in this regard.
To Weymouth 1970
I went to Weymouth with the local YHA at Easter 1970. We spent 2 nights in Winchester Youth Hostel and 2 nights not under the aegis of the YHA in a scout hut in Weymouth. We travelled back on the Easter Monday of that year and the return was an extra with no less than 11 TC vehicles. There were some 3 car units for a short period at that time.
Motive power from the rear was D6532 and D6580 which was the prototype for the Class 33/1 conversions. This latter engine had failed at the buffer stops and the remaining Crompton had the prospect shifting 11 cars to Waterloo solo. How it got on is shown in Table 8. This probably in the top 20 runs I have recorded over 50 years!
As readers may be aware, 34067 Tangmere was lumbered in the same fashion by the failure of a diesel banker on that auspicious date July 9th. Rumour has it that it got into Bincombe tunnel at 16mph. I should be interested to see a log of this run as I understand that a lot of time was made up to Waterloo. Certainly I had a very swift run with Tangmere the previous Sunday.
D6532 achieved 23 mph at Bincombe Tunnel which involved of edhp of 1323 from Upwey to this point. The average edhp on Roundwood from Eastleigh to the summit at an average speed 62.71 mph was 1189. There was an unexplained easing after Basingstoke. Nevertheless I feel that this was one of my most memorable recordings. Quite clearly D6532 was a potent member of its class and the edhp figures suggest a slight excess of power over the nominal horsepower rating of 1550 for the class.
The easing after Basingstoke brought to mind another run. The Southern Region offered on Easter Mondays- the only day of the year on which you could use the Atlantic Coast Express on a 15 shilling half day return to Salisbury. The Merchant Navy 35014 had disappointed. I planned to return from Salisbury on the 16.30 from Exeter but a relief arrived some 15 minutes ahead of schedule departure with a Standard Class 5. This was the only time I timed one of these on a non-stop Salisbury-Waterloo working.
The initial attack on Porton Bank was very good, involving an edhp of 1097 from Tunnel Junction to this point. Not quite so good thereafter and there may have been a shortage of steam (Note the easing after Basingstoke!) I imagine it was running to a schedule of a bout 90 or 91 minutes, but I am not sure. Readers may like to compare this with a run in Milepost 25 which David Adams recorded on summer Saturday working with 34052.
This is something of a pot pourri of runs and I hope that the membership will find something of interest in it.
Milepost 31¼ 140 July 2010 Table 6 M C [sch] m s mph Run Run 10 92 63 Brockenhurst 0 00 sig Date 30 March 1970 stop Train 17.20 (Relief) 89 71 Woodfidley 6 11 48/35/sigs Weymouth-Waterloo 88 07 Beaulieu Road 8 48 46 Motive Power D6532 85 32 Ashurst New Forest 12 21 Load 11TC/363/395 82 39 Totton 15 25 65/47 Recorder D.L.R. 81 74 Redbridge 16 15 48 M C [sch] m s mph 80 14 Millbrook 18 20 49 168 56 Weymouth 0 00 79 18 Southampton 19 49 167 59 Radipole 2 26 39/37 Central 166 30 Upwey 4 45 33 79 18 0 00 165 18 Upwey Wishing Well 7 23 23 78 19 Northam Junction 2 51 164 45 Bincombe 9 15 23 77 09 St Denys 4 41 43 163 12 Monkton 11 21 61 75 56 Swaythling 6 21 53 162 14 Dorchester Junction 13 15 73 36 Eastleigh 8 43 62/64 sig 136 15 stop 69 49 Shawford 12 21 64/63 135 71 Dorchester South 16 15 66 40 Winchester 15 18 62/64 135 71 0 00 64 23 Winchester Junction 17 21 61/63 130 25 Moreton 6 18 69/65 63 23 Wallers Ash 64/61 tsr/23 58 07 Micheldever 23 20 64/61 125 70 Wool 13 18 58/69 56 18 Roundwood 25 16 63/60 121 77 Worgret 17 03 65/50/52 52 40 Wotton 28 25 72/77 120 70 Wareham 18 42 50 28 Worting Junction 30 24 58/64 120 70 0 00 47 60 Basingstoke 32 48 64/62/61 118 61 Holton Heath 3 30 58/66 42 17 Hook 35 01 69/72 116 00 Hamworthy 6 21 37*/53 39 65 Winchfield 39 58 78/82 113 62 Poole 10 01 36 41 Fleet 42 27 81/80 113 62 0 00 33 18 Farnborough 44 55 83/81 111 78 Parkstone 3 38 33/30 31 00 Mp 46 35 80 110 53 Branksome 6 01 39/30*/60 28 00 Brookwood 48 48 82/81 108 01 Bournemouth 10 11 24 25 Woking 51 25 86 108 01 0 00 21 56 West Byfleet 53 20 83/84 106 67 Boscombe 2 40 48 20 34 West Weybridge 54 13 84/82 106 17 Pokesdown 3 20 58/64 19 09 Weybridge 55 11 82/79 104 28 Christchurch 6 20 25/sigs 17 08 Walton 56 40 82/85 101 04 Hinton Admiral 11 11 53/48 15 79 Hersham 57 51 81/75 98 44 New Milton 14 01 60/68 14 28 Esher 58 50 69 95 54 Sway 16 46 73/70 13 27 Hampton Court Jct 59 42 69 93 64 Lymington Junction 18 16 54 12 03 Surbiton 60 50 68/63 92 63 Brockenhurst 20 00 9 60 New Malden 62 50 68/66 7 25 Wimbledon 65 15 65/60 5 47 Earlsfield 66 51 66 3 78 Clapham Junction 68 41 43*/64 1 29 Vauxhall 72 06 sigs 0 08 Waterloo 76 05
Milepost 31¼ 141 July 2010 Table 7 M C sch m s mph Run Run 11 42 17 Hook 44 43 74/66 Date 30 March 1964 39 65 Winchfield 46 55 65 Train 16.30 Exeter Central 36 41 Fleet 49 50 69/67 Waterloo 33 18 Farnborough 52 50 63/65 Motive Power 5MT 73042 31 00 Mp 54 58 64 Load 10/334/365 28 00 Brookwood 57 34 75/77 Recorder D.L.R. 24 25 Woking 60 27 75 M C sch m s mph 21 56 West Byfleet 62 33 80 83 43 Salisbury 0 00 20 34 West Weybridge 63 33 76 82 32 Tunnel Junction 3 28 33 19 09 Weybridge 64 35 68 78 07 Porton 9 14 45/42 17 08 Walton 66 22 71 75 40 Allington Junction 12 46 45/50 15 79 Hersham 67 25 68/sigs 72 49 Grateley 16 15 57/73 14 28 Esher 70 10 25 67 46 Red Post Junction 20 38 71/66 13 27 Hampton Court Jct 66 22 Andover 21 50 72 12 03 Surbiton 73 40 40 62 40 Mp 53 9 60 New Malden 76 30 50 61 00 Hurstbourne 27 00 62 7 25 Wimbledon 79 20 57 59 09 Whitchurch 28 55 57/59 5 47 Earlsfield 81 05 60 55 39 Overton 32 35 57/59 3 78 Clapham Junction 83 00 42*/49 52 28 Oakley 35 43 60 1 29 Vauxhall 86 45 50 28 Worting Junction 37 44 64 0 08 Waterloo 89 56 47 60 Basingstoke 39 51 73/76
Milepost 31¼ 142 July 2010
Bristolian Positioning Trip
Bruce Nathan
The exploits of Castle 4-6-0 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on the ‘Bristolian’ specials of 17 April 2010 have been well publicised in the railway press but to get the locomotive and stock from Tyseley to London for the start of the trip, a positioning train was run on the previous day, Friday 16 April, taking passengers from Solihull, Dorridge, Warwick Parkway and Oxford to Slough. I joined this trip and the locomotive put up another commendable performance. The log shows the principal sections.
Date/day Friday 16 April 2010 Miles M C location Sch m s mph ave Train 13.01 Solihull - Slough 72.63 72 50 TACKLEY 32 39 76/77 74.9 Motive Pow er 5043 Earl of Mount Edgecumbe 74.11 71 11 Bletchington 33 49 74 76.4 Load (tonnes) 7 coaches (250 tons) plus 76.16 69 07 Kidlington 35 29 1/2 73/74 73.5 w ater tank GUV and diesel 37 516 78.88 66 30 Wolvercot Junction 37 43 1/2 66 72.9 Est.387/400 tons 80.75 64 40 Oxford North Junction 39 35 1/2 54 60.2 Weather Fine 81.74 63 41 OXFORD 47 41 48 2½ early 26.9 Rec/Pos/GPS? B. Nathan/coach 4/N 0.00 63 15 Hinks ey N UDPL 0 0 00 3 early WTT 0.44 62 60 MP 4 14 6.2 Miles M C location Sch m s mph ave 2.09 61 08 Kennington Junction 6 58 50 36.2 4.73 58 37 RADLEY 9 49 1/2 64 55.3 0.00 118 75 DORRIDGE 0 0 00 ½ early 6.93 56 21 CULHAM 11 42 72 70.2 2.53 116 33 LAPWORTH 3 59 1/2 65 38.0 9.28 53 73 Didcot North Junction 13 13 51 55 65.7 4.44 114 40 MP 5 36 1/2 75 70.7 9.28 53 64 6.76 112 14 HATTON 9 7 35 68/71 70.8 10.33 52 60 Didcot East Junction (MP) 15 15 04 51 51.6 9.63 109 25 WARWICK PARKWAY 14 10 41 4 early 55.4 11.69 51 31 Moreton Cutting 16 30 61 57.1 0.00 106 06 LEAMINGTON SPA 0 0 00 2½ late 14.64 48 35 CHOLSEY 19 06 72/74 68.0 1.33 104 60 MP 3 26 1/2 39 23.1 18.33 44 60 GORING & STREATLEY 22 10 70 72.3 3.58 102 40 Fosse Road 6 03 55/57 51.8 21.54 41 43 PANGBOURNE 24 50 1/2 74/75 72.1 6.16 99 73 Southam Road 8 50 56 55.8 24.43 38 52 TILEHURST 27 14 69 72.3 8.83 97 20 MP 11 24 1/2 64 62.0 26.83 36 20 35 39 sig 11.10 94 78 Fenny Compton 13 13 33 1/2 61/60 63.4 38 25 stop 13.76 92 25 Claydon 16 11 62 60.9 27.04 35 83 READING 35 40 11 14.83 91 20 MP 17 09 66 65.6 29.33 33 60 Sonning 43 45 1/2 50/61 38.4 16.36 89 57 Cropredy 18 27 1/2 72 70.6 32.05 31 02 TWYFORD 43 46 38 1/2 50 56.7 19.89 86 15 BANBURY 22 21 30 1/2 66 69.4 33.40 29 54 Ruscombe 48 21 1/2 47 47.1 23.39 82 55 KINGS SUTTON 24 32 73 69.4 36.65 26 34 Waltham 52 07 1/2 57 51.7 24.95 81 10 Aynho Junction 25 49 73/75 73.1 38.81 24 21 MAIDENHEAD 52 55 07 1/2 32/22 43.3 27.93 78 12 Fritw ell 28 15 73 73.3 40.63 22 36 TAPLOW 59 30 1/2 29 24.8 30.83 75 20 HEYFORD (mp) 34 30 32 1/2 76/74 75.9 42.15 20 74 BURNHAM 62 20 1/2 38/44 32.2 44.64 18 35 SLOUGH 61 66 57 3 late 32.4 The load was 7 coaches plus the parcels van containing the additional water tank and, at the rear, diesel 37 516 which I expect was used to help move the stock with reversals at both ends of the journey. Although we left Solihull 3 minutes late, the scheduled stop in Dorridge up loop for a Chiltern dmu to overtake was cut short and we left Dorridge station ½ minute early. A smart start was made and we reached the permitted maximum of 75 mph between Lapworth and Hatton and gained almost 3½ minutes before the scheduled stop at Warwick Parkway. There was little to note on the short section to Leamington where we waited in the centre road for some 20 minutes to allow other trains to get ahead. From here we made a vigorous start maintaining 55-57 mph up the 1 in 187 climb past Fosse Road and just over 60 on the easier grades beyond. Once over the summit at Milepost 91¼ our speed was maintained above 70 mph for some 25 miles, apart from a slight easing through Banbury. There was a clear road into Oxford station which was reached in even time start-to-stop from Leamington.
We had a lengthy booked stop in Hinksey North loop just beyond Oxford station where we took on water and the start out of the loop was very slow but we got going again once on the main line and reached 72 mph at Culham before an easing for the Didcot junctions. Keeping to the slow line we had a further section at over 70 mph between Cholsey and Tilehurst
Milepost 31¼ 143 July 2010 before being stopped outside Reading. We were now following an all-stations dmu and checked the rest of the way to Slough. I do not recall any HSTs passing us on the fast line over this section and I wonder what we could have done had we been allowed to proceed on this line. We were 3 minutes late into Slough where the passengers had to hurriedly leave the train before it moved away as empty stock
The performance was of a much higher standard than I recall from every-day runs behind steam over the Western Region in the 1950s although as Michael Rowe pointed out at the RPS AGM., the locomotives are pampered these days and subject to much less intensive use.
Preserved Steam on a Preserved Railway - How Good ?
Michael Rowe
The Spring Gala on the West Somerset Railway [WSR] this year included four guest British Railways Standard Locomotives, amongst which was Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0 No.78019. The loco was restricted over the two Gala weekends to shunting, piloting other locos and hauling a “freight train”. However on the Wednesday between it was rostered to MD1 [10.15 & 14.15 from Minehead and 12.30 & 16.15 from Bishops Lydeard]. In the morning apparently time was lost in both directions, probably a function of the particular driver, aggravated by unfamiliarity with the loco.
In the afternoon John Chambers drove the 14.15. John, a Derby apprentice in 1957, was familiar with the various BR Standard designs pre 1968 and on this occasion represented the loco owner. He is a regular WSR driver and after 50 years remains a steam enthusiast. He kept time to Bishops Lydeard and on the return fired to another WSR driver, who kept time with 25 mph maintained on the 1/81 to Crowcombe and on the 1/76 to Washford..
The WSR has its own 2-6-0, No.9351. This is a rebuild of ex GWR 41xx 2-6-2 Tank No.5193 from Barry scrap-yard.. It has run approximately 55,000 miles since re-entering service as a 2-6-0. This fulfills one of two Swindon designs proposed in the Twenties for light 2-6-0’s, [one utilizing a No.2 boiler as used inter alia on the 41xx 2-6-2 tank’s, the other a No.10 boiler, as per the 32xx 0-6-0’s. Details of both designs are included in “The Churchward 2-6- 0’s” by David Andrews]. Number 9351 as a tender locomotive offers certain operational advantages whilst effectively hauling an additional carriage.
Date 24/03/2010 Apr-10 Loco BR2 2-6-0 78019 WSR 2-6-0 9351 Load No/tons 5//178/190 7/242/265 Recorder M.J.Rowe M.J.Rowe m c m s mph m s mph 0 Blue Anchor 00-00 00-00 Bottom 1/65 -26 -32 Top 1/65 -26 -25 2.2 Washford 6.44 stop 6.02 stop 0 Williton 00-00 00-00 On 1/92 (26)(25) -30 3.2 Stogumber 10.11 stop 8.15 stop On 1/92 -25 -30 5.8 Crowcombe 9.46 stop * 7.19 stop
No. 78019; fire grate area. 17.5 sq.ft, total evaporative 1025 sq.ft, superheater 124 sq.ft
Milepost 31¼ 144 July 2010 No.. 9351: fire grate area 20.35 sq.ft, total evaporative 1267 sq.ft. superheater 82 sq.ft
There are two summits on the WSR, In the Up direction from Blue Anchor to Washford the climb includes over a mile at 1/65: between Williton and Crowcombe much of the climb is at 1/92, the immediate restart from Stogumber is at 1/68,
Performance logs behind BR Class 2 2-6-0’s are comparatively rare, there are only nine on the RPS data base for instance. A.J. Powell, writing under the pseudonym “45671” in Trains Illustrated [Vol.XII], included details of a footplate trip on No.78041..
Loco BR Class 2MT 2-6 -0, No.78041. load: 3/84/95 tons
Miles sch min/s mph regulator cutoff % 0.0 Liverpool Exch’ge 0 00-00 sig sl Sand’s No1 ½ 25 1.5 Sandhills 3 03-33 (42)(40) ½ 22 3.6 Walton Jct 6 07-14 pws (44)(13) ½ 45/.35 4.9 Aintree 9 09-26 (38)(51) sigs ½ 25 7.4 Maghull 12-04 (70)(50) ½ 35/30 10.2 Town Green 14-58 (58)(60) ½ 30 12.2 Ormskirk arr 18 17-30 0.0 Ormskirk dep 0 00-00 1st valve 40/25 2.6 Burscough Jct 4 03-31 (61) shut 5.5 Rufford 06-35 (58) 1st valve 25 8.1 Croston 08-50 (66)(62) 1st valve 25 10.9 Midge Hall 11-25 (67)(58) shut 12.6 Moss Lane Jct 15 13-45 (49)(45) 1st valve 40/25 13.7 Lostock Hall 15-22 (32) shut 14.6 Todd Lane Jct 17-34 sigs (24)(50) sigs 1st valve 30 16.6 Preston 21-05
There is not surprising, bearing in mind the length of service and the number of locomotives. Far more data is available for the 41xx series of 2-6-2 tanks. A particularly interesting operational period was from May 22nd to June 15th 1956 when the Penzance turntable was being repaired. Consequently main line locos, primarily “Halls” and “Castles” were turned at Truro. Eighteen 2-6-2 Tank’s were temporarily allocated to Penzance and Truro to work main line trains between the two locations. Most trains were hauled by a single loco, the night sleeper a notable exception.
The heaviest train [RCTS “Railway Observer” 1956] observed leaving Penzance was the 11.00 on June 8th loaded to 11/362 tons Tare headed by 41xx No.5107.
The 41xx 2-6-2 Tank’s were permitted in 1955 to haul 360 tons unassisted between Taunton and Minehead, 310 tons from Minehead to Washford and 360 tons onwards to Taunton. The Truro to Penzance and Bishops Lydeard to Minehead gradient profiles are similar, although overall the Cornish route is the more severe. The major summits are at Redruth and Crowcombe respectively, [ruling gradients 1/55 and 1/68], the minor ones between St Erth and Marazion and at Washford [ruling gradients 1/67 and 1/65].
C.K.Dunkley travelled from Plymouth to Penzance by the “Cornishman” on May 23 returning the following morning. Was his visit specifically to observe operations one wonders? Engines were changed at Truro and there were additional stops between Truro and Penzance: the “Cornishman” normally only stopped at St. Erth. The Penzance departure was at 10.10 rather than the normal 10.35.
Milepost 31¼ 145 July 2010 Date 23 May 1956 24 May 1956 Loco 2-6-2T 5102 2-6-2T 4148 Train 1535 ex Plymouth 1010 ex Penzance Load 8,282/302 9,309/325 Recorder C Dunkley C Dunkley miles sch actual speed mil sch actual 0.0 Truro 00-00 0.0 Penzance 00-00 2.4 Penwithers 3.35 1.9 Marazion 5.05 -38 2.2 MP303 7.49 -17 4.8 MP321¾ 9.45 -30 4.2 MP305 16.19 5.6 St Erth 10 11.28 stop 5.2 Chacewater 18.17 -48 1.6 Hayle 4.00 pws 15 6.2 MP307 20.11 -25 3.0 MP318 8.05 6.9 Scorrier 21.32 -41 4.5 MP316½ 12.59 9.0 Redruth 19 24-31 stop 5.0 Gwin’r Rd 10 16.37 stop 2.1 Carn Brea 4 4.02 stop 1.0 MP315 2.14 -44 1.6 Camborne 6 3.30 stop 2.5 Camborne 10 6.58 stop 2.5 Gwinear R 3.40 (47)(62 1.6 Carn Brea 3.58 -43 5.9 Hayle 8 8.05 stop 3.2 Redruth 7 6.55 stop 1.6 St Erth 5 3.26 stop 2.3 Scorrier 4.18 -52 3.7 Marazion -52 3.8 Chacewater 6.23 (53)(60 5.6 Penzance 11.10 stop 9.0 Truro 15 13.50 stop
The BR 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78019 developed a maximum Equivalent Drawbar Horse Power [EDHP] in the range 700-730 on the West Somerset Railway and the WSR 2-6-0 No.9351 810-840. [The EDHP per square foot of fire grate was 41 for both]. In both cases the Regulator was full open and the cut-off 35 to 40 percent.
Number 78041 developed 610-630 EDHP on the 1/131 before Ormskirk with half Regulator and 30/35 percent cut-off..51xx 2-6-2 tank No.5102 maintained 15 mph on the 1/80 out of Truro and No.4148 possibly 17 mph on the 1/61 before Gwinear Road/. The EDHP’s at these low speeds were approximately 450 and a respectable 700 respectively.
Bruce Nathan in 1963 timed 41xx 2-6-2 tank No. 4142 between Stroud and Kemble with a three coach train when a 9½ minute late departure was converted to a 1¼ minute early arrival,.13 minutes-32 seconds, start to stop. The loco appears to have sustained 41-42 mph on the 1/60 before Sapperton tunnel, an EDHP of c.750-800. .The best of a preserved railway compares well with the best of the past ??
BUT WHAT WAS IT LIKE 60 YEARS AGO?
Michael Hedges
This is a shortened version of articles published in B.R.C. News, newsletter of the Bournemouth Railway Club.
I started my National Service in 1948 and, after completing my basic training near Farnborough and Railway Clerk’s course at Longmoor, was posted, with others, to the H.Q. of Movement Control for the Port of London at Purfleet. The Longmoor Military Railway took us to Liss where we boarded a slow to Halemere where we caught a fast to Waterloo. Several signal checks meant that we arrived 5 late, at 12.5. My memory is of boarding a crowded underground train with greatcoat, full battle kit, kit bag and rifle! I don’t think we could have been very popular with our fellow travellers, nor were we popular at the camp at
Milepost 31¼ 146 July 2010 Purfleet, because the rifles were only issued to us just before we left Longmoor, and at Purfleet they said they would just store them until they had enough to make a trip to the Tower of London worthwhile! The rifles were to go there, of course, not us! We had caught the 1.45 from Fenchurch St., 4 non-corridors hauled by 42512, a Stanier 4MT 2-6-4T. I was still collecting engine numbers then, as the number is crossed out, indicating I had ticked it off in my L.M.S. ABC. The train started well to time and was only 2 late at Purfleet despite a number of signal checks. The passenger service on this line was worked by these 2-6- 4Ts and “L.T. & S.” 4-4-2Ts.
It was only 4 years after the war had ended, and schedules were similar to those in force during the war, which meant far fewer fast trains, and slower, as speed restrictions had been imposed from the start in case of bombing of the lines, and although the Southern Railway had raised the speed limit outside the suburban area from 70 to 85 m.p.h. as soon as the autumn of 1946, a figure which continued until the end of steam. The re-introduced Bournemouth Belle seemed to be the only train to have a schedule to take advantage of the raised limit in those days. But the schedules of semi-fast trains were very similar to those of the pre-war years and often remained similar throughout the steam era. There were often several restrictions for track work, trying to make up for the lack of maintenance during the war, locomotive maintenance was not always of the highest standard, and coal supplies were often not only limited but of very variable quality.
I was able to come home at the end of that week, and caught the 4.35 from Waterloo, 35025 on 13 taring 434 tons and presumably pretty full as I put the gross tonnage at 480. The engine blew off and slipped as it started punctually, but lost a minute to Clapham where it was also blowing off. We took 31 minutes to pass Woking at only 52 and breasted the summit at 46. I recorded 52 after Farnborough and we were at Worting in the hour, 2 minutes early on this lax schedule. Signals then reduced speed to 40, but with 68 maximum we were into Winchester 3 early at 5.54. We even had to reverse starting from there, then 67 at Eastleigh but severe signals before Northam so half a minute late into Southampton. A minute overtime there, more slipping and blowing off much of the way but only 49 at Beaulieu and 52 after so a good minute lost to Brockenhurst where I alighted.
I returned to camp on the evening of Sunday, 9th, catching first the 6.5 Bournemouth West at Christchurch, 30860 on 12 well to time. I changed into the 6.35 from Bournemouth West at Southampton, as it was due into Waterloo 5 minutes ahead of the former. This had 863 (note no prefix – was that a clue that it might have been due for “shops”?) on 12, which I noted included a Restaurant Car. I thought that its arrival 5½ minutes early, albeit on a very easy scheduled, augured well, but just wait and see! After a 10 minute wait we left at the advertised time, were a minute ahead of time passing Eastleigh, but then came a p.w.s. and speed was only 33 at Shawford, picked up to only 36 at Winchester, was 6 late at the Junction and then speed again fell to 32. Nothing more than 50 saw us 11 late at Worting, passed at only 46, then 64 at Fleet but down again to 55 at Farnborough and 53 at M.P. 31. Still 10 late at Woking, 61 briefly after, but then a p.w.s., 13 late at Hampton Court then signals severe, 18 late at Clapham and all but 20 late terminating. As I left the train I noted that the B.P. was only 130! I was then fortunate to be able to have a “48 hour” pass every fortnight, so Friday, 21st, saw me on 3.30 from Waterloo, 30856 on 10 – 326T./355, leaving well to time. There was slipping at the start and we passed Clapham slowly but on time, only 40 at Earlswood, 56 at Surbiton and blowing off at Hampton where we had lost a minute. A p.w.s before Weybridge did not help either so we were a couple of minutes late at Woking. 48 was attained by M.P. 31 but then nothing more than 60 so no time was regained by Basingstoke. The maximum for the entire journey was 66 before Winchester, reached on time, but nothing more of note and I reached Christchurch a minute or so late. Returning on Sunday 23rd, by the same train from Christchurch, I decided not to change at Southampton! Unusually, 35016 was the loco that day with the usual 12 coaches and more than to time when I joined
Milepost 31¼ 147 July 2010 it. There were short p.w.s. both sides of Sway, and, cutting the station time to just 1 minute, were 1½ late from Brockenhurst but a very slow entry into Southampton, after no more then 59 in the Forest, made us 2 late in and we were actually 5 late away! 52 and more smart station work saw us only 2 late from Winchester and then an easy schedule made us nearly right time at Basingstoke, where we crossed to the Local Line on leaving, crossing back at Woking 32 minutes later (I do not know the working time there,). After 59 at Hersham there was a p.w.s. at Esher. We had a slowing at Clapham, passed 1½ late and terminated 2½ late. The schedule in from Basingstoke was 67 minutes, making the sedate Sunday 10a.m. ex Weymouth, which I used quite a lot in later years, seem really fast!
I was lucky on Friday, 11th February, to be able to catch the 11.23 from Purfleet and thus the 1.30 from Waterloo, 30864 on 12 plus a 4 wheel van, 415T/450. We started to time with a slip, passed Clapham slowly in 8¾ minutes, 40 at Earlsfield, 53 at Malden, 20¾ to Hampton Court, yet 33 minutes to Woking was only a minute late, 46 at Brookwood and a couple of minutes early into Basingstoke in 60¼ minutes! Blowing off before we started, 68m.p.h. gave us plenty of time at Winchester to detach the van - if my memory serves me, there was probably a B4 0-4-0T there to deal with it! After nothing more of note, I left the train, right time, at Christchurch. Going back on Sunday, 13th, I again decided not to change at Southampton. 30861 with the usual 12 was well to time at Christchurch but took 8 minutes to pass Hinton at 36 and fell to 28 before taking 12¾ minutes to New Milton! There was still a p.w.s. before Sway, but smart station work helped us leave Southampton well to time. Just as well, as we fell from 45 at Eastleigh to 39 before the Winchester stop, and then even a p.w.s. before Worting did not make us late at Basingstoke. Again on the Local Line, and a virtual signal stop before crossing back at Woking, we were 3 early at Hampton Court and Clapham, but then a signal stop made us 2 late in.
Also lucky on Friday, 4th March, to catch the 1.30 Waterloo, 30862 on 10 plus van, detached at Winchester as before. It departed to time, slowed to pass Clapham in 7¾ minutes, 64 at Byfleet, about 55 when we passed Woking at 1/59½, 51 still at M.P. 31, and a final 64 before reaching Basingstoke in 55¼ minutes, 7 minutes early! This time 70 before Winchester. We were stopped by signal just after Sway and had to run “single line” on to New Milton, so we were 7 minutes late when I left the train at Christchurch. The following Sunday I again caught my usual train at Christchurch, 30860 on 12, on time at Christchurch, then a very sedate run on to New Milton, after which there was a p.w.s., and we left Brockenhurst 3 late. With 64 before Totton the train was still 4 late at Southampton, so I changed there. 859 (no “30” suffix) headed the 6.35 from the West with the usual 12 including Restaurant Car. It was one late in and one early away. 45 at Eastleigh fell to 40 before a gradual recovery to a modest 44 at Micheldever. We were 1¼ late at Winchester Jct., and before Worting there were serious signal checks and a p.w.s., so we were then 9 late. Only 51 at Basingstoke, 65 after, 62 at M.P. 31 and 69 at Woking, where lateness had been reduced to 5 minutes and to 3 minutes at Hampton Court, but there were p.w.s. at and after Clapham and a severe signal check, so we terminated 6 late.
On Friday, 18th March I caught the 3.20 Waterloo, 35028 on 12, 401T/435. We set off a minute late, with slipping and blowing off. I noted 57 before Hersham, but we kept time to Woking and were doing “50+” at Brookwood. There was a brief 62 after Farnborough and we were 4 early at Worting (56 minutes). 71 at Winchester Jct. Saw us 6 early into the City, where we stood 9 minutes, leaving a minute late, which was recouped by Southampton. Time was kept to Brockenhurst, where I left the train. I did not return to Camp until Wednesday, 23rd, and caught the 5.5 Bournemouth West at Christchurch, 30851 on 9 plus bogie van and on time and loco blowing off. The p.w.s. after New Milton was still in force and we were 2 late at the Sway stop and 3 late at Brockenhurst, as we were at Southampton. Nothing much changed until after Winchester, when only 41 at Micheldever and then a p.w.s. contrived to make us 6 late at Worting, but the generous station allowance saw us back to 3 late leaving Basingstoke. We eventually terminated just 1 late.
Milepost 31¼ 148 July 2010
Friday, 1st April saw me on the 4.35 Waterloo again, filthy 35026 on 13, 436T/475, leaving on time. Two minutes were lost to Clapham, but we were probably on time passing Woking and fell to 48 thereafter. Very moderate speeds saw us 3 early at Worting and we were 4 early into Winchester after a modest 62, and here we took water. At Southampton I changed into the 6.22 from there, Q 0-6-0 548 on 6 corridors plus a bogie van. Nothing of note but a p.w.s. before New Milton made us 4 late when I left the train at Christchurch, 64 minutes from Southampton and 2 hours 54 minutes from leaving London. Returning on Sunday, 3rd, there was rain and a strong south-westerly wind. 30860 on 12. We were slightly early and loco blowing off at Christchurch, and a good run to New Milton in 10¼ minutes, with speed falling from 44 to only 41 after Hinton and then recovering to 48. The p.w.s. was still there and we were 2 late into Brockenhurst, whilst 65 before Totton was better than usual, and 55 before Shawford, only falling to 47 before the Winchester stop in 19 minutes from Southampton was exceptional. 46 at Micheldever was enough to see us passing Worting on time, despite the p.w.s. We crossed to the Local Line on leaving Basingstoke and did not cross back until Walton-on-Thames, passed Hampton virtually to time but then had a signal check at Wimbledon, speed was only 35 at Earlsfield and there was a slowing at Clapham, passed 2 late, but only 37 at Vauxhall (? more signals?) saw us terminate 4½ late.
Maundy Thursday, 14th April, saw me on the 4p.m. relief from Waterloo. 30864 on 11, 366T/400. We left 3½ late and there was a p.w.s. at Clapham so 5 late at Hampton Court, then signals to about 30 at Woking, but we were up to 45 at Brookwood and about 50 plus at the summit. There was a p.w.s. at Worting and 68 before Winchester where we arrived 3 late but cut the 3 minutes allowed to one, but then a p.w.s. on starting and a virtual signal stop to about 1 m.p.h. at St Denys, but even so only 3 late at Southampton where water was taken. Only 18 minutes on to Brockenhurst with a maximum of 67, signals after the restart, the usual p.w.s. before New Milton and then signals before Christchurch saw us arrive at Pokesdown 4 late at 6.32.
On Easter Day, Sunday, 17th April, I caught a Weymouth – Portsmouth Excursion at Christchurch, due there at 11.58. U 31622 had 9 coaches and was 2 late, but then a poor run, a minimum of 28 after Hinton and the p.w.s. making us 8 late at Brockenhurst, but then an easy schedule, with stops only at Southampton and St. Denys, allowed us to arrive at Portsmouth & Southsea just 1 late at 1.32. The return was due to leave Portsmouth at 7.40, and the same loco and load left 4 late, I recorded 55 before Fareham, passed in 19 minutes with some blowing off by loco, and reached St. Denys 1 late in 38½ minutes. We stood 7 minutes at Southampton and left 3 late and then there were signals thereafter, possibly from the preceding 6.30 Waterloo. We stopped at all stations from Brockenhurst, and I left the train at Christchurch at 9.39, 63 minutes from Southampton. I do not have a scheduled time there, but it was advertised to leave Bournemouth at 9.47.
I returned to Purfleet on the Bank Holiday Monday, 18th. I assume my train was a relief to the 6.30p.m. ex Weymouth. I have a schedule of arriving Christchurch 7.53 and departure 7.54, and arriving Waterloo 11p.m. Urie Arthur 30752 arrived on 12 6 late, fell from 36 to 28 after Hinton and took 13 minutes to New Milton. There were quite a lot of signal checks between Southampton and Micheldever. We stood 12 minutes at Basingstoke, then ran to Woking in 28 minutes, just touching 60, then nothing more than 52 on to Waterloo in 35 minutes, including a p.w.s. at Clapham, arriving at 11.40½. I think I had to use the tube to Barking to catch the 12.5a.m. from Fenchurch St., 8 non-corridors, loco unknown, but on time at Purfleet (12.48). I next came home on Friday, 6th May, the 3.26 from Purfleet, which left Barking and Stepney early and was 3 early into Fenchurch St. at 4.2. Then 35027 on 13 on the 4.35 Waterloo. 48 at Clapham meant that we kept the 7 minute schedule whilst 61 at Berrylands made us a minute early in 17 minutes to passing Hampton Court. This fine progress could not
Milepost 31¼ 149 July 2010 continue, and we had a slight check at Woking, passed in 28 minutes, 3 minutes early by the schedule then in force! About 50+ at M.P. 31 (I relied on the second hand of my ex-W.D. pocket watch for speeds!) and 60 before Basingstoke, so we passed Worting at 45 in just under the hour, allowed 62 minutes. There was a 73 before Winchester, still about 3 early, and water was taken. We slipped on starting and a minute was lost to Eastleigh, recorded 65 at Swaythling and alighted at Southampton, reached within ½ minute of time, and where more water was taken. I quickly transferred to the 6.22, Drummond 700 Class 0-6-0 30696 on 3 non-corridors, 1 corridor and 2 4-wheel vans, which left a minute late. At Brockenhurst another van might have been attached, and the p.w.s. after Sway was still in force, but we were well to time at Christchurch where the loco was blowing off. I returned on Sunday, 8th (my birthday) with 30865 (the one with 4 beats per revolution, and I’ve read that it was a regular on the Bournmouth Belle pre-war, and that the drivers preferred a Schools with Lemaitre exhaust to another Nelson if he/she was not available!) on 12. Even so, time was lost as previously to Brockenhurst, so I changed at Southampton, which Sir John left just 1½ late. An even more famous loco on the 6.35 from the West, 30777 Sir Lamiel on 12, 1 early in and blowing off it departed to time. Only 43 at Eastleigh, falling to 39 by Shawford after which came a p.w.s. We recovered only to 36 at Winchester Jct. now 2 late and only 42 at Micheldever so 4 late at Worting. But then about 70 at Fleet, 65 at M.P. 31 then 72 at Brookwood and Woking, passed 2 early. Still 71 at the Weybridges, 68 still at Hersham but then severe signals at Hampton Court where we must have been well ahead of time. Nothing more than 48 saw us through Clapham 2 early but then there was a signal slowing so we terminated 2 late at 9.18, but I was pleased I had changed that day – a good birthday present!
I could carry on like this for ages, but pressure of space forbids.
Preserved Steam – should we take it seriously
The presentation, by Michael Rowe, after this year’s AGM is now available on the RPS website.
If you would prefer a printed version, please contact the Editor
Milepost 31¼ 150 July 2010 Ivatt Class 2s Past and Present
Andrew James
The Ivatt Class 2s from their introduction on the former LMS in 1946 to the present day has always enjoyed a good press from the performance point of view. Unfortunately from the point of view of published logs there has always been a dearth of evidence to support these writers’ assertions.
Table 1
Run 1
Date 19 August 1961 One exception to this rule appeared in Train 10.15 Manchester- O.S. Nock’s eminently readable ‘ Four Workington Thousand Miles on the Footplate’ (Ian Motive Power 46432 2MT Allan Ltd 1952) in which he compares Load 6/182/194 a tender variant of the class (46456) with one of the archaic-looking LNWR Recorder N.Proudlock Cauliflower’s from Keswick to M C WTT m s mph a s Troutbeck on the former branch from 51 20 Penrith 0 00 Keswick-Penrith. Both engines made 50 71 Penrith No 1 1 40 T*/20 13.0 a credible fist of climbing the 1in 62 27 09 Blencow 9 37 28/T*/20 25.0 from Threlkeld to Troutbeck. The Ivatt producing an edhp of about 500 from 23 21 Penruddock 17 38 36/T*/20 29.0 MP 16 ½ to Mp 20 ½ at 22.6 mph. 21 01 Troutbeck 21 45 44/54 33.0 The late D.Cross described the line as 16 15 Threlkeld [34] 27 15 52.5 a ‘gem’ scenically and this of course is 16 15 0 00 reflected in the stunning-evocative 12 60 Keswick [6] 5 10 50/60 40.0 images that he captured on film featuring members of this class 12 60 0 00 running in the ‘cleave’ between 10 28 Braithwaite [8] 4 55 42 29.0 numerous ridges of mountainous 10 28 0 00 terrain. 5 32 Bassenthwaite Lake [8] 7 30 53 40.0 5 32 0 00 Just recently four members of the RPS have kindly obliged me with 3 03 Embleton 5 05 38/T/30 28.0 some logs behind members of the 0 24 Cockermouth [11] 10 15 32.0 class in both their tender and tank 0 24 0 00 form which I hope readers of Milepost 11 08 Camerton 5 20 50 26.0 will find interesting. I certainly did in 7 25 Derwent Junction 10 00 sigs/15 48.0 receiving them.
Workington No 3 11 45 sig stop 12 30 6 69 Workington [17] 13 50
Noel Proudlock was fortunate to experience some even better running behind 46432 on the same line that Nock enjoyed in the summer of 1950. The former Penrith- Keswick- Workington branch featured some pretty stiff climbs in either direction and the ascent out of Penrith was no exception to the rule, featuring as it did over 4 miles of 1 in 70 from the fomer No 1 box to a point west of Blencow. The catalyst for such a fire-eating exploit was a 15- minute late departure from Penrith. There were obviously no half measures from the driver of
Milepost 31¼ 151 July 2010 46432 and no doubt there was a ‘punchy exhaust’ emanating from the chimney top which belies their diminutive size- a proverbial ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ if ever there was one.
It is interesting to compare the performance of this engine from Penrith No 1-Blencow with the British Transport Commission Bulletin carried out on one of the tender engines of this class. At the maximum steaming rate of 14000 Ib/hr the edhp curve shows a value of about 680 at 25 mph. My calculation on Noel’s run would seem to closely’ tally’ with the findings of the Test Bulletin, although one run behind a member of the class of course does not exactly constitute’ conclusive proof ‘of course.
I must confess I know nothing about the line west of Keswick and therefore cannot comment on the performance west of this point. Ivatt class’ 2s ‘were always allocated on the Workington services due to bridge restrictions west of Keswick. Much larger engines however, were authorised east of this point and as a result the Keswick services could be observed in the hands of Black Fives and Jubilee’s and even the odd ‘Royal Scot ‘when traffic warranted this.
Table 2 Run 2 Date 20 June 1959 Train 4.05 PM Keighley-Oxenhope
Motive Power 41326 2MT Load 4/119/129 Recorder N.Proudlock M C WTT m s mph a s 0 12 Keighley 0 00 0 59 Keighley GN Jct 3 00 20/T*15/21 11.7 1 27 Ingrow [3.5] 4 55 18.8 1 27 0 00 2 00 Damens Halt 2 30 24 15.9 2 67 Oakworth [4.5] 5 00 20.1 2 67 0 00 3 53 Haworth [3.5] 2 50 27 17.5 3 53 0 00 4 69 Oxenhope [3] 3 50 23/26 18.8
Haworth-Oxenhope –481edhp-26mph
Table 2 is a line, which is much more familiar to the readers of Milepost, although perhaps not from the performance point of view? This is another steeply graded line, but in one direction only featuring sections as steep I in 56-60 in the very brief distances between stations. Noel visited the line at an interesting period from the operational point of view with the line going over to ticket-purchase on the train only, which necessitated the use of corridor stock, presumably an early attempt at cost cutting on an increasingly unremunerative service. Unfortunately such measures were not sufficient to prevent closure in 1962, before a keen group of preservationists took over the line with the eventual reopening occurring in 1968.
Sister Engine 41241 continues to do some sterling work on the’ Bronte branch’ and a run was published in D. Landau’s Newsletter Number Fifteen (2004) timed by John Rule with 5/170/180 at the drawbar on the 22.08.2004. Doug estimates that the engine produced peak edhp of 575-590 on the 1 in 68 between Haworth and Oxenhope underlining that there is still performance interest on our heritage lines despite the considerable imposition of a 25 mph
Milepost 31¼ 152 July 2010 limit.
Table 3 takes us on to an’ Oxted line’ where a batch of the tank engine variant was allocated to the -then Central district in 1952. Whilst this log contains only log averages, timed by a very young Michael Rowe, the log averages would seem to corroborate his claimed maximum of 70 mph between Streatham Common-Thornton Heath. At the period this run was timed, this was a notable feat, as even the former ‘Brighton ‘electric express stock of the period would of struggled to do any better even allowing for the fact that 41296 only had three at the business end.
Table 3 Continuing the Central Region theme, we Run 3 move South- to the West Coastway line Date 20390 between Brighton-Portsmouth featuring a Train 14.08 ex Victoria service, which has long since disappeared. The Brighton-Horsham service ceasing in Motive Power 41296 2MT March 1966. Between the early sixties and Load 3/95/105 dieselisation of this service in May 1964 by Recorder M.Rowe the indigenous DEMU’S, Ivatt tanks M C m s mph a s dominated this service. The tanks in effect 0 14 Victoria 0 00 acting as a ‘stopgap’ between ancient 0 56 Grosvenor Road 2 29 12.7 Edwardian relics such as E4s, M7s and 1 22 Battersea Park 3 44 sigs 27.6 Class ‘H’ Wainwright tanks and the 2 56 Clapham Junction 6 14 32.1 Hampshire/East Sussex DEMU fleet. 4 53 Balham 9 16 39.7 6 48 Streatham Common 11 52 70 44.7 Performance at the time, on occasion, 7 37 Norbury 12 33 75.7 compared favourably with the BIL/HAL 8 53 Thornton Heath 13 37 67.5 EMU’s which worked the services between 9 31 Selhurst 14 31 24.8 Brighton-Portsmouth and which shared the 10 00 Windmill Bridge Jct sigs same tracks as the Ivatt’s as far as 9 65 Shoreham Junction. Particularly good was 10 27 East Croydon 18 19 18.0 the ascent of 41327 between Shoreham and Hove on the continuous 1 in 264 gradient, which was a good 5-7 mph better than a BIL/HAL could manage on a gradient of the same inclination.
On to the present day, class member 41312 continues to do sterling work over the Mid- Hants line. A pleasant plus on my last visit to this line is the reinstatement of Mileposts between Alton-Ropley, which makes timing a whole lot easier over this section.
It has to be said that 41312 in immaculately lined out BR black looks particularly resplendent in this livery, in the authors view and is a great credit to the volunteer workforce who keep and maintain her. Both J.Knowles and I have enjoyed some good running behind this engine on different occasions. John’s earlier logs reflect the lengthy period that the line didn’t have any mileposts in situ along its length. I have only included the sections where the 1 in 60s exist, as ‘going down’ grades of this inclination require a’ good hand on the brake’ rather than any other facet of performance. The dates have been censored in John’s runs as the drivers concerned took a somewhat liberal view of the 25-mph limit, which is now, a thing of the past following a visit by the Railway Inspectorate.
One point worth mentioning with the tank engine version of this class, is that due to weight differential between this version and the tender equivalent (the latter been heavier than the tank equivalent), the tank engine version would be expected to give a marginally ‘superior performance’; as less power is absorbed in actually moving the engine and therefore this is available at the drawbar where the engine can use the power to pull the train.
Milepost 31¼ 153 July 2010
Table 5 shows a couple of runs behind 41312 on the other side of Medstead. Although not up to the standard of the runs submitted by J.Knowles, it does highlight that a combination of a light load and a virtual adherence to the line limit does not diminish the performance interest to any great extent as far as this locomotive is concerned.
Table 4 Run 1 2 Date c 1963 c 1963 Train 16.19 Horsham- 20.19 Horsham- Brighton Brighton Motive Power 41327 41301 Load 3/100/110 6/198/205 Recorder D.L.R. D.L.R. M C m s mph m s mph 5 69 Shoreham 0 00 0 00 4 30 Southwick 2 44 44 3 30 33 2 74 Portslade 4 32 56/61 6 05 32/36 1 36 Hove 7 03 9 07 1 36 0 00 0 00 0 02 Brighton 3 20 3 52 . Table 5 Run 3 Date c 1963 Train 19.30 Brighton- Horsham Motive Power 41223 Load 3/99/102 Recorder D.L.R. M C m s mph 0 02 Brighton 0 00 1 36 Hove 3 35 1 36 0 00 1 74 Aldrington 1 20 30 2 74 Portslade 2 57 50 3 45 Fishergate 3 42 54 4 30 Southwick 4 34 59/69 5 69 Shoreham 6 35 .
Milepost 31¼ 154 July 2010 Table 6 Run 1 2 3 Date censored censored censored Train Alresford-Alton Alresford-Alton Alresford-Alton Motive Power 41312 2MT 41312 2MT 41312 2MT Load 4/138/142 4/138/141 2/67/70 Recorder J.Knowles J.Knowles J.Knowles M C m s mph m s mph m s mph 56 47 Ropley 0 00 0 00 0 00 Distance from Ropley unknown 0 00 3 58 29 3 42 33 3 02 38 0 29 4 42 29 4 10 33 3 37 39 0 60 5 31 30 5 04 33 4 13 38 1 42 7 13 6 32 29 5 29 0 00 Distance from Medstead unknown 53 42 Medstead & Four 9 19 7 43 6 32 Marks
Ropley-Medstead & Four Marks 1 in 60 Run 1-650 edhp- 750 ihp-29 mph Run 2-736 edhp-850 ihp-33 mph Run 3-736-853 ihp-38 mph Estimates by J.Knowles
Table 7 Run 1 2 Date 23/08/2008 23/08/2008 Train 10.50 Alton- 12.50 Alton- Alresford Alresford Mp 50 40-52 40 (1 in 60) Motive Power 41312 41312 Run 1-487 edhp-25.7 mph Load 3/106/111 3/106/112 Run 2- 494 edhp-26.3 mph Recorder A.James A.James M C m s m m s m ph ph 49 10 Alton 0 00 0 00 50 20 Butts Junction (Mp) 4 43.5 27 5 24.5 28 50 40 Mp 5 17 26 5 57 27 If any other readers of Milepost have 51 40 Mp 7 37 25 8 14.5 26 any ‘good runs’ behind these engines 52 40 Mp 9 57 26 10 31 26 or their very similar BR Standard 53 42 Medstead & Four 13 26 13 53 equivalents, I would be very interested Marks in seeing them.
Milepost 31¼ 155 July 2010 A recorder’s Guide to the SNCF: Atlantic coast
Alan Varley
Nantes and Bordeaux are two of France’s largest cities, less than 300 km apart as the crow flies, and separated by no major geographical obstacles other than the somewhat tormented geography of the Atlantic coast. But rail can at present offer nothing better than 4 trains each way per day, none in either direction departing before 10 a.m., and none getting down to a 4- hour journey time. A paradox, apparently – but one that is typical of links in France between provincial centres, particularly when, as here, these centres belong to regions which, historically and economically, were rivals rather than potential partners. A roundabout route, economical infrastructure hence slow MPS – speeds over 130 km/h are possible over less than 2/3 of the distance – and unenterprising schedules: all this, plus the distance between my south-easterly base and the Atlantic coast, explains why it has taken me about forty years to get around to visiting this line! Rather more interesting are the approaches to the coast. Nantes is reached by TGV- Atlantique from Paris (Le Mans branch); there is also the former PO route turning off the Bordeaux line at St-Pierre-des-Corps to follow the Loire valley. The 200 km/h “Interloire” regional service between Orléans and Nantes uses this route; a couple of inter-regional TGVs also follow the southern branch of the LGV-Atlantique and then reach Nantes by way of St-Pierre-des-Corps. La Rochelle, the third major town on the line, is served by a 140-km spur off the PO line at Poitiers. This route was electrified in the 1990s; it is partly single track, but with speeds up to 160 km/h – plans to upgrade this to 220 over some sections seem to have been shelved. This article therefore sets out to cover the Nantes-Bordeaux route, and also some of the TGV and Interloire services to La Rochelle and Nantes. Table 1 Bordeaux-Nantes
Run 1, 1104 Bordeaux-Nantes, Su 13/06/10, 5/210/229,BB 67607, A Varley, 2/6, Fine Location m s ave PK Location MPS m s ave PK MPS 612.74 Bordeaux 40/80 00 00 1 L 178.98 La Rochelle 60 30 14 13 .5 L 602.69 Ste Eulalie 120 11 59½ 50.2 175.71 Rompsay 110 03 45½ 50.6 598.19 La Grave 120 14 16 118.7 141.22 Vix 110/130 23 08½ 106.8 595.63 Viaduct S 80 15 39 111.0 137.52 Velluire 130/110 25 14½ 105.7 590.67 St-André 110 19 21 80.4 129.30 Le Langon 130 30 26 95.0* 587.33 Aubie 140 21 19 101.9 114.30 OB by-pass 130 39 31 99.1* 572.66 St-Mariens 140 28 50 117.1 112.99 Luçon 130 40 43 65.5 555.89 Montendre 160/120 37 04 122.2 41 52 18.5 L 542.92 Fontaines 120/110 44 26 105.6 110.67 LC 130 02 31½ 55.1 534.96 Jonzac 100/110 49 16 98.8 105.93 La Bretonnière 130/110 05 02 113.4 515.69 Pons 100/110 61 11 97.0 79.00 UB 110 20 28½ 104.6 501.23 Beillant 110 69 50½ 100.1 76.00 La Roche/Yon 100 22 50 76.3 491.57 Saintes 80 76 28 87.5 24 23 15.5 L 252.32 80 39 0.5 L 74.22 UB 140 02 08½ 49.9 246.65 Le Pontreau 120 04 10 81.6 63.05 Belleville 140 7 40½ 121.1 235.65 St-Savinien 110 10 14½ 108.6 57.45 St-Denis 120 10 22 124.8 225.41 Bords 120 15 34½ 115.2 48.48 Les Brouzils 140 14 31 129.7 214.64 Tonnay 80/100 22 02 100.1 38.84 Montaigu 130 18 48 135.0 208.24 Rochefort 60 26 59 77.1 26.29 Clisson 140 24 32½ 131.1 31 26 4 L 18.26 Le Pallet 140 28 05½ 135.7 200.51 St-Laurent 100/120 05 56 78.2 6.92 Vertou 140/110 33 22½ 128.8 188.91 Chatelaillon 120/110 11 57 115.7 1.91 Pt Vendée N 100 36 36 93.2 182.74 Aytré Plage 110 15 25½ 106.5 0.00 Nantes 30 40 07 32.6 178.98 La Rochelle 60 18 35 71.4 * Average affected by TSR 30 at Le Langon A recent visit to the Bordeaux-Nantes line produced several variations on time-wasting
Milepost 31¼ 156 July 2010 tactics on slow schedules, but also a run that suffered delays and for which time-wasting was not theoretically on the agenda. In fact it ran at speeds that were scarcely more consistent than those of the time-wasting efforts, but at least it avoided long coasting approaches to stops, and it did achieve fastest times on 4 of the 6 sections of the journey. This run is summarized in Table 1. The exit from Bordeaux is currently extremely slow, with rebuilding of the layout under way for the first 4 or 5 kilometres, but this is abundantly allowed for in the schedules. It would be tedious in the extreme to show all the speed variations as the driver ran in on/off style on these slow line limits – the averages show how near/far he was from full speed running. Braking for slacks or to control downhill speed was generally excessive – the speedometer may have been lagging behind events and making the driver’s job more difficult. Even without brakes variations of 10 km/h between max and min on constant line speed were quite frequent. On the first stage the 80 limit over the Cubzac viaduct produced a minimum of 58 as power was slow to come on where the line climbs to cross the river; the brief 100s before Jonzac and Pons resulted in minima of 88 and 85. But with a smart stop Saintes was reached in a fastest time. At La Rochelle it was announced that due to a “slight incident” further down the line our train would be somewhat delayed, and we lost a little more time on to Luçon due to a severe TSR at Le Langon. At least this meant that the massive recovery in the final stage served some purpose. The running was still erratic; the stop in Luçon was good, that in Rochefort was extremely slow. Between La-Roche-sur-Yon and the approach Table 2 Poitiers – La Rochelle
Run 2: 1845 Paris-La Rochelle, M 14.06.10, TGV-A 326, 12/450 gross, A Varley 2/12, Fine Run 3: 0715 Paris-La Rochelle, Tu 15.06.10, TGV-A 367, 12/475 gross, AV 4/12, mod SW, cloudy Run 4: 1210 Paris-La Rochelle, Tu 15.06.10, TGV-A 390, 12/465 gross, AV 2/12, mod SW, showers PK Dist MPS m s km/h m s km/h 336.56 00.00 Poitiers Run 2 3.5 late Run 3 0.5 late 337.90 01.14 Tunnel S 130 02 20½ 85/103 02 01 93/107 340.90 04.34 St-Benoît 60 04 36 57*/87/76 04 17 48*/85/69 05.58 09.92 Virolet 140 08 26½ 135 08 24½ 125/139/138 13.46 17.80 Coulombiers 160 12 03½ 158/155/160 12 01 157/159 21.73 26.07 Lusignan 150 14 55 142*/159 14 52½ 143/142 27.83 32.17 Rouillé 160 17 18 158/155 17 19 158/147 35.44 39.78 Pamproux 160 20 12 159 20 22 150 39.72 44.06 Salles 140 21 57 138*/137 22 09½ 137* 42.35 46.69 La Motte 140 23 05½ 138/137 23 18 139 45.83 50.17 OB Motorway 140 24 36 139 /20*sigs 24 50½ 136/117* 49.99 54.33 St-Maixent 120/110 29 14 65 26 50 119/106 55.73 60.07 Ste-Néomaye LC 120 32 32 117 29 55 118 59.58 63.92 Breloux 120 34 28½ 118 31 53½ 115/157/153 66.36 70.70 Arthenay 160 37 10½ 159 34 40 155/161 72.00 76.34 PK 150 39 38½ 88* 37 10 73*/53*/58 73.48 77.82 Niort 60 41 14 6.5 late 38 42 0.5 late 00.00 43 36 6 late Run 4 2 late 75.00 01.52 PK 130 01 59 71/130 02 32 66 79.86 06.38 St-Symphorien 130 04 26 126/124 05 03½ 127 82.57 09.09 Frontenay OB 130 05 44 127 07 20½ 128 86.70 13.22 Epannes 130 07 41 126/138 08 17 127139/138 95.35 21.87 Mauzé 140 11 29 136/138 12 02 139 103.48 30.00 St-Georges OB 140 14 54 136/131 15 33 135 107.49 34.01 Surgères 140 16 50½ 137 17 53 1.5 late 00.00 19 45 0.5 late 113.64 06.15 Chambon LC 140 19 30½ 138 03 56½ 140 117.12 09.63 Forges 140 21 02½ 137 05 26½ 138 122.61 15.12 Aigrefeuille LC 140 23 26½ 138/135 07 49 139 128.88 21.39 La Jarrie UB 140 26 11 138 10 32 139 133.58 26.09 La Jarne LC 140 28 14½ 137 12 34 138 135.98 28.39 Aytré LC 110 29 23½ 107* 13 47½ 100* 139.08 31.49 Bif Saintes OB 90 31 23 88*/90/87 15 54 85*/88 140.73 33.24 La Rochelle 33 20 0.5 late 18 03 3.5 early
Milepost 31¼ 157 July 2010 to Nantes the limit is almost constantly 140 except for, briefly, 120 at St-Denis and 130 at Montaigu; these produced minima of 106 and 120, but we did touch the full 140 occasionally. Not exactly a candidate for the smartest driving prize – but a run the next day was worse: 2.5 minutes slower from La Rochelle to Nantes despite a 10 late start. This style of running has a distinctly old-fashioned flavour to it. But La Rochelle’s impressive station is also visited by more modern traction, with TGVs to and from Paris, and AGC diesel and/or electric MUs on stopping services to Poitiers. Table 2 shows three down runs with TGVs. Run 2 was a few minutes late after delays separating the Bordeaux and La Rochelle portions at Poitiers. The start was inevitably slow, with some 200 metres limited to 30 as far as the platform-end signal, and speeds over the hilly part of the route were variable – the driver was apparently not using the cruise control (DVI). Approaching St-Maixent, at the end of the single-line section from Lusignan, there was a severe signal check, and we then ran wrong- line to Niort. This avoided a crossover slack on the approach to the station, where trains seem to regularly use the up-line platform on the station building side. Table 3 La Rochelle-Poitiers
Run 5: 0723 La Rochelle-Paris, Tu 15.06.10, TGV-A 382, 12/465 gross, A Varley 4/12, mod SW, cloudy Run 6: 1152 La Rochelle-Poitiers, Tu 15.6.10, Z 82774/773, 4/147/150, AV ¼, mod SW, showers PK Dist MPS m s km/h m s km/h 140.73 00.00 La Rochelle Run 5 RT Run 7 RT 139.08 01.65 Bif Saintes OB 90 02 26½ 58/50/54 02 06 61/57/90 135.98 04.75 Aytré LC 110 04 50 111 04 06½ 110 133.58 07.15 La Jarne LC 140 06 00 143 05 13 140/138 128.88 11.85 La Jarrie UB 140 08 04½ 125/106 07 14 141 122.61 18.12 Aigrefeuille LC 140 11 20½ 120/131 09 55½ 140 117.12 23.61 Forges 140 13 55½ 120 12 16½ 140 113.64 27.09 Chambon LC 140 15 43 112/140 13 45½ 140 107.49 33.24 Surgères 140 18 37½ 124 17 05 RT 00.00 17 53 RT 103.48 04.01 St-Georges OB 140 20 40 113/112 02 17½ 141/138 99.04 08.45 St-Pierre LC 140 23 02 115/119 04 26 123 95.35 12.14 Mauzé 140 24 55 116 06 59 1 early 00.00 08 09 1 early 91.74 03.61 Prin 140 26 56 104/106 02 14½ 128/126 86.70 08.65 Epannes 130 29 54 89/85 05 22 120 82.57 12.78 Frontenay OB 130 32 45½ 87 08 53½ 65* 79.86 15.49 St-Symphorien 130 34 38 85/87/75/79 11 41½ 74/42/58 75.00 20.35 PK 130 38 14½ 68 17 14½ 43/50 73.48 21.87 Niort 60 40 32 RT 19 39 0.5 early 00.00 44 46 1 late 22 35 0.5 late 72.00 01.48 PK 90/150 01 57½ 92 01 25 92/87/101 66.36 07.12 Arthenay 160 04 28 157/152 03 51 153 59.58 13.90 Breloux 120 07 10½ 160 06 39½ 120*/117/121 55.73 17.75 Ste-Néomaye LC 120/110 09 16½ 108*/111/109 08 34½ 120/95/100 49.99 23.49 St-Maixent 120 12 45 110 12 30 1 early 00.00 14 32 RT 45.83 04.16 OB Motorway 140 14 21½ 140/138 02 24½ 142/140 42.35 07.64 La Motte 140 15 52 140 03 53 141/140 39.72 10.27 Salles 140 17 00½ 138 05 00½ 141/140/152 35.44 14.55 Pamproux 160 18 51½ 149/161/142 06 45 149/152 27.83 22.16 Rouillé 160 21 49½ 149/161 09 57 125 21.73 28.26 Lusignan 150 24 15 150*/149 14 03 RT 00.00 15 28 0.5 late 13.46 08.27 Coulombiers 160 27 03½ 159/135* 03 30½ 161/139* 05.58 16.15 Virolet 140 30 33½ 139/143 06 58½ 142/56* 340.90 21.73 St-Benoît 60 33 21½ 58* 10 01½ 58/130 337.90 24.73 Tunnel S 130 35 48½ 90 11 52 */30 sigs 336.56 26.07 Poitiers 37 39 0.5 early 14 13 RT
Milepost 31¼ 158 July 2010 Arrival in La Rochelle was finally a few seconds late, and could have been RT with slightly better speeds. Run 2 was able to make a faster start but was extremely slow through the junction at St-Benoît and the following voltage change. With time in hand this driver was able to allow speed to fluctuate to some extent with gradients; he ran even more slowly to Surgères (18 00 on 17 schedule), and slower still to La Rochelle (19 38) – but as the public TT allows 24 for this final stage we were easily (and economically) on time. So over these final sections I have shown Run 3. This was almost 2 late away from Niort, but this time speeds were maintained within 2 km/h of the line limit, certainly with the DVI, though as is often the case today slowings for slacks were initiated very early: at Aytré we were down to 108 even before the 110 warning board. Arrival was apparently 3.5 minutes early, judging by the time of 1019 printed on my reservation – but the current Paris-La Rochelle timetable leaflet shows 1015, while the local leaflet shows 1023. However, the latter announces that times indicated for long-distance trains are “generic only”! The up runs in Table 3 also present some timetabling oddities. The “generic” departure for the morning train to Paris is 0730, but the main-line timetable shows 0723 – and it was indeed 1 second before this time that the train got away (run 5). The driver ran in on/off style, and after Epannes the “off” clearly predominated – for almost ten minutes we were running at 80-90 instead of 130, presumably so as to absorb those extra 7 minutes that had appeared in the schedule between the “generic” and final versions. From Niort to St-Benoît, though, the running was quite smart, and we then ran gently into Poitiers where we went up to far end of the platform – ahead of the Bordeaux portion, though we had been warned to expect a stop to buffer up and connect. Run 6 was a local service, on which the AGC unit produced some good accelerations and accurate speeds, though braking was generally cautious, after coasting approaches. The oddity this time occurred on the Mauzé-Niort stage; my first glance at the timetable had led me to note a rather ambitious 9 minutes as the time for this stage, and when we braked sharply before Epannes and proceeded to run apparently at caution I was calculating lost time and getting worried about my turn-back from Poitiers. But apparently all we were doing was frittering away massive recovery time (present for what reason?) and a 1-early departure from Mauzé. A curious performance, though – it is difficult to imagine a British driver braking in the middle of nowhere just so as to avoid running ahead of time! Table 3 St Pierre des Corps- Massy TGV
Run 7, 1255 Nantes-Marseilles, Th 06.05.10, TGV-D 264, 10/430 gross, A Varley, 7/10, Fine, mod N Dist m s ave PK Dist Location m s ave PK Location 233.02 00.00 St-Pierre 00 00 58 L 114.05 107.08 Dangeau 25 55.2 298.9 231.25 01.77 Les Epines 02 49.5 37.6 103.94 117.19 CAI 27 57.0 298.8 229.26 03.76 Bif TGV up 03 46.0 126.8 92.31 128.82 Rouvray 30 17.2 298.6 212.27 08.86 Vouvray T W 05 42.7 157.3 80.00 141.13 CAI 32 45.4 299.0 198.81 22.32 CAI 08 52.0 256.0 67.50 153.63 St-Léger 35 15.9 299.0 194.48 26.65 UB Motorway 09 44.2 298.6 55.00 166.07 CAI 38 46.6 298.6 188.21 32.92 St-Cyr 10 59.5 299.8 44.62 176.45 St-Arnoult 39 51.5 299.2 178.67 42.46 St-Arnaud 12 54.3 299.2 36.18 184.89 CAI 41 33.8 297.0 170.67 50.46 CAI 14 30.5 299.4 25.35 195.72 Marcoussis 43 59.2 268.1 162.06 59.07 Vendôme 16 16.0 293.8 23.58 197.49 Villejust T W 44 28.0 221.3 149.98 71.15 CAI 18 41.4 299.1 16.19 204.88 Massy T W 46 36.6 206.9 138.20 82.93 Droué 21 03.3 298.9 14.36 206.71 Massy TGV 47 52.5 86.8 130.43 90.70 Courtalain 22 38.0 295.4 Arr 58 late, net 47, net average 263.9 120.85 100.28 CAI 24 33.3 299.1 Earlier this year I timed the Nantes-Marseille TGV, which follows the Loire valley route via St-Pierre-des-Corps, with a booking of 48 minutes from there to Massy – faster than anything I have ever observed in practice. We were running very late after a signal failure, so we were out of path through St-Pierre and ran into the station with a double red at the platform end. The KVB then imposes a 10 km/h limit on starting until this signal is passed,
Milepost 31¼ 159 July 2010 even though it has cleared to green in the meantime – and platforms at stations where double Atlantique sets call are almost half a kilometre long. So we lost about 50 seconds compared to a good start, and a 48-minute run seemed out of the question. But acceleration was then unusually energetic and once on the LGV we cruised at very close to line limit – the average from CAI 198 to CAI 36 was 298.4 km/h over a distance of 162 km. It was on the approach to Massy, though, that this run really gained over most others, with well- maintained speeds and excellent final braking. The result, then, was a record time of 47 53 – and even more remarkably, a net time of 47 minutes. This run is summarized in Table 3. Some runs with the Interloire service have already featured in these articles, but as our Fastest Times show, on several sections no unchecked runs have yet been recorded. It has to be said, too, that the timings, overall, are not particularly ambitious. While they are reasonably tight between Nantes and Angers where the trains share the metals with Paris TGVs, they are then relatively slow between St-Pierre and Orléans. In June I timed a smart run each way between Nantes and Angers, but it can be seen once again that on the up run (run 8) we remained below line speed on the 160 section through Mauves, ran a little below 200 after Ancenis and shut off early to coast into Angers. However this driver had things perfectly under control and we arrived spot on time. This contrasts with a run the following morning (run 9); in damp conditions accelerations were necessarily a little slower and the driver compensated with higher speed. But a low minimum through the 140 slack at Le Cellier, and yet another early ease and slow approach meant a loss of a minute to Angers, in a time that failed to beat my best electric runs (with almost three times the load) from the pre-TGV era. Table 4 Nantes-Angers
Run 8: 1818 Nantes-Orléans, M 14.6.10, BB 26018, 5/215/240, A Varley, 6/6, damp Run 9: 0706 Nantes-Orléans, Tu 15.6.10, BB 26006, 5/215/225, A Varley, 6/6, drizzle PK Dist Location m s km/h m s km/h 430.42 00.00 Nantes Run 8 RT Run 9 RT 425.89 04.53 Nantes P2 04 01 101/98/118 04 15½ 119 423.64 06.88 Ste-Luce 05 06½ 134/150 05 20½ 140 420.88 09.54 Thouaré 06 14½ 149 06 24½ 158 415.86 14.56 Mauves 08 16 150 08 22 150 412.14 18.28 Le Cellier 09 47½ 140 09 56½ 134 410.04 20.38 Clermont 10 41½ 141 10 53½ 126 406.45 23.97 Oudon 12 10½ 150 12 26½ 148/150 400.00 30.42 PK 14 49 136 15 02½ 149 397.24 33.18 Ancenis 16 51 RT 16 06½ 159 17 53 RT 391.09 06.15 Anetz 03 26½ 193/192 18 22 178/199 385.16 12.08 Varades 05 18 193 20 14 198 380.81 16.43 Montrelais 06 40 193/183 21 33 198 376.87 20.37 Ingrandes 07 54 187/193 22 44½ 195/199 372.71 24.53 Champtocé 09 15 192 24 00 198 363.50 33.77 St-Georges 12 05 193 26 49 199 358.44 38.80 La Possonnière 13 44½ 173* 28 31½ 174/191 355.46 41.78 Béhuard 14 44½ 184 29 31½ 186 350.30 46.94 La Pointe 16 34 152 31 21 151 345.18 52.06 OB 18 32½ 116* 33 22½ 111 342.95 54.29 Angers 20 55 RT 35 52 1 late In the other direction I had a couple of runs that were both checked on departure from Angers but then ran well. The TGV run made remarkably precise speeds, and was overall slightly faster than the run from 1987 that appeared in my last article, with a net of 33 20-25. The Interloire train made (for once) an excellent stop in Ancenis and, on a lucky patch of dry rail, a good start. A 3-late start was neatly converted into a RT arrival – but even in these circumstances there was some economy running, with coasting for slacks and before final brakes for the stop, even at Ancenis.
Milepost 31¼ 160 July 2010 Table 5 Angers-Nantes
Run 10: 1500 Paris-Nantes, Su 13.6.10, TGV-A 315+301, 930 gross, A Varley, 15/24, fine Run 11: 1725 Orléans-Nantes, M 14.6.10, 5/215/230, BB 26006, A Varley, 2/6, wet PK Dist Location m s km/h m s km/h 342.95 00.00 Angers Run 10 3 late Run11 3 late 345.18 02.23 OB 05 35 Sig stop 02 59½ Sigs/116/160 350.30 07.35 La Pointe 07 53 170 05 04½ 159/197 355.46 12.51 Béhuard 09 28½ 212 06 47½ 194 358.44 15.49 La Possonnière 10 25 190* 07 47½ 176/199 363.50 20.55 St-Georges 11 56 218/222/219 09 25 197/191 372.71 29.76 Champtocé 14 27 220/219 12 14 197 376.87 33.92 Ingrandes 15 36½ 209*/205 13 30 197/191 385.16 42.21 Varades 17 55 220/219 16 01½ 198 391.09 48.14 Anetz 19 32 220/157* 17 51½ 185 395.00 52.05 PK 19 16½ 152 397.24 54.29 Ancenis 21 39 159/158 20 40 2.5 late 00.00 21 21 2 late 400.00 02.76 PK 02 00½ 149 406.45 09.21 Oudon 25 10 159 04 37½ 148 410.04 67.05 Clermont 26 37 137* 06 07 137 412.14 69.15 Le Cellier 27 28½ 160 06 58½ 148 415.86 72.87 Mauves 28 53½ 159 08 31 148 420.88 77.89 Thouaré 30 39½ 195/211 10 25 160/158 423.64 80.65 Ste-Luce 31 28 205* 11 27½ 160 425.89 82.90 Nantes P2 32 16½ */117/118 12 20 148 430.42 87.45 Nantes 37 04 5 late 16 50 RT Table 6 Orléans – St Pierre des Corps
Run 12: 1108 Orléans-St Nazaire, Th 6.5.10, 7/301/310, BB 26012 , A Varley 2/8, fine, light N Run 13: 1108 Orléans-St Nazaire, Tu 15.6.10, 5/215/220, BB 26006 , A Varley 2/6, overcast, showers PK Dist MPS m s km/h m s km/h 121.00 00.00 Orléans 30 Run 12 RT Run 13 0.5 late 122.77 02.77 Bif Chartres 40 03 30½ 29/26/40 03 30½ 28/26/40 128.32 07.32 La Chapelle 200 06 07½ 160/155/165 06 05½ 173/200 132.08 11.08 Chaingy 200 07 29 166/165 07 17 197/196 134.97 13.97 St Ay 200 08 32½ 166/165 08 09½ 197/196 140.69 19.69 Meung 200 10 36½ 166 09 54 197/198 143.45 22.45 Baule 200 11 35 165 10 43 197/198 148.23 27.23 Beaugency 200 13 21½ 165 12 12 197 155.67 34.67 Avaray 200 16 03½ 165 15 52 198 165.07 44.07 Suèvres 200 17 44 165 17 20 197/57*XL 170.47 49.47 Menars 200 19 28½ 142 21 00 95/120 175.75 54.75 La Chaussée 200 24 06 111 23 43 110/118 179.81 58.81 Blois 130 27 29 0.5 late 27 35 1 late 00.00 29 11 0.5 late 29 10 0.5 late 183.00 03.19 PK 183 150 02 11 145/143 02 54 54/52XL/139 189.10 09.29 Chouzy 200 04 41½ 162/159/168 05 17 180 194.87 15.06 Onzain 200 06 53½ 152* 07 03 198/197 199.90 20.09 Veuves 200 08 44½ 166 08 34½ 198/197 206.18 26.37 Limeray 200 11 01 166 10 29½ 198/197 212.23 32.42 Amboise 200 13 12 166 12 20 198/197 218.79 38.98 Noizay 200 15 35 166 14 20½ 198/197 221.88 42.07 Vernou 200 16 43½ * 15 21 158* 225.47 45.66 Montlouis 150 18 19 127 16 48 147/s stop 231.25 51.44 Les Epines 100 21 19½ 94 25 06½ 82 233.02 53.21 St Pierre 60 23 17 1.5 late 27 20 Beyond Angers things tend to be rather different. In May I travelled from Orléans to Angers (run 12), and I was surprised when our driver eased in the mid 160s and settled to a 165-166 cruising speed. What’s more he then shut off power about 15 km from Blois to make a cruising approach. In fact with 27 minute allowed from Orléans to Blois this was all that was required and it was only on account of a terrible stop – 6 separate brake applications from
Milepost 31¼ 161 July 2010 about 110 km/h, including three from below 30! – that we lost a few seconds. It seemed that on this run the loco had an over-reading speedometer; probably the driver’s schedule suggested a 170 cruising speed. But despite a slightly late start from Blois he continued to follow the same low cruising speed and coasting technique, and we were 1.5 minutes late at St-Pierre and 3 minutes at Saumur. Run 13 was quite different, with an immediate acceleration to high speeds; it turned out that this was due to a wrong-line weave on the way into Blois – and the approach to St-Pierre too was checked, this time by signals. The continuation of run 9 above further illustrates the economy approach: thanks to recovery time between Angers and St-Pierre we were RT (in fact 30 seconds early) away from the latter point; a slow acceleration to 150 was followed by coasting to 124, then a spell at a little under 180 until coasting from almost 15 km away from Blois, reached on time in 24 44 (schedule 24). Then on the final stage this 200 km/h train ran at a steady 153 – and dropped a minute to Orléans! I have deliberately shown indifferent runs as well as good ones in this series, for the former, through their very shortcomings, raise some interesting questions. Energy saving, for example, is only now becoming an issue in the UK, but has been on the agenda in France ever since the energy crises of the late 70s. I have described in these articles how drivers’ schedules in France suggest cruising speeds and coasting points so as to use recovery margins economically when the train is on time; what is new is that drivers now seem to use the same tactics even when running late. There even seems to be a “defensive” approach to an “economy” schedule, with early easing for the coasting points. So how far can one go in the trade-off between economy and punctuality? And if such use of recovery time means that 200 km/h schedules can be kept with 160 km/h running, is it worth maintaining track to higher standards, with special signalling and dedicated rolling stock, when the higher speeds will be used only occasionally for time recovery? This of course leads back to the question of recovery time – another vast topic for debate! LETTERS
Burley Cottage, Porlock, April 21 2010. Editor, Milepost Dear David,
I have received a hand written letter from Bill Crosbie Hill which I trust I have read correctly. The letter is especially apposite in view of last Saturdays “Bristolian”. Castle Class 4-6-0 No.5043 successfully completed non stop runs between Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads via Chippenham and the return via Badminton.
Keith Farr who travelled on the Up train tells me Paddington was reached in one second under 110 minutes from Bristol with a bad check shortly after departure and a check to 64mph at Steventon. The load was nine, including the additional water carrying coach, for 295 tons. The average speed from Badminton to Southall was almost 74 mph. Keith assesses the Net as 107 minutes. The disparity between the Fifties and to-day is the 75 mph restriction., 80-82 mph through the valley of the White Horse was the norm then on the 105 minutes schedule..
Bill writes: “Dear Michael
From my memories of recording steam in the Fifties I think I have found a “fastest time”:
Milepost 31¼ 162 July 2010 Date/day 16-Jun-54 Miles location PTT m s av Train Up Bristolian 51.1 Uffington 44 30 75.2 Motive Power 6015 (81A) 53.7 Challow [4] 46 25 81.4 Load (tons) 7,230/245 57.2 Wantage Rd 48 50 86.9 Driver Nelmes (BRD) 61.1 Steventon 51 31 87.2 Recorder W Crosbie Hill 64.5 Didcot 59.5 53 53 86.2 Weather Hot,dry,still 69.1 Cholsey 57 12 83.2 Miles location PTT m s av 72.8 Goring 59 48 85.4 0.0 BRISTOL TM 0 0 00 RT 76.1 Pangbourne 62 11 83.1 1.6 Stapleton Rd 3 45 25.6 78.9 Tilehurst 64 15 81.3 Extrapolated 4.8 Filton J 7 43 by CJA 48.4 81.6 Reading 71.5 66 11 83.8 9.1 Coalpit Heath 11 58 60.7 86.6 Twyford 69 52 81.4 13.0 Chipping Sodbury 15 11 72.7 93.4 Maidenhead 74 39 85.3 17.6 Badminton 21.5 18 51 75.3 99.1 Slough 84 78 59 78.9 23.4 Hullavington 23 08 81.2 104.4 West Drayton [4] 82 51 82.2 27.9 Little Somerford 26 18 85.3 108.5 Southall 91 86 00 78.1 30.6 Brinkworth 28 11 86.0 111.9 Ealing 88 31 81.1 34.7 Wootton Bassett 31 45 69.0 113.3 Acton 89 38 75.2 40.3 Swindon 39 36 07 76.9 116.3 Westbourne Pk 101 92 40 59.3 46.0 Shrivenham 40 26 /60tsr 79.2 117.6 PADDINGTON 105 95 01 33.2
On Wednesday, 16th June 1954, I rode the Up ‘Bristolian’ on the third day of its new timing and re-routing via Badminton. The engine was 6015 and the driver Nelmes of Bristol Bath Road. A VIP party was on board and I suspect a special effort was requested. The day was warm and still and after a quiet start the sound of the exhaust echoing off the walls after Dr Day’s was followed by a very noisy ascent of Filton Bank. The run up to Badminton was made accelerating all the time until we passed the summit at about 77 mph which is borne out by the passing time at Chipping Sodbury. In the tunnel the unburned coals rained down on the carriage roof. I was in the leading compartment of a Hawksworth brake third, midway down the first coach. Another recorder, a clergyman was sitting two compartments back. On arrival at Paddington we compared logs and agreed the overall time of 95 minutes 1 second. The time to Badminton was 18 minutes 51 seconds and the whole log was reproduced by CJA in the September 1954 Railway Magazine. I have never seen a time from Temple Meads to Badminton inside twenty minutes so this run must I think be a record.
The next day, 17th June O.S.Nock had the same engine and driver and they passed Badminton in 20 minutes 12 seconds. A fast finish saw them into Paddington in 96 mins 12 secs. On both days 60 mph at South Marston was the only check, for that CJA gave a grudging thirty seconds while Nock gave I min 12 secs, more reasonable considering our unchecked speed was over eighty. Given Nock’s actual time allowance my run would have been made in 93 minutes 49secs, almost the same as 7018 did on an unchecked journey usually accepted as the fastest on the line for this particular train.
Collett once confirmed that all the ‘Kings’ were driven up to 100-110 mph on the Badminton line when new from the Works. This was in a letter to the Railway Magazine about 1932 when rumours were going around. He said they were designed for high speed work.
On our run speed only rose from 77 to 89 at Little Somerford. When I told Kenneth Leech of this epic he said it was ‘bad driving, they must have been short of steam’. On arrival at Paddington the VIP’s thanked Driver Nelmes who merely pushed back his goggles, pointed
Milepost 31¼ 163 July 2010 to the fireman and said ‘he did all the work’.
The scheduled time to Badminton was 21½ minutes but when ‘Castles; took over I only remember this kept once with 5076. The eight minutes recovery time meant you could get a punctual arrival with an even effort and less work for the fireman.
The slack at South Marston was taken off and the following Wednesday with 6018 and another BRO driver we got through Reading in an even quicker time but then caught up the Newbury Races Members’ Special.
I hope this is of interest, best wishes, Bill Crosbie Hill”.
Michael Rowe
5 Melbourne Close St Albans AL3 6LY
01727 765 193
Dear David, 73 mph to 90 mph
Ken Phillips asks (Milepost 31) if 60032 Gannets’ efforts between Tempsford and Sandy, and Hitchin to Stevenage were record power outputs for an A4? The answer would be yes if they were believable, but I’m afraid they are not.
The acceleration from 73 at Tempsford to 90 mph at Sandy would have involved over 3,500 indicated horsepower. Such a figure would challenge a Deltic. With no speed given at Hitchin, the effort required onwards to Stevenage is less certain, but again something well over 3000 IHP seems likely.
Such figures are significantly in excess of established power precedents, which for Kylchap A4s are pitched somewhere around 2600-2700 IHP. It is not unusual for a log to contain an obvious timing or speed error, which when allowed for enables everything to fall into place, but this is not the case in this instance.
To bring power within maximum bounds would require speed to have been around 90 at Tempsford, and sustaining this onwards to Sandy. To achieve this would have required an effort of over 2700 IHP from St Neots to Tempsford. Such adjustments would imply a reduction in elapsed time of about 66 seconds between St Neots and Sandy, and the log would have little resemblance to its original presentation. It must be
Milepost 31¼ 164 July 2010 regretfully concluded that the log is unreliable.
Yours sincerely,
Doug Landau
Dear David,
The debate after the very interesting talk by Michael on Saturday, and in particular the comments from Andrew James, helped consolidate some thoughts I have had in this area for some time.
I believe that since the late 1980s, there has been a gradual step change in the occurrence and delivery of the sort of UK train performance that interests RPS members. How can this be when in 2010 we are seeing levels of safety and service reliability only previously dreamed of? I would argue that this is down to the needs of the performance follower not always being the same as the general traveller.
For the traveller, the introduction of defensive driving techniques, cab software and more direct management have been an overwhelming positive they have delivered the consistency sought. For the performance follower, I would suggest, the goal has always been something quite different – more about how the end result is achieved rather than the result itself. Many of us seek stimulation beyond the routine, a story of triumph against the odds, of individual heroism the sort of commonplace events in the past. I would say that this is partially borne out by the reduction in fastest times activity over the said years and certainly to the increase in published material of heritage steam and diesel.
So, what has happened? I believe we have seen a gradual movement of ‘interesting performance’ from timetabled service trains to special trains as measures restricting anything out of the ordinary have increased. Heroics have slowly been pushed back to the areas where they are most appreciated, to enthusiasts. The tedious enthusiast specials of the past where merely to see Green Arrow or Royal Scots Grey at the head of your train were enough have now been pretty much gone, all due credit to the organisers responding to market demand for some serious attempts at showing what these many fine engines of the past are truly capable of. As Michael Rowe rightly said the whole event is very much staged with meticulous preparation and planning, the result often something way beyond what was possible in their heyday, but I would suggest the results are nonetheless very interesting and certainly not guaranteed. It is this that leads us to what I believe is now an uncomfortable truth, the majority of modern day performance interest in the UK is now represented by the antics of special trains the exact opposite of when the RPS was born.
How could the RPS respond? I would suggest that the RPS should recognise the new status quo and adapt itself to take an active part in the whole heritage performance run process. The benefits of this are the fundamental deliverable of interesting material for its membership whilst at the same time mitigate the risk of being too far removed from the performance pulse. Having said this it is appreciated that special runs are often costly and of course their arrangement is determined by the organisers. The cost and timing mean that the RPS cannot rely on individual members to be present on the right trains, if it is deemed to be desirable to be part of this culture something more will be necessary.
So ,what could the RPS do? The RPS could move towards commissioning a presence on any event it deems to be of potential significance. I believe this would keep the Society relevant whilst at the same time make for interesting reading for the membership.
Milepost 31¼ 165 July 2010
This raises the whole issue of liaisons with other groups and the more this takes place the better the chances of making the RPS presence official and the tickets free.
Perhaps the Committee could consider this further?
Nigel Smedley
Readers comments would be appreciated - Ed
Dear David,
Mini timing Day – SWT
I was very interested in the report, but thought that the number of trains leaving Waterloo in an hour was by no means exceptional. I hope to be moving - to Winchester - shortly, and one of my sons has just brought down from the loft parcels of old timetables, including Southern Railway/Region from around 1943 until the National Timetable appeared. Checking summer, 1954, there were 14 Main Line departures on a peak summer Saturday, 6 electric to Portsmouth, 4 West of England and 4 Bournemouth line, these all steam. However, this number was not repeated every hour, the hour I quote is 10.01 - 11.00. Nor was the timekeeping as good. as on your survey day. But there could be even more trains on some days, as sometimes Boat Trains to Southampton Docks had to be slotted in, and there were light engines to and from Nine Elms and empty stock workings. Named trains could not be formed from earlier arrivals. Two of the Portsmouth electrics would leave the ML at Surbiton, their first stop. I might have a look at arrivals later, as it could be that during certain hours more than 14 were scheduled to arrive within an hour. One "casualty" I noted during the hour I looked at was the service calling at stations between Woking and Basingstoke.
Regards, Michael Hedges
Haywards Heath Sussex
Dear Dave
Just a letter to say I very much enjoyed the contents of Milepost 31. The articles by Noel Proudlock and Bruce Nathan were particularly enjoyable. Bruce’s comparison of steam with the then English Electric Type 4s’ was of particular interest. I suspect the driver on D201 did not apply full power going uphill, as the speeds were somewhat lower than I would expect with this type of loco. The run behind classmate D247 over the border was a lot better and from my rudimentary calculations I get a figure of 1,484 EDHP from Marshall Meadows to Burnmouth which suggests the engine in question was delivering something approaching its nominal 2,000 BHP.
As Bruce remarked in his article the run behind 60049 Galtee Moor was particularly good between Huntingdon and Leys Summit and I calculate an EDHP of about 1,460 which would suggest an indicated horsepower of around 2,100 on this stretch of line.
Finally, Ian Umpleby and his contributors deserve a great pat on the back for their prolific output on the distance charts which were issued with the last issue of Milepost.
Milepost 31¼ 166 July 2010 Kind Regards
Andrew James
Leeds
Dear David
Commuting Huddersfield and Leeds 1952
Two errors exist on the track layout on page 47 of Milepost 31.
Firstly, the North and South lines designations west of Heaton Lodge Junction have been transposed: the North lines are those furthest west.
Secondly, Mirfield No 3 box was on the up side of the layout, and not where shown.
Noel Proudlock
Hi David,
Your article in the latest edition of RPS magazine was excellent. I was fortunate enough to have a cab ride which I recorded on video from St Pancras to Ashford. Together with a colleague the report is on
http://leytr.blogspot.com/2010/04/at-sharp-end-part-1.html which hopefully you may find interesting.
I'm an ex conductor on South Eastern and I left just after the introduction of the full high speed services on HS1. I'm now a trainee driver for LOROL and the new East London line. You are right in that the 'speed set' is no longer used on SET services, the reason being that it apparently uses more power. But now 375s are generally stopping at all stations anyway there is no much use for it.
The 395s do not have any kind of speed set device and to be honest do not need one. On departure from Stratford International once full power was applied after the TVM cleared from 100 to 160 kph, it wasn't eased back again until Werrington Crossovers - around about 5 minutes later. One would have though maximum speed would have been achievable in the tunnels before emerging at Rainham. And as your logs suggest the next place that 225 kph is attainable is the Medway bridge and drivers generally shut off power at 200 kph to avoid any overspeed on the sharp decent that follows the hard climb from the neutral section just after Southfleet Junction.
Our driver has to maintain full power on the any adverse gradients where we lost speed and had to apply braking downhills so I believe speed set would be a waste of time here anyway as a constant speed cannot be maintained.
In comparison to a Eurostar set, I think they are superior to 100 mph but thereafter I am sure a Eurostar would start pulling away. I once timed an Eurostar heading away from Ashford towards the tunnel. We were doing 143 mph (230 kph) before the driver shut off for the tunnel.
Milepost 31¼ 167 July 2010 I haven't travelled towards east of Ashford towards Dover on a Javelin but I am told 100 mph isn't attainable in the down direction but you say it can manage it on the Up. It’s possible the software has improved as they do seem a bit more lively on third rail compared with what they used to be, and going via Canterbury West - where apart from the section from Broadstairs to Margate the line speed is only 70 mph.
You'll notice acceleration is interrupted on the Javelin on departure from Ashford, Stratford and Ebbsfleet stations. Unfortunately this is due to the TVM430 system restricting speeds to 100 kph on approach and departure and this can take a seemingly long distance to clear - I am assuming until the next marker.
David Bunny
Burley Cottage, Porlock, June 1st 2010. David Ashley, Editor “Milepost”
Dear David, Bill Alcock re “Duchesses on the Caley Road”
Thank you for passing on Bill’s letter, which refers to the above article in January’s “Steam World”.. Bill says with reference to speeds, “I have calculated the averages [to nearest whole figure] Elvanfoot to Summit - you will see that they correspond to the minima printed for Summit, these logs need scrutiny.”
The article includes 14 logs between Glasgow Central and Carlisle, [July 1958 to October 1960], with Duchess Class 4-6-2’s. Loads varied from 8 to 11 coaches. Thirteen of the departures were on time or one minute late, the other was 29 minutes late which then became 44¾ minutes late at Carlisle. Of the remaining 13, eight were early [between a half and five minutes], the others up to 7½ minutes late.
Whilst as Bill says there is an anomaly at Beattock Summit, other actual vs average speeds generally appear consistent, although there are some inconsistencies, plus presumably one very obvious “typo” ie an average of 90mph between Wamphay and Dinwoodie becomes 20mph actual..
Ten of the logs are with eight coach trains. The logs confirm how easy the 107 minute non- stop schedule over the 102.3 miles to Carlisle was with a light train. There were significant delays on most journeys. However on 13/2/60 No.46243 ran Glasgow Carstairs pass including three tsr’s in 36-31, on 12/10/60 No.46239 took 19-29 from Carstairs to Beattock Summit and on 15/7/58 No.46242 ran from the summit to Carlisle in 37-06 with an average of 85 mph over the 36.6 miles between Greskine and Gretna.. The three sections add up to 93 minutes 6 seconds.
Number 46239 achieved an average speed of 75 mph over the 10.7 miles twixt Wandelmill box and Summit, which suggests an Equivalent Drawbar Horsepower [EDHP] of 1700-1800 [2300-2400 IHP]..
Bill wonders if this is “the first time Steam World has published logs”. I am aware of articles including logs by Mr.D.Maidment in the June and July 2009 issues [covering Waterloo- Woking- Southampton] and in April 2006 [the Lord Nelson’s]. Mr. J.R..Skinner wrote on the Bulleid Pacific’s in October 2004 and Mr. K.Phillips on “three Castles and two Kings” in July
Milepost 31¼ 168 July 2010 2009. Members may know of other logs published in Steam World..
Michael Rowe
In the 30th anniversary edition which, hopefully, is included with this distribution, Frank Collins asks for logs of Class 40’s on the North East/South West line, I was fortunate to record 40022 on this route from Birmingham to Cheltenham in September 2004.
40022 was a celebrity locomotive, originally numbered D200, and at this time it was approaching the end of its life. This may have been the reason it was in the Birmingham area at this time, as it may have been scheduled for a railtour on the following day.
This was the time when spare platforms must have been freely available, as every hour the “Cross Country” trains to/from Manchester or Liverpool would have 25mins dwell time in platforms 8 or 11.
Date/day S 01-Sept-84 Train 1320 Liverpool-Plymouth Motive Power 40122 Load (tons) 11 Recorder/GPS D Ashley N Miles M C location m s mph av 0.00 0.00 42 24 BIRMINGHAM New St 0 00 12 L 3.34 45 51 Selly Oak 6 24 51/69 31.3 5.51 47 65 Kings Norton 8 48 47 54.4 6.94 48 14 Northfield 10 37 52 47.1 7.96 49 16 Longbridge 11 45 55/63 54.3 10.56 51 64 Barnt Green 14 28 62 57.4 11.93 53 13 Blackwell 15 44 68/85 64.5 14.15 55 31 Bromsgrove 17 21 82/78 82.6 16.26 57 40 Stoke Works 18 58 83/88 78.4 20.91 62 12 Dunhamstead 22 10 85/84 87.2 24.99 66 18 Spetchley 25 00 87 86.3 27.51 68 60 Abbotswood J 26 45 86 86.6 28.79 70 02 Wadborough 27 38 87 86.6 32.26 73 40 Defford 30 02 90 86.9 33.48 74 57 Eckington 30 51 88/89 89.1 36.06 77 24 Bredon 32 40 84/82 85.5 38.26 79 40 Ashchurch 34 15 85/44tsr 83.4 41.65 82 71 Cleeve 37 33 46/57 61.6 45.44 86 54 CHELTENHAM 42 15 5L 48.4
Departure from Birmingham was delayed, probably due to the notoriety of the locomotive. To the “haulage bashers” at New Street on this day, it must have seemed like Christmas. Consequently, they all piled onto the train, and almost immediately after departure, the train ground to a halt – at which point half of the “bashers” alighted. Whether the stop was due to the driver colluding with his appreciative audience, or due to the emergency alarm being activated I don’t know, but it may have improved the performance. Whilst the start was rather tentative, and there was a tsr around Cleeve, the speeds were quite impressive.
Milepost 31¼ 169 July 2010 Achieving 90mph with an 11 coach train– even though the gradient on the Lickey bank may have helped – was I suspect quite uncommon for these locomotives. So, a 12 minute late departure from Birmingham was turned into a 5 minute late arrival in Cheltenham.
David Ashley
NEWS ALERT
Network Developments
The current state of the economy may mean that many rail improvements/openings will be postponed or even abandoned. Very little has happened over the past three months to excite the train recorder although the East London Line has opened and the North London Line modernised between Gospel Oak and Stratford. The connection between the two at Dalston will open next year. Grand Central managed to meet the projected opening date for their London-Bradford service which brings back regular daytime services to the (Doncaster) Shaftholme Junction to Knottingley West Junction line. Unusually a new daily service not on Network Rail metals has been started between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland West by the Weardale Railway. A similar service between Okehampton and Exeter has not yet come to fruition. Proposed station openings continue to slip into the future but work is in progress on the new Southend Airport station due to open in the summer. A temporary platform was nearing completion in mid June on the down slow line at Chesterfield and a new platform 0 has opened at London Kings Cross. Work continues on the Thameslink Project with work focussing on Blackfriars station/bridge. Doubling parts of the Oxford to Worcester line is expected to recommence this summer with completion next year. The free Maryport to Workington flood relief shuttle has finished but the temporary Workington North remains open to see if there is a demand for it. In Wales the resignalling scheme around Newport continues but with little impact on train speeds so far. All the passing loops between Llanelli and Craven Arms are back in commission although the northbound platform at Knighton is out of use. The European signalling test bed- the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth/Pwllheli lines- has seen a further setback with the late postponement of its introduction between Harlech and Pwllheli in March due, allegedly, to sun glare making the cab computer screens difficult to read. Permanent Speed Restrictions which had been converted to kilometres per hour have reverted to mph and recently erected kilometre posts had their heads removed. In Scotland Drumgelloch station east of Airdrie has closed to allow reconstruction work on the reinstated Airdrie to Bathgate line to take place. The line is due to open in December. A contract has been signed to build a third track between Glasgow and Paisley originally planned as part of the Glasgow Airport rail project now cancelled west of Paisley. In Ireland the Waterford to Rosslare line is due to close for good on the 21st July. Tracklaying continues on the reinstated railway from Clonsilla to Pace and the DART station at Clongriffin north of Dublin finally opened in April.
Ian Umpleby July 2010
Milepost 31¼ 170 July 2010 CLUB 55 In Scotland
Club 55 is being reintroduced in Scotland during July and August. Now costing £22 between any two stations in Scotland, this facility is not the offer it once was, but the £2 discount for railcard holders still applies. First class is £27, but must be pre-booked.
OYSTER OFFERS
Holders of Oystercards and Freedom Passes can enjoy days out from the London area to many destinations, but only until 25th July. Details and vouchers from: www://daysoutguide.co.uk/Oyster. Examples are: On Southern Railway trains: £5 (including Southampton!), (First class £10) £10 to Oxford, Colchester and Cambridge £15 toSalisbury, Winchester, Birmingham (LM and Chiltern only) Liverpool (LM only) £20 to Bournemouth, Bristol, Weston-s-Mare, Cardiff (£40 First class), Norwich (£25 First Class).
And many more
The tickets are either Day or monthly returns (specified on website) with normal restrictions applying
NEW GARMIN PRODUCTS
What appear to be replacements for the GPSMAP76 and CSX60 products are being introduced by Garmin.
They reputedly are equipped with a Sirfstar IV chip. This was mainly developed for the mobile phone market, where battery life is paramount and quick signal acquisition is essential. It may be that they will work in the seating area of Voyagers, and improve reception in Pendolinos and Desiros. If a member has experience of the equipment in these environments could they please let us know.
The GPSMAP76 replacement is the GPSMAP78 and is now being shipped by Handtec. Base model costs £230, and with altimeter and compass £275. The CS60 replacement is badged as GPSMAP62 and can be pre-ordered at £233 base, £294 with altimeter and compass and £352 with maps
Traintimes have added a couple of additions to their web site. http://traintimes.org.uk/ - and click on “vaguely live map of trains”
This shows the movement of trains on a google map, based on the journey planner. Both sites are presumably work in progress, in that only limited routes are covered at present. Also, train run between stops “as the crow flies”, so a stopping train from Coventry to Birmingham roughly follows the correct route, but a train stopping only at Birmingham International veers north towards Meriden and then south through Yardley.
The other facility covers London Underground lines and is at: http://traintimes.org.uk:81/map/tube
Milepost 31¼ 171 July 2010
TUESDAY 27th JULY 2010
Area Meeting
LEEDS
OCTOBER 2010
Area Meeting
BRISTOL
Date to be confirmed
SATURDAY 30th OCTOBER 2010
Steam Performance Seminar
LONDON
Recording and evaluating 21st century British Steam Locomotive Performance
SPRING 2011
Speaker to be arranged
SATURDAY 7th MAY 2011
AGM
LONDON
Speaker: Ian Umpleby on production of distance charts
Milepost 31¼ 172 July 2010